interviews
Chris Torres, Creator Of Nyan Cat, Gives Us The Full Backstory Of His Legendary Creation And What He’s Up To Now As The Meme Celebrates Its 10-Year Anniversary
ew GIFs and internet characters can rival the beloved Nyan Cat. Simply reading the name or hearing it can immediately bring to mind its quirky pop-tart body, rainbow trail and, of course, the insanely memorable “Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya” song. Originally created by artist Chris Torres back in 2011, Nyan Cat was born through a combination of random internet suggestions and Marty, Torres’s Russian Blue cat that played a pivotal role in its creation. The rise to fame for Nyan Cat was a swift one, and unlike many memes that come and go almost daily, Nyan Cat has continued to remain somewhat prevalent despite its age.
As the 10-year anniversary of Nyan Cat approaches this April, we decided to catch up with Torres, see how much has changed since our interview with him in 2012 and learn more about the curious backstory of his humble artwork that became forever cemented in internet legend.
Q: Hey, Chris. Thanks for joining us. It’s been quite a long time since we last spoke, and it’s almost the 10-year anniversary of Nyan Cat now. So first things first, can you tell us a bit about yourself and sort of introduce who you are, what you do, and what you’re known for?
A: Thanks for having me back! So, my name is Chris, I’m currently 35 and originally from Puerto Rico but moved and have lived in Texas since I was 5. I’m an artist, internet surfer and love cats. My biggest claim to fame was creating the animation that just exploded right from under me, Nyan Cat! I also have been working on a series called “lol_comics” for the past 20 (yikes, I’m old) years.
Q: So even before Nyan Cat, you were an active artist back in the day, but can you tell us more about how you first got involved with art? What were some of your earliest works?
A: I’ve always had an artistic mentality when it comes to life and usually put thoughts into doodles, comics or memes based on things going around in life and pop culture. I think one of my earliest, most well-known published works online was the “COME OUTSIDE, CHRIS” “TAKATAKATAKA” comic. I also made a series of “Morbid Thought” comics, “Hotel comics” from my disastrous hotel job and other weird events.
Q: A lot of your work revolves around internet and meme culture. Could you tell us more about your history with the web and how some of your earliest experiences online shaped your interest in creating art on the subject?
A: My journey through the internet has been just one neverending rabbit hole. The moment I plopped in that fateful AOL 3.0 floppy disk (try up to 50 hours for free!) everything changed. I remember Dancing Baby. I VERY MUCH remember the original Hampster Dance (this may have been a huge influence on me growing up), Hello My Future Girlfriend, Newgrounds, All Your Base, YTMND, Livejournal, Neopets, Y2K, the power of 4chan and many more. It’s awesome how the internet has slowly shaped pop culture in its entirety and it’s always exciting to see where things will go from here.
Q: Alright, so jumping to April 2011 when you created Nyan Cat and shared it to your comics site for the first time, I’d like to hear more about how you came up with the idea for it. Tell us how you created it and what you expected the reaction to be online.
A: Alright so FLASHBACK to April 2011. The world was banding together to help victims of the deadly Tōhoku earthquakes and tsunamis that rocked the world during that time. I joined in with a week-long series of donation art livestream events where I’d draw random drawings for tips. I only made around $100 that week, not much but it was honest work, which went to the American Red Cross. During one particular stream, there was some downtime so I asked the chat room for some opinions. Long story short, several keywords were combined into a rough doodle of a cat with a toaster pastry body and rainbows shooting out of every direction. The chat loved it! It was impressive given it was created in a completely random moment.
That night, I spent six-plus hours recreating the image into an animated GIF. I remember having trouble making it loop correctly, it was actually my first time creating something of that caliber. I remember the sun coming up by the time it was finished. It was uploaded to Twitter, Tumblr and my personal website at the time, and I went directly to bed. Didn’t think much of it at all. Nowhere during this time did I think, “This is gonna be huge!”
Q: How did your cat Marty play a role in inspiring it? Can you tell us more about that aspect?
