We Found The Mischief Man Behind The Fremont Troll’s Mask

It seems like everyone in Seattle is sporting some kind of coronavirus protection, and the Fremont Troll is no exception. An image of our famous monster wearing a blue medical mask has been going viral and the whole city is obsessed. The question on everyone's mind: Is it real or Photoshop? We got in touch with the man behind the mask to get all the details. 

"I saw the news where a couple of tourists in Seattle were wearing face masks," photographer Brian David Casey said in an interview with Narcity. "Then my creative mind kicked in and came up with the idea of going around to the famous Seattle landmarks in my neighborhood and putting masks on them."

The Seattle-based photographer is best known for his portraits, wedding, and event photography that he’s been shooting in the city for more than 15 years. But he tells us that he has always wanted a more creative outlet. 

"I think Seattlelites are on edge right now with this virus," he said, "So if these images can bring a smile to some and take the edge off, that would be a good thing."

His picture of the Fremont Troll, a public sculpture that's been under the Aurora Bridge in Fremont since 1990, went viral last week, getting hundreds of shares and likes on Twitter, Instagram, and even rose to the top of the Seattle subreddit with 2,400 upvotes.

But Casey has also masked other Seattle landmarks, including the "Waiting for The Interurban" statue and Fremont’s Lenin statue in his series. 

[rebelmouse-image 25972811 photo_credit="Brian David Casey | Facebook" expand=1 original_size="640x960"]

Casey outfitted Lenin with a red mask to match his red gloves, which were once painted red in protest to call attention to the violence in his rule.

In the photoshopped version of the “Waiting for The Interurban” statue, Casey photoshopped the people (and dog) waiting for the Seattle-Everett Interurban with rolls of tissue, sanitizer, and packaged bottles of water that people have been "panic-buying."

(The Interurban was a railway line that ran until 1939 and connected downtown Seattle to nearby neighborhoods.)  

The Fremont neighborhood, which has more than a few funky sculptures, has a history of “art attacks” — where people make the artwork their own, adding costumes, signs or even face masks to public works.  

"I am hoping other artists are inspired and use their own creative angle with the remaining landmarks around Seattle, including the statue of Jimi Hendrix," he said.

Now, wouldn't that be a sight!