Predator Zoidberg Mashup, Futurama Meets Yautja Fan Art

Welcome to a World of Whoop

If you grew up in the late ’80s and ’90s, chances are Predator blew your young geek mind wide open. For me, Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn’t just an action star, he was the hero. The perfect combination of muscle, grit, and one-liners that made sci-fi and horror collide in glorious chaos. From that first spine-chilling roar in the jungle, I was hooked. And when Aliens vs. Predator became a thing, my life basically revolved around that universe, comics, video games, novels, Weyland-Yutani bathrobe and slippers, you name it, I was all over it,

The Yautja, the warrior species behind the mask became one of the most iconic alien designs in film history. Every scar, dreadlock, and mandible screamed “hunter.” So when Disney acquired the rights to the Predator franchise, I was cautiously optimistic… and then Predator: Badlands happened.

When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted (by Design Choices)

Let’s talk about Badlands. As soon as I saw the first promotional material, leaks, posters and trailers, I realized something had gone terribly wrong. Disney didn’t just tweak the Yautja, they redesigned it into something weaker, less menacing and more comical. The new creature, “Dek,” (which, by the way, means kid in Thai — fitting, right?) looked like a Saturday-morning cartoon reject instead of a primal intergalactic killer.

When I finally saw the film on release day here in Thailand, it took me half the runtime just to stop laughing in disbelief. I came expecting fear and awe but got comedy instead (the oh-so-cute character “Bud”, Offspring of the Kalisk mimicking/mocking the rip head with spine out of body round the campfire was a chef’s kiss of death by the studios i’m sure). So I decided, fine, if this is a joke, let’s make it official.

The Birth of Predator Zoidberg

Like most of my art, this piece started as a brainfart. Somewhere between anger, nostalgia, and a late-night caffeine crash, I thought: “If they’re going to ruin Predator anyway… why not Zoidberg?”

So using AI image generation and a bit of Photoshop magic, Predator Zoidberg (or should it be Yautjaberg?) was born.

Picture it, Dr. Zoidberg from Futurama, awkward and lovable as ever, but now dressed head-to-toe in Yautja armor, plasma caster on his shoulder, and claws ready for action. The tagline? “Welcome to a world of whoop.”

It’s tongue-in-cheek parody, sure, but also an honest expression of how I felt watching Badlands: the line between comedy and tragedy blurred so hard it became art.

A Love Letter (and Roast) to the Yautja-Verse

I’ve loved every Predator installment, even the flawed ones. The lore, the hunter’s code, the thrill of watching humanity pushed to its limits, it’s cinematic gold. But Badlands? It stripped away the menace, the mystique. Instead of tension, we got glossy, soulless spectacle and a storyline that felt like it was AI remixing and blending Star Wars with Lion King, i was half expecting the Synth to start a cumbia of “Hakuna Matata” around the campfire…for real, wouldn’t be out of place.

I’m not against evolution or new interpretations. But the Yautja doesn’t need fixing. It needs respect. Prey was also a shock design, but after enough exposure it felt right (to me) The Predator should terrify, not trend on TikTok. Or maybe the negging was part of the point? It worked for Sonic the Hedgehog live-action initial design releases, but at least they had the dignity to listen to the fans and fix up.

So yeah, I made reactionary Predator: Badlands movie poster remix as both a parody and protest. If Disney insists on redesigning icons, maybe they should go all the way. Bring in Zoidberg! At least he’s funny on purpose.

Why Not Zoidberg? Why Not You?

If you want to see an iconic sci-fi creature destroyed or remixed beyond recognition, I’m your guy. You don’t need a Disney-sized budget to ruin a legend or create your own mashup masterpiece.

👉 Send me a message – whether you want a Yautja-Hello Kitty crossover or a Xenomorph sipping coffee on Coruscant, I’ll bring it to life (and probably offend a few purists along the way).

Expect the worst, hope for the (Predator) prime, and remember, it’s art, not canon.