“Itasha (痛車), literally “painmobile”, is a Japanese term for an otaku fad of individuals decorating the bodies of their cars with fictional characters of anime, manga, or video games (especially bishōjo game or eroge). These characters are predominately “cute” female. The decorations usually involve paint schemes and stickers. Automobiles are called Itasha, while similar motorcycles and bicycles are called itansha (痛単車) and itachari (痛チャリ), respectively”. – Wikipedia


Photo: A visitor takes pictures of an anime-decorated «Itasha» car displayed during the “Moe Fes in Washimiya” at Washimiya Town Hall on July 18, 2009 in Washimiya, Saitama, Japan. Itasha, a word derived from “itai” (painful) and “sha” (car), are vehicles decorated with mostly female characters from Japanese manga, anime and video games. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)

A man dressed as “El Chapulin Colorado”, a character by screenwriter Roberto Gomez Bolanos, performs for fans and media as they wait for the arrival of the funeral van carrying the body of Bolanos, at Mexican media company Televisa in Mexico City November 29, 2014. Mexican actor and screenwriter Roberto Gomez Bolanos, one of Latin America's most beloved comedians, whose slapstick acts charmed fans from Spain to Argentina for over four decades, died on Friday at the age 85. Known as “Chespirito”, a word play on “Little Shakespeare” for his diminutive stature and his prolific scripts, Gomez Bolanos created some of the region's most enduring comic characters. (Photo by Carlos Jasso/Reuters)

The dapper beasts are the creation of Barcelona-based artist and photographer Yago Partal, 31, whose work has achieved a cult following online. In his latest project he has merged photographs and illustrations to create a set of quirky animal portraits. Photo: “Hare wearing a v-neck jumper and shirt”. (Photo by Yago Partal/Barcroft Media)

See also: Zoo Portraits By Yago Partal. Part 1

Typhoon Yolanda – also known as Haiyan – struck the central part of the country November 8, 2013, leaving at least 6,300 people dead and over four million displaced. A month after Typhoon Haiyan, the United Nations Population Fund estimates that 5,000 women were subjected to sеxual violence. A study by the Health and Human Rights online publication shows the majority of young girls and women in Manila’s sеx industry come from poverty-stricken areas – such as Leyte, Samar, Cebu and southern Mindanao – and enter trafficking through force, deception, economic desperation and psychological manipulation. (Photo by Hannah Reyes Morales/The Washington Post)

A Catholic faithful fancy dressed as a “talciguin” -character of the local folklore- takes part in the celebration of an ancient local tradition that marks the start of Holy Week, in Texistepeque, some 80 km west of San Salvador, on April 15, 2019. Talciguines are devils who “lash” Catholic faithfuls to cleanse their sins. (Photo by Marvin Recinos/AFP Photo)

An artist has created a homage to cultural and historical figures – by immortalising them as Star Wars characters. Mike Leavitt wanted to “document the pulse of our times” through his sculpture by splicing non-fiction characters with famous faces. He chose the sci-fi trilogy as a basis for what he calls his “pop culture satirical mash-ups”, with many of the pieces hand-carved from wood. The hilarious results include Albert Einstein as R2D2, Michael Jackson as an Ewok and Angelina Jolie in Princess Leia's famous slave girl outfit. Photo: Gandhi as Yoda. (Photo by Mike Leavitt/Rex USA)

David Bowie, 1974. David Bowie's quirky character and style was perfectly encapsulated in this shot by Terry O'Neill, which shows the music legend posing next to a barking dog on the artwork for his 1974 album “Diamond Dogs” in London. (Photo by Terry O'Neill)