One of the most popular cartoon characters of all time, Hello Kitty has been an iconic part of pop culture for over than 30 years. But where did this adorable white kitten come from?
Hello Kitty was designed by Japanese artist Yuko Shimizu, who at the time was not trying to create an icon, but was simply doodling! She drew inspiration from Japanese bobtail cats and put her own twist on it, giving the drawing no mouth, and a bright red bow. She first captured the hearts of people all over Japan in 1974, when she appeared on a small coin purse, between a bottle of milk and a goldfish bowl!
Sanrio is the name of Japanese company that began distributing Hello Kitty all over the world in 1976. They’ve also introduced her family, and gave her a background… for instance, did you know that she was born in the suburbs of London, and weighs as much as three apples? :)
Sanrio has also featured Hello Kitty in mass produced collectible items like necklaces, folders, pencils and more. In the 1980s, a Hello Kitty craze swept the United States, and anything with her likeness sold like hotcakes – she was even featured on a couple of different cartoon shows and her image graced appliances, dolls and other items. In Japan, Sanrio has opened two Hello Kitty theme parks called Harmonyland and Sanrio Puroland, both of which delight millions of visitors every year!
Hello Kitty is beloved not only for her cute image in colourful backgrounds, but also for her optimism and happy messages – despite her lack of mouth. Sanrio representatives say this particular characteristic helps people project their feelings on the character, and that because she speaks from the heart, she isn’t bound to any language.
These days, Hello Kitty continues to appear on everything from jewellery to laptop sleeves… and of course, many beloved postcards! You can learn more about Hello Kitty’s stunning rise to fame and check her many themed products on the Sanrio website.
28 comments so far
Finally! Hello Kitty on postcrossing spotlight haha.., we LOVED it:) everybody loves it!
This little cat is sooo cute....
But where do you buy current postcards? Our Sanrio store in Norhern California does not carry postcards, everything but.... I purchased an old postcard book of a few Hello Kitty and her friends. But I still am perplexed where to purchase Hello Kitty postcards?
@hopeley there seem to be some sets on amazon UK (http://amzn.to/Z1MwSH), though less on the US store.
Awww. I love Hello Kitty postcards.
I've just received a few but all those postcards are lovely.
Maybe one day you could also write about the Moomins? I think this would be very interesting, too :)
"This little cat is sooo cute...."-
Exactly! I already loved it as a child. :-)
I love Charmmy Kitty! She's a really cute spin off from Hello Kitty.
She has my age??? WOW! :D Too pinkish for my taste but sometimes I can't resist it. ;)
Most of my school & office supplies are Hello Kitty. She's just like a friend. Now I have collected +- 200 HK postcards!
What a wonderful post on postcrossing! I've been collecting and sending Hello Kitty items since 1980. Some of my favorite cards I've received are Hello Kitty postcards.
I think Hello Kitty is a copy of Nijntje,
who was created by Dick Bruna in 1955.
Hi
I like Hello Kitty, but i like Miffy, nijntje, more. She was designed by Dick Bruna years before HK was designed. I've often wondered why Hello Kitty could excist beside Miffy. Will you make a post on Miffy or even better on Dick Bruna too? He is a dutch artist. Hope you will.
Eliane
@Alina92 : http://www.postcrossing.com/blog/2009/05/02/moomins
@elagipsy : http://www.postcrossing.com/blog/2012/03/01/dick-bruna-and-miffy
(^_^)
Hello kitty is my favourite! ♥
Musti is a little Belgian kitten that looks a lot like Nijntje and Kitty but is the oldest of them all.Like Picasso said : good artists copy, great artists steal....
I am not a cat person, but Hello Kitty stole my heart!
I didn't care for Hello Kitty until a Postcrosser sent me one of Hello Kitty relaxing with a mai tai on a desert island beach. :) Now I love the way she is drawn. PM me if you want to know where to get her cards in San Francisco. I found some yesterday.
I like Hello Kitty: )
Hello Kitty is my favorite one~
I received a Hello Kitty stamp from Japan, and I like it! :D
Thank you Honzuki for the link to The Dick Bruna post!
I've got a lot of hello kitty postcards and I love to send them to other postcrossers! ^_^
I like Hello kitty,too.I like it when I was child!!
Thank you Honzuki for the links to Dick Bruna and the moomins!
iam a true hello kitty fan for ever ^^
I love Hello Kitty! I have many things with HK but I can never find postcards here. Thanks to some nice postcrossers now I have a few, they are all adorable:)
I Love Hello Kitty!!!
i always love Hello Kitty! :D
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