Gauntlet Gallery
What is KAWS’s piece called “Franken Berry (Black)”?
Summary
Franken Berry (Black) is part of KAWS's Cereal Monsters series, reinterpreting the General Mills strawberry-flavored Frankenstein mascot through his pop-art lens. The mascot is recast with KAWS's crossed-out 'XX' eyes and rendered in his flat, hard-edged graphic style, transforming a nostalgic breakfast-cereal advertising figure into contemporary editioned art. The Black colorway delivers a high-contrast, near-monochrome treatment emphasizing line and form over color. As an accessible screenprint-feel edition, it carries the consumerism critique and cartoon-appropriation strategy at the heart of KAWS's practice while remaining in a comparatively attainable price tier.
Why It Matters
Franken Berry (Black) matters as part of KAWS's systematic appropriation of consumer-culture mascots, a practice he has pursued since defacing advertisements in his graffiti era. The Monster cereal characters epitomize mid-century advertising's use of cartoon charm to market product, precisely the imagery KAWS recontextualizes by stamping it with his own iconography. Crossing out the mascot's eyes both honors and critiques the nostalgia and commercialism it embodies, lending the work conceptual depth beneath its playful surface. The Cereal Monsters group is conceptually rich yet approachably priced, offering collectors entry into KAWS's Pop-art lineage from Warhol and Lichtenstein without the cost of his flagship works. The Black variant's strong graphic contrast and the set's completist appeal, spanning Count Chocula, Boo Berry, and Frute Brute, sustain demand among buyers assembling the full grouping. It exemplifies how KAWS applies a consistent visual signature across recognizable icons to build coherent, collectible series.
Collector Perspective
Franken Berry (Black) appeals to collectors who enjoy KAWS's appropriation works and cereal-mascot nostalgia, and to newer buyers seeking an accessible point of entry. Its bold near-monochrome graphic reads strongly on a wall and pairs naturally with Boo Berry, Count Chocula, and Frute Brute to form a coordinated set. In a collection it represents the consumerism-and-advertising strand of KAWS's output and rewards completists assembling all four Monster cereal characters. Buyers should verify edition size and authenticity through reputable channels and prioritize pristine condition, since these graphic prints are valued partly on their crisp presentation.
Historical Context
Franken Berry (Black) continues KAWS's career-long appropriation of commercial cartoon characters, a method rooted in his subway and graffiti origins of reworking existing advertising. Targeting the General Mills Monster cereal mascots situates the work within his consumerism-and-advertising lineage, descending from Pop art's preoccupation with branding and mass media. Modest in scale relative to his monumental sculptures, it nonetheless runs on the same conceptual engine. The Cereal Monsters set illustrates how KAWS extends his visual signature across familiar cultural icons to construct coherent, collectible thematic groupings.
FAQ
What is Franken Berry (Black)?
It is part of KAWS's Cereal Monsters series, reworking the General Mills Franken Berry mascot in his flat graphic style with crossed-out eyes, in a high-contrast black colorway.
Which works pair with it?
It pairs directly with Boo Berry and the broader set including Count Chocula and Frute Brute, which collectors often acquire as a complete grouping.
Is it an original or an edition?
These are produced as editioned prints rather than unique works. Specific edition size and authenticity should be confirmed through reputable resale records.
Related Works
About the Artist
KAWS is the working name of Brian Donnelly (b. 1974, Jersey City). He began in the 1990s subverting bus-shelter and phone-booth advertisements, then built a singular visual language around the Companion — a Mickey-Mouse-descended figure with crossed-out X eyes — alongside Chum, BFF, Accomplice and a cast of appropriated cartoon characters. His practice spans paintings, screenprints, vinyl and bronze sculpture, and the monumental KAWS:Holiday installations shown in cities worldwide. His work is held by the Brooklyn Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and major private collections, and he is among the most collected artists of his generation.