In a world plagued by troubling headlines, stressed-out adults are turning with increased frequency to diversions that brought them happiness as children. Witness as evidence the surge in popularity of adult coloring books and the ubiquity of those complicated, expensive Lego sets based on 1980s film properties. And now, people who grew up on Where’s Waldo? collections and other “find the thing hidden among other, similar things” puzzles have found solace in the work of Hungarian artist Gergely “Dudolf” Dudás. Late last year, during the Christmas season, Dudás captured the collective imagination of the internet with his whimsical illustration of a panda bear hidden among snowmen. The aunts of America reblogged, reposted and retweeted the ever loving shit out of that thing. And the publishing world took notice: Dudás’ first book for HarperCollins is set to appear in the fall of 2017, with two more titles to follow. In the meantime, the artist kept hope alive in 2016 with other illustrations in the same vein. Cats were secreted among owls, Easter eggs among bunny rabbits, and the clicks came rolling in. And now, Dudás has gone underwater, posting this to his Facebook account:
That’s right. The goal this time is to find the fish trying to remain incognito at a mysterious gathering of ketchup-colored octopi with mustard-colored eyes. This is something lighthearted and fun that’s all but guaranteed to spark arguments among co-workers just trying to get through another Tuesday. Apparently, the starfish do not count, even though they have the word “fish” right in their goddamn name, for Christ’s sake. And that blue thing near the upper right hand corner is supposed to be a shell, not a fin or a tail. But the fish is still out there. Oh, he’s out there, all right, that shifty little gill-breathing bastard. Reveal yourself, coward! Okay, here’s a hint: The fish is below the octopus, above the octopus, and to the left and right of the octopus. Does that help?
For those who like to enter their favorite restaurant through the kitchen, meanwhile, here’s a peek at the artist’s creative process:
So many dead eyes. So, so many.
[via Mental Floss]