origins of Hello Kitty

[pezwookiee]

I was recently in a Japanese food store and noticed Hello Kitty was on EVERYTHING. Anyone know the origins/story of Hello Kitty and why she and her compatriots gained so much popularity? Are there Hello Kitty stories or anything out there or is she just a cute character gracing lots o' stuff?

[El_Kabong]

It's definitely a Japanese thing, and apparently has been going on since 1960 or thereabouts. As for its recent popularity in the states, it seems to come down to that trendy east asian hyper-cutesy je ne sais quoi that has attached to such things as Sailor Moon. There is a FAQ at the manufacturer's site:

http://www.sanrio.com/

More support for my theory that there is a FAQ for everything, if one searches long enough. Now, if I could just find that honey badger FAQ I've been looking for...

[Fiver]

Rocket88:More support for my theory that there is a FAQ for everything, if one searches long enough. Now, if I could just find that honey badger FAQ I've been looking for...

http://library.thinkquest.org/16645/wildlife/honey_badger.shtml

And I didn't search very long at all.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

EVIL EVIL EVIL!

BAD KITTY!

NO BE EVIL!

BAD!

[Sxyzzx]

When they say Hello Kitty is on everything, they're not (http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/9938/archive/arch120.html) kidding.