PETS or animal companions have always found a place in our hearts, home and frequently, art. From peculiar depictions in renaissance art to chibi illustrations, animals have always held a special place in the artistic world.
Beloved characters such as Hello Kitty, Garfield, Snoopy, Brutus & Pixie have spawned from this shared love for animal characters. As such, Bichi Mao finds a unique platform in the plethora of pet comics as it illustrates heartwarming stories to over 704,000 followers on Instagram.
Life imitates art
Speaking to theSun, its founders Olive Yong and Yap Wee Lim revealed Bichi Mao started in 2019 as a passion project and a shared love for felines. Beginning as simple comic strips on Instagram, Bichi Mao now enjoys love from the online community for its content, which geared the team towards growing the brand.
“To continue growing Bichi Mao, Niko Studio was formed in early 2023 and is currently a team of seven talents. We have developed a line of merchandise, participated in events and convention,” said the team, adding that the joy of Bichi Mao was further brought to the masses via its toy line.
A webcomic on Instagram and Webtoon, Bichi Mao follows the daily musings of different cats. Lim said the story lines for the comic strips are inspired by the mundanity and existentialism of an average Joe (and Jane). Beyond just comic strips, Bichi Mao took storytelling a step further with its 3D animation videos.
Going international
A brainchild of Yong, Bichi Mao saw a growing affection for its characters on social media, with a majority of its followers hailing from the US. The beloved cats also have a decent number of followers from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
To truly test the international waters, Bichi Mao’s team also went to the South Korea Illustration Fair in Seoul, which it described to be eye-opening but tiring.
“Trying to handle the booth while managing the team and schedule was challenging and exhausting but despite our busy schedule, we felt it was important to try out (exhibiting in) different countries and see how we fare,” it said, adding that the best part about the exhibition was being able to connect with other talented artists and designers.
Story is king
The team believes Bichi Mao’s storytelling sets it apart from other creators of chibi characters. This was evident in the recent solo exhibition at GMBB in Kuala Lumpur.
“The main theme of this exhibition is ‘Love Yourself’ (as) we offer our visitors an opportunity to explore within and practice self-care,” said the team, expressing hope to make the world a kinder place through its webcomic.
The traditional gallery experience had five stations for fans to immerse themselves in. With each station having its own story to tell, fans enjoyed interactive activities such as taking polaroid pictures, a “vending” machine experience and writing a letter to your future self that will be mailed back in a year to you.
Looking into the future, the Bichi Mao team promises to take risks and tell new stories, keeping true to Yong’s favourite motto: “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star”.