A: At the time, I had a Russian Blue cat named Marty who was like my baby. He was a very energetic cat, but he was also a big baby and a big sweetie. He would always be near me and he would play all the time. He was a great cat. Marty was definitely the inspiration behind it. I would actually draw him in my lol_comics all the time too. He was a main character [laughs].
Q: Within just a couple of weeks after posting it, Nyan Cat took off and became a viral sensation. What was running through your head at the time and how surprised were you to see people latch on to it like they did?
A: Honestly, it blasted off almost right away. It was a big surprise waking up later that very same day to see it being reblogged and posted to pop culture blogs and websites. All my friends were freaking out contacting me over it. It was just a chaotic time.
Q: Easily the biggest development that kicked off its virality was when your original animation was set to the song “Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya” by Daniwell-P. Do you recall when you first saw this one and what you thought of it?
A: So, I had just started a brand new job on that very same day as a claims adjuster for an insurance firm, but it was hard to focus because my phone was blowing up with notifications! A friend actually called me to ask if I’d seen “that cat video,” sent the link, and there it was. Nyan Cat, flying to the hypnotic beat, to the tune of several thousand views at the time. That seemed to explain the hundreds of emails that kept pouring in from people all over the world. I honestly had no clue what was going on until that moment. Later that week, G4’s Attack of the Show featured it on their show (they actually sort of featured a comic of mine earlier that year too) and that’s when it really blew up. It was intense!
Q: What about the Nyan.cat website? Can you tell us more about how this has developed over the years or give us any insight into how many visits it’s had over the years? Do you plan to keep it going forever?
A: The Nyan.cat website was originally created as a fan project by Huy Hong and was the core design on what it’s been built up to today. You jump in, stay and watch as long as you can stand it, then tweet your score for everybody to see. Eventually, I incorporated other versions of Nyan Cat to the roster and added a “Choose your Flavor” button so you can switch off to something else. People began tweeting high scores adding up to month-long viewing sessions, trying to one-up each other. The formula is meant to be simple, but addictive. Nyan.cat still gets many new visitors every day and I plan on maintaining the site for many years to come.
Q: With how quickly it took off, we read that you had difficulty getting recognition and copyright for your creation back then. How were you ultimately able to resolve this, and what sort of impacts did it have on your personal life and career?
A: Oh yes, the dark days of Nyan Cat. I spent maybe the first year and a half (maybe longer) fighting for proper ownership of my own art. The “It’s on the internet so it should be free” mentality was in full force against me. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing Nyan Cat spread around and shared, but during this time, some big companies were trying to fully capitalize on my work without my consent, even going as far as filing for copyright and trademark status without my approval. I’m glad to have a lot of friends on my side that were able to help through this time because Nyan Cat may not have kept up its quirky momentum and ended up much differently without their help.
Honestly, there were many great times from the start too. Nyan Cat was able to be used for good, raising over $60,000 for various charities to help people in need within the first few years. Some really big brands jumped on board, like Google, Coca-Cola and Nike, and we were even able to launch a successful toy line and various video games. I never thought I’d be in a position to have a positive influence like this and hope to do more good things in the future.
Q: You’re still with Ben Lashes’ meme management company, right? What’s it been like to work with them for so many years?
A: Working with Ben has been one of the best decisions I’ve made through all of this. This dude knows how to get things done right. He’s very on top of internet trends and culture, and yes, I indeed still work with him. We’ve actually traveled the world together since this began, and it’s been one of the wildest rides I’ve ever been on. He approached me very early into Nyan Cat’s popularity when I was swamped with hundreds of emails with no idea how to proceed. At the time, he was working closely with Charlie Schmidt of Keyboard Cat fame but has since gotten a full Meme Team arsenal with Grumpy Cat, Success Kid, the original Doge, Scumbag Steve and more. I’ve actually learned a lot since working with him and feel like a much better person for it.
Q: Did you ever have a part in any of the several Nyan Cat games that came out over the years? Also, do such uses of your original creation or any others bother you, or do you encourage people to use Nyan Cat for their own things?
A: There are only a handful of official Nyan Cat games out there, and they’ve all done very well. Nyan Cat: Lost in Space was one of the top ones. I feel like it’s been a good strategy going through all this to keep things true to form and not alienate what Nyan Cat is meant to be. I am aware of a few mobile games using my art without my permission, but it’s obvious how low-quality they are compared to the official games.
