Laptop decals are the wacky socks of the tech set — a store bought way to proclaim one’s individuality whilst continuing to conform to societal norms.
Sound harsh?
Well, if it makes you feel any better, it was actually a lecture aimed squarely at ME. Cuz you know what I just spent the last half hour doing? Searching online for an animation-themed laptop decal…while wearing garishly striped socks.
So what better way to turn lemons into lemonade (or in this case, a secret shame into a public post) than to share my favorite finds with you!
Snow White holding the Apple logo -$6
First up, the sticker that started it all. It was the PERFECT PAIRING of two iconic images, and such a seemingly OBVIOUS idea that everyone wondered why they hadn’t thought of it first. Lest a meme go un-merchandised, a small cottage industry quickly sprung up around it, producing unlicensed laptop stickers for every taste. No matter. This decal remains the fairest one of all.
Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon
My abnormal adoration for Chris Sanders’ cartoons would usually have me hyperventilating hyperbole right now. Unfortunately, this decals disappoints in one key area: It fails to ‘connect’ Toothless to the Apple logo in an interesting way. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not asking for much. I probably would’ve settled for a lone claw across the apple. But nope, nothing.
That said, a jet black night fury against a gunmetal gray laptop? That’s cartoon class, my friends. (Insert all-caps adjectives here.)
“MacBook Pro, I CHOOSE YOU!”
It’s a small joke. An easy joke. Hell, it’s barely even a joke at all. Still, I bet this sticker elicits a smile from everyone who sees it. That’s right — your laptop’s Pokemon power is SMILE-MAKING. Take that, Team Rocket!
Chris Sanders AGAIN?! I told you I adored dude’s work. Plus, this stripped-down Stitch is SUPER CUTE. And the way they’ve posed him, you’ll actually find yourself putting thoughts into his head. Depending on your current mental state, that’s either mild schizophrenia or successful cartooning. (I’ll leave that to your therapist to decide.)
Charlie Brown & Lucy from Peanuts
Charles Schulz was a master at creating iconic imagery out of everyday disappointments. Perhaps none of these images is more memorable, more metaphorical, more embarrassingly relatable than that of Charlie Brown repeatedly attempting to kick the football, only to have Lucy inevitably pull it away. It’s such a simple gag, yet one that touches on almost every fear we have as children and adults. Issues of trust, abandonment, failure, respect — you name it. It’s all right there in this timeless, truthful joke.
Peter and the gang from Peter Pan
Remember what I said about integrating the Apple logo into the design? This decal does that…only differently, brilliantly. By completely obscuring the apple’s shape, it creates a whole new context for the back-light. What was once an advertising icon is now the illuminated face of London’s Big Ben. This clever repurposing also adds a subtle ‘nighttime’ effect to the image, magically transforming a bunch of cheap, black, character cut-outs into a set of haunting silhouettes soaring across a grey night sky. STUNNING!
