Rusty finds his doodles put the fun into furlough
RESIDENTS have been delighted by the sight of beloved cartoon characters popping up in well-known Rochdale locations thanks to the work of a local artist.
The Syke resident took to drawing well known figures from Disney films and cartoons like The Simpsons as a way to keep busy while he was furloughed from his job during lockdown.
After positive feedback from family and friends, he took to posting his creations on social media under the Banksy-style alias Rusty Doodles, and now has a growing online following of fans.
He told the Observer: “I’d not drawn since I was at school but I just started doing it again during furlough and it just went on from there.
“I didn’t think people would like them but then lots of people started liking and commenting on Facebook - it’s just crazy.
“My Instagram account has gone from five followers to nearly 300! I definitely didn’t think that would happen.”
The mystery artist said the creations had been therapeutic for him while furloughed from his job at Taylor Engineering and Plastics.
He explained: “Before lockdown my girlfriend and I were at a house party and this little girl had done a drawing of Harry Potter. I said that I used to draw at school so I drew one of Harry Potter as well - and everyone said it was amazing!
“Then when I was furloughed I just had nothing to do - it was awful. So my girlfriend said ‘draw me a picture’.
“I put it on Facebook and people loved it, so I just started doing one every day and it’s just grown and grown from there!”
‘Rusty’ used his first drawings to gather a total of £110 from family and friends which he donated to Springhill Hospice as a tribute to his father, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer.
He then had the idea to include some of the popular characters he was recreating in well-known spots around Rochdale, after treating himself to a tablet to experiment with different art styles.
The overwhelming social media reaction now sees him posting new scenes almost daily to his Facebook group, Rusty Doodles and Friends cartoons.
He said: “When I posted the first Disney one it got about 70 or 80 likes - then I started hearing from people asking me to do more!
“I’ve had so many messages from people asking who I’m going to draw next and where - now I have to do one every day!”
He added: “I didn’t think they were that good but all this praise is so humbling and just amazing.
“Rochdale gets put down so much and being from here, it’s nice to highlight some of the nice sights we have.
“It’s what kept me going through furlough, and when you take characters that everyone knows and you put them in places everyone knows, it really makes people smile that’s what I do it for.”
Mum-of-four Kathryn Dinçer is among those who now eagerly await new uploads from the mystery artist.
She said: “I think he needs the credit he deserves - his art is fantastic and his imagination is great. We as a family love to see who is going to turn up next.”
Kathryn said one of her favourite pieces showed Pocahontas as depicted in Disney’s 1995 classic film rowing across Hollingworth Lake, and that her two youngest children in particular, 11-year-old Connor and 10-year-old Lily, were ‘enthralled’ trying to guess who will appear where and when.
She added: “I don’t know this guy personally but the joy in his artwork has made my whole family smile.
“It has brought much joy in this confusing time.”
Although now back at work, ‘Rusty’ is still uploading new images to his Facebook group, and more of his work can be found on his YouTube channel, and on Instagram at @rustydoodles86.