Q: What about events or other collaborations that were made possible by Nyan Cat, can you tell us more about those and any that stuck out to you?
A: I think one of my coolest experiences was going to ROFLCon many years ago where I got to meet many iconic internet legends like Emmy/Neil Cicierega, Double Rainbow guy, Tron Guy and more. It was just so surreal meeting all of these people, it was such a great experience. Nyan Cat has also given me the opportunity to travel to beautiful countries like Switzerland and Japan for events, and I feel very lucky to be given the chance to do so.
Q: Given how different the internet was back then, do you think Nyan Cat would warrant the same response if it was shared today?
A: Memes have definitely evolved over the years but in a good way. With the evolution of the internet, memes have a bigger spread and audience in various social channels. Memes almost always deliver a message or feeling that impacts the viewer over time. I feel like Nyan Cat’s charm and positivity would still be relevant if it was created today. Nyan Cat is one of those timeless classics that will be remembered for years to come!
Q: Back in our interview from 2012, we asked for your thoughts on “the marketization of memes.” Since then, memes have become an immensely powerful medium as well as prevalent in advertisements and even politics. Has your opinion on this changed, and do you think memes will continue to be used in this way in the decade ahead?
A: Things are so different now compared to 2012. Back then, marketing companies saw memes as something they wanted to monetize for their benefit, often at the expense of the artist behind it. Now we are in a time where marketing teams NEED memes to thrive and survive -- and memes are all like “I am the captain now!” in that regard.
Take the powerful WallStreetBets Reddit movement for example. Over 8 million people around the world, driven primarily by the power of memes, completely taking over the stock market in a way never seen before. It’s undeniable proof that memes are a force to be reckoned with, and it’s fascinating to watch.
Then we have the quickly evolving crypto art world, where artists and meme creators can now empower their creations in a more direct way with their audiences. Artists there create unique works, then “mint” or validate them as NFTs (non-fungible tokens) on the blockchain and offer them to collectors around the world. This gives full power to the creator, and I feel like it’ll become a great hub for meme-makers to monetize their work in the near future. Memes hold a great deal of value, and we're starting to see a large shift where meme creators from the past and present will be able to participate in this new revolution of art.
Q: Aside from Nyan Cat, what other characters did you create that you feel were overlooked or didn’t get the recognition they deserved? Did Fiesta Spider ever get his due?
A: Fiesta Spider is still a character I use in my comics and actually has quite the cult following behind it. He doesn’t appear often, but when he does, people seem to love it! For those that don't know, Fiesta Spider is this little brown spider that I used to draw in my lol_comics, and I still do actually. He has a big ole sombrero and he just says, “Fiesta!” That's all he says [laughs]. I just put him in any really zany situation where the “Fiesta!” is the joke.
Q: More recently during the Dogecoin hype, you created a reimagined version of Nyan Cat with Doge that went viral. What inspired you to create this version, and what other variants have you made over the years?
A: The creation of the Nyan Dogecoin came to me so naturally, it just felt right to do. You have a cute Shiba Inu mascot and there’s been a large rally to promote Dogecoin to go “to the moon!” backed by dedicated people that believe in the coin. I saw all the ways people were raising awareness for Dogecoin and decided to create it as a gift to the community.
Q: All these years later, you’re still keeping LOL_Comics going with regular new webcomics. Could you tell us more about how you initially started this project, why, and what you plan to do with it going forward?
A: To be honest, lol_comics has never really had a plan since the start. The comics have always been a way to vent about my life, put my thoughts into drawings and share actual experiences faced with the people around me. Sometimes I don’t update for months, sometimes new comics will appear every day for weeks. They’re chaotic, they’re crudely drawn, they don’t make sense half the time, and I think that’s what makes lol_comics so special.
Q: When creating your comics, where do you find inspiration or come up with ideas? Give us some insight into your creative process and point out a few of your favorites as well.
