User blog comment:Beatnik Doctor/A difference between old champions and newer champions/@comment-60764-20120308105412

Older champions are/were mixes of other ideas from other games (Warwick being Lycanthrope and Ursa from Dota, Blitz being Pudge and Alchemist, etc). And the main art lead was the now gone [Shurelia], who grew as an artist throughout the game's development until switching to another concept artist, her giving us champions like Lux and Irelia.

It's just been an evolution of art, really. The closest they've released to that old feel is Ziggs, and something about the yordle is unnerving. Perhaps that he reminds me a weee bit too much of Bubsy the Cat (both in feel and grab at appeal). But the generation shift toward a more 'serious' tone is a bit of a sad thing, yes.