Sanrio says Hello Kitty is NOT a cat! My mind is blown.

The official Sanrio statement is
"Hello Kitty is not a cat. She's a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend. But she is not a cat. She's never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature. She does have a pet cat of her own, however, and it's called Charmmy Kitty."


It is totally nutty.  So what's that coming out of her cheeks?  Peachfuzz?

In fact she is British(!) as laid out in her rather deep backstory - (link).  She is a Scorpio.  She has a twin. And yes, she like Pina Colada and getting caught in the rain...

(OK, I made that last sentence up - too much AWESOME MIX TAPE Vol. 1)

Exhibit if you are in Los Angeles -
"Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty," opens Oct. 11 at the Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Ave., downtown Los Angeles, janm.org. 

Convention if you are so inclined
Hello Kitty Con runs for four days starting Oct. 30 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 152 N. Central Ave., downtown Los Angeles, sanrio.com.

via LA Times (link)