A: Most of the process comes from ridiculous situations that happen to me or are inspired by silly things I find online. I think my favorite comic drawn has to be the Family Feud one or the one based on some old co-workers that love to tell me they aren’t going to spoil movies … but are almost guaranteed to do so in the next breath.
Q: So what else do you have going on with your artwork? Any noteworthy projects or things we should know about?
A: There are a few projects coming down the pipeline for later this year, but currently I'm partnering with Foundation to auction Nyan Cat as a crypto art NFT! I went back and remastered the image for the first time in 10 years, and it looks better than ever. Nyan Cat is more than just a GIF, it's now an important part of internet history. I'm hoping by doing this it will open the floodgates to a whole new economy for meme creators and artists to validate their work. The auction will be live for 24 hours starting on February 18th.
Q: Because of your personal history with memes and internet culture, how well do you keep up with them these days? Could you share with us any memes that are your favorite right now, and do you ever create any yourself?
A: First of all, "I’m here live. I’m not a cat!" That’s got to be one of my favorites this year. The Crying Cat memes are always good too. Here Comes Dat Boy will always hold a place in my heart as well. As for keeping up with memes, I pretty much live on Tumblr lately, and if you’ve been to Tumblr, you’ll know that most memes are born there. I also keep up with current trends on Reddit and Twitter on a daily basis.
Q: You told us in 2012 that Keyboard Cat was your favorite meme, so is it still your favorite of all time?
A: YES! Not only is Keyboard Cat one of the coolest cats on the planet, but the man behind it, Charlie Schmidt, has been a master of memes since before I was even born! I’ve met him and his family and they are all absolutely delightful. They're genuinely good people, and I'm really happy for his success. Every time I see Keyboard Cat, I feel like that “positive energy.” It just makes me feel great.
Q: Yeah. I feel like Keyboard Cat is very similar to Nyan Cat in that way. Anytime I hear it mentioned, I have to watch it again and it makes me feel nostalgic and happy. I want to interview Schmidt as well because these pet-oriented meme characters are sort of fleeting and important to discuss since we’re losing some of these iconic animal memes.
A: It's always sad. Animals aren't on this planet as long as they should be, but at least in this respect, they'll live on forever on the internet. Every time I see Nyan Cat, I see Marty. It's the same mannerisms, the way he was always zooming around the house, and I kind of put that energy into the art itself. They may be gone, but they live with us in spirit.
Q: Since your own meme hails from the early days of meme culture and such a different online world, do you miss the days of Rage Comics, Advice Animals and things from Nyan Cat’s timeframe, or do you embrace how memes have changed since then?
A: I actually think classic memes are making a comeback! They’ve been popping up a lot more lately, in an “ironic” sort of way, but are quickly becoming more widespread again. Modern memes are great but there’s just such cool energy behind the old ones that are hard to replicate today.
Q: Paying homage to Marty, who passed away in late 2012 just a year after inspiring the original animation, how do you want people to remember both Nyan Cat and Marty since we’re coming up on the 10-year anniversary? As one of the legendary cats of the internet joining legends like Keyboard Cat and Long Cat, how do you want his legacy to go down in the halls of internet history?
A: Marty was such a cool cat, and it was a very difficult time for me losing him. However, I want people to remember Marty not how he died, but how he lived. He was a very hyperactive cat, but a big sweetie. He liked chicken and running around in circles in the backyard. I see Marty when I look at Nyan Cat. They are essentially one and the same, and it fills me with joy knowing that his memory will always live on.
Q: Thanks for joining us, Chris, it’s been great catching up. Any final word or additional info to add before we end?
A: First of all, stay hydrated. Second, if you’re an artist, it’s important to not give up on your craft! I know people love to say that, but it’s true. Thinking about your follower count only puts more of a burden on your way of thinking. If you keep at it you’ll be guaranteed to find your ultimate niche, and you’ll find joy creating art for people who enjoy your stuff as much as you enjoy making it.
Watch our interview with Chris below for the video version of our chat with the creator of Nyan Cat.
Chris Torres is a Texas-based artist and the original creator of Nyan Cat. You can follow him on Twitter and Tumblr or check out his LOL_Comics series to see more of his content.