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Subway Doodle’s Monsters Invade New York Commutes

“Subway Doodle” is the name Ben Rubin uses when posting drawings he makes on his commute to and from work each day. The artist snaps a photo and using his iPad, he inserts monsters, animals, and occasionally horrifying scenes into everyday life. Sometimes, the fictional creatures soak in the banality of the subway with fellow passengers. Other times, unsuspecting passengers are unaware of the terror that sits next to them.


“Subway Doodle” is the name Ben Rubin uses when posting drawings he makes on his commute to and from work each day. The artist snaps a photo and using his iPad, he inserts monsters, animals, and occasionally horrifying scenes into everyday life. Sometimes, the fictional creatures soak in the banality of the subway with fellow passengers. Other times, unsuspecting passengers are unaware of the terror that sits next to them.





Subway Doodle also takes his work to the streets, where grotesque behemoths roam or loom in the waters below. Occasionally, the work gets political or offers commentary on how we entertain ourselves in those moments between obligations, like the tongue-in-cheek image of a phone holding a person, feet away from the inverse.



Rubin’s social media channels were featured in New York Magazine’s “The Definitive Guide to NYC Subway Instagram Accounts.” From the magazine’s description of Subway Doodle: “An accurate depiction of how we feel inside, but our faces will never reveal, because we’re DOING JUST FINE HERE, OKAY? Let your soul get its recognition.”


Occasionally, Subway Doodle also uploads animations to his channels, which feature scenes like Super Mario Bros. characters on a subway or the bike lane symbol literally taking a stroll in a bike lane.


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