Brooklyn-based artist KAWS (Lot 76, 78, 79) is best-known for his transformation of popular icons into cartoon-like characters and imagery. Expanding upon the tradition of Pop art, as well as the artist's influence of street art and passion for graphic design, KAWS has extended his interests to create his own growing cast of characters. The character, Companion, is derivative of the well-known cartoon, Mickey Mouse, as can be seen by the Companion's lower body which features the classically skinny-legged Mickey Mouse body. Companion emblemizes KAWS's stylistic signature of a puffy and inflated skull, marked by exaggerated ears and crossed-out "x" eyes. KAWS's characters are a reference to visual culture and demonstrate his wealth of creativity and impressive ability to appropriate world-famous pop culture icons, making them at once his own unique creation and also a stylistic tribute to society today.