12-year-old 'Doodle Boy' who kept getting in trouble for doodling in class signs deal with Nike

Joe Whale rose to fame a few months ago as "The Doodle Boy" when his wall illustration at a local cafe in the United Kingdom went viral online. Since then, he has worked with several businesses to exhibit his amazing artwork. However, he may have landed his best deal yet. The 12-year-old has recently signed on to work with Nike, his agency revealed. While the company is yet to announce exactly what he will be working on, they did share that he would be illustrating "some special projects." Both Whale and his family are over the moon about the collaboration, CNN reports.

"We are so very excited to confirm that Joe is now part of the Nike family," his agency Loveblood Creative announced in an official statement. "It really is a unique relationship that puts Joe's talent and love of sport together to inspire others to have fun and do what they love." The young boy's father Gregory Whale added in an email to the news outlet, "Joe is really excited to join the Nike family, he absolutely loves the brand. It is a dream come true for him as he loves both Sport and creativity and partnering with Nike will give him the opportunity to embrace both."

The Doodle Boy, as Whale is popularly known on Instagram, has gained more than 119,000 followers on Instagram alone. And that is not all. Last year, he had the opportunity to hold his own solo art exhibition at the Soden Collection, an art gallery in his hometown of Shrewsbury in central England. So far, his artwork has even been appreciated by none other than Prince William and Duchess Catherine. The young boy drew an illustration of their royal train tour in December 2020. The Royal couple posted it on their official Twitter account, where they thanked him and encouraged him to continue following his passions. They wrote, "Keep up the great work!"

According to Whale's website, his favorite things to illustrate are aliens, monsters, and food. Letting his imagination run wild, he has even created his own unique characters. These include the "Praying Turtle," "Cool Dog" and "Backpack Kid." "I have been drawing and painting since the age of three and art has been a huge part of my life," he writes. "I would draw, paint, and do crafts at every opportunity and that hasn't changed to this day. I pretty much create doodles from anything as I get inspired by my surroundings and create characters from all of the things I see."

He also has one rule that he applies to all his artwork: "There is no right or wrong in art, just interpretation." Therefore, he affirms, "This means when I create I am completely free to express." Indeed, it shall be rather interesting to see how he applies this approach to his illustrations as he works with the world-renowned sports brand. You can visit his website here or follow him on Instagram to keep up with his latest updates.