Chalk this one up to bedtime stories and video games.

Thanks to a recent reading of “Where the Wild Things are” with my son and my neverending adoration for the Legend of Zelda game series, I’ve crafted these early sketches combining the villains of the game universe with the playful illustration style of the late Maurice Sendak.

My concept has link leading a parade, the Master Sword hoisted proudly, with Ganon, a Dodongo, a “Wind Waker”-era Darknut, and the Helmarock King following behind.

Of course, these are just the early sketches, but I hope to capture more of the whimsy of the beloved book as I finalize things. The shirt design may be a bit simplified for printing purposes, but I’d like to take the time and flesh out all of Sendak’s trademark WTWTA crosshatching to build the full effect.