The cute, fun and quirky cartoon characters that popped up on our TV screen way back are no longer as cute as they used to be, thanks to Australian digital artist Wil Hughes' makeover.

Hughes has successfully turned some of our most beloved pop culture icons like Rick, Morty, Waldo and Pickle Rick into nightmarish characters that would fit perfectly in a horror film.

The artist, who studied animation at Griffith University in Brisbane, creates realistic textures that give his horrifying portraits a 3D look.

Check out Hughes' works in the gallery.