# Gorillaz Demon Days Cover Parodies > Gorillaz Demon Days Cover Parodies are fan-created image templates based on the 2005 Gorillaz album cover, featuring a grid of four character portraits in white boxes on black—a format popularized on DeviantArt since its August 2005 debut. Gorillaz "Demon Days" Cover Parodies are fan-made recreations of the album art from the virtual band Gorillaz's 2005 second studio album *Demon Days*. The cover's simple grid layout of four character portraits set in white boxes against a black background made it an easy and popular template for substituting in characters from other franchises. Since the first known parody appeared on DeviantArt in August 2005[1], thousands of versions have been created across platforms including DeviantArt, 4chan, and various fandom communities[4]. ## Origin Gorillaz is a virtual band created by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and *Tank Girl* co-creator Jamie Hewlett in 1998[5]. After their self-titled debut album sold over seven million copies[4], the duo released *Demon Days* on May 11, 2005 in Japan and May 23-24 in the UK and US[3]. The album peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart and went six times platinum in the UK[5]. Lead single "Feel Good Inc." won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2006[3]. The first known parody of the cover appeared on DeviantArt on August 16, 2005, just three months after the album's release. User bundycoot (now The-Bundycoot) swapped the Gorillaz members with characters from *Kim Possible*, noting visual similarities between certain band members and the show's villains. Bundycoot specifically called out the parallels between Monkey Fist and Murdoc, and between Duff Killigan and Russel[1]. - **Platform:** DeviantArt (first parody), Am I Right? (early spread) - **Creator:** bundycoot / The-Bundycoot (first known parody creator), Jamie Hewlett (original album art), Damon Albarn (Gorillaz co-creator) - **Date:** 2005 ## Overview The *Demon Days* album cover, designed by Jamie Hewlett, features the four animated Gorillaz band members in a 2x2 grid of white-bordered squares on a black background[3]. Murdoc sits top-left, 2-D top-right, Noodle bottom-left, and Russel bottom-right[4]. The design was inspired by the Beatles' 1970 album *Let It Be*[3]. What makes the cover so appealing as a meme template is its clean, symmetrical layout. Any group of four characters can be slotted into the grid, and the result is instantly recognizable. The high-contrast black-and-white frame gives even the silliest character swaps a dramatic, moody look that plays well against the originals. ## How It Spread By October 2005, parody covers started appearing on Am I Right?, a music humor site dedicated to song parodies and album art spoofs[2]. The format spread steadily through DeviantArt's fan art community, where it became a staple of fandom crossover art. The site now hosts over 3,000 pieces tagged "Demon Days"[4]. In 2009, a Photoshop tutorial video was uploaded to YouTube showing viewers how to create their own *Demon Days* parodies[4], which helped standardize the format and lower the barrier to entry. The meme also found audiences on 4chan[4] and within specific fandom communities. The brony fandom embraced the format on Bronibooru, where *My Little Pony* character versions of the cover circulated[8]. In January 2012, Equestria Daily featured a 20-minute mashup album called "Discord Days" that combined *Demon Days* tracks with the *My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic* soundtrack, accompanied by a pony-style version of the album cover[6]. The parody format's longevity owes a lot to the album's own lasting cultural footprint. *Rolling Stone* ranked *Demon Days* at number 437 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2023[3], and Last.fm logged over 35 million plays of the album's tracks[4]. Gorillaz themselves are recognized as pioneers of culture jamming, appearing on Wikipedia's list of culture jamming organizations[10]. ## How to Use Creating a *Demon Days* cover parody typically follows a straightforward process: 1. Pick a group of four characters from any franchise, fandom, or real-life context 2. Draw or edit each character into one of the four squares, matching the original's framing (head-and-shoulders portrait, slightly moody expression) 3. Arrange them in a 2x2 grid with white borders on a black background 4. Optionally match character personalities to the original band members (the leader goes where 2-D is, the edgy one takes Murdoc's spot, etc.) ## Fun Facts - The original *Demon Days* cover was itself a reference to the Beatles' *Let It Be* album from 1970, making every parody a reference to a reference[3]. - Jamie Hewlett won the Design Museum's Designer of the Year award in 2006, partly for his Gorillaz artwork[9]. - Gorillaz holds a Guinness World Record as the Most Successful Virtual Band[4]. - The "Discord Days" MLP mashup was so well-received that Equestria Daily commenters compared it to the original album in quality, with one calling it "the greatest possible thing"[6]. - Damon Albarn drew inspiration for the album's dark tone from a train journey through impoverished areas of rural China, describing it as "dead trees as far as the eye can see"[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What are Gorillaz "Demon Days" Cover Parodies? They are fan-made recreations of the *Demon Days* album cover by Gorillaz, replacing the four animated band members with characters from other franchises or original creations while keeping the distinctive 2x2 grid layout[4]. ### Where did Gorillaz "Demon Days" Cover Parodies come from? The first parody was posted on DeviantArt by user bundycoot on August 16, 2005, featuring *Kim Possible* characters in place of the Gorillaz members[1]. ### What does the Gorillaz "Demon Days" Cover Parody meme mean? The parodies are a form of fan art and fandom crossover that use the album's recognizable layout to present any four-character group in a dramatic, unified composition[4]. ### How do you make a Gorillaz "Demon Days" Cover Parody? Choose four characters, draw or edit them into head-and-shoulders portraits, and arrange them in a 2x2 white-bordered grid on a black background, matching the original album's framing[4]. ### Are Gorillaz "Demon Days" Cover Parodies still popular? The format is a classic template that artists still use. DeviantArt hosts over 3,000 pieces tagged "Demon Days," and new versions still appear across art communities[7]. ### What inspired the original Demon Days album cover? Jamie Hewlett designed the cover as a reference to the Beatles' 1970 album *Let It Be*, which also features a four-portrait grid layout[3]. ### Who are the four characters on the original cover? The cover shows the four Gorillaz band members: bassist Murdoc (top-left), vocalist 2-D (top-right), guitarist Noodle (bottom-left), and drummer Russel (bottom-right)[4]. ### What is the "Discord Days" mashup album? It's a 20-minute fan-made album that combines *Demon Days* instrumentals with audio from *My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic*, released in January 2012 with a pony-style cover parody[6]. ### Why is this album cover so easy to parody? The simple 2x2 grid of portraits on a high-contrast black-and-white background makes it easy to swap in any characters while keeping the result instantly recognizable[4]. ### How successful was the original Demon Days album? It debuted at number one in the UK, sold eight million copies worldwide, and its lead single "Feel Good Inc." won a Grammy Award in 2006[3]. ## References 1. [Album Cover Parodies of Gorillaz - Demon Days]() 2. [Good Night, Bronibooru!]() 3. [Album Cover Parodies of Gorillaz - Demon Days]() 4. [Gorillaz "Demon Days" Cover Parodies - Know Your Meme]() 5. [List of culture jamming organizations and people]() 6. [Gorillaz]() 7. [Damon Albarn]() 8. [Jamie Hewlett]() 9. [Demon Days]() 10. [Demon Days — Gorillaz | Last.fm]() 11. [KP-Gorillaz - Demon Days by The-Bundycoot on DeviantArt]() 12. [Equestria Daily - MLP Stuff!: 20 Minute Gorrillaz "Demon Days" Pony Mashup Album]() 13. 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