Creator Spotlight: Chris Torres (@prguitarman)
Describe your work in your own words—what is Nyan Cat?
Nyan Cat is a little cat with a pastry body and rainbow trail that's been flying across the internet since 2011. It began as a fun little pixel animation I made back in 2011 of my Russian Blue cat, Marty. I drew it on a 70x70 canvas using Macromedia Fireworks, an old program I've been using since 2001. I've always been fascinated by classic video games from the OG Nintendo era, and a lot of my ideas come from trying to recreate that feeling.
How did Nyan Cat come about, for those who don’t know? Give us your origin story!
I created Nyan Cat (and its best pal, Fiesta Dog, who is a corgi with a taco body and blue gradient trails that complement Nyan Cat's rainbow trail) during a donation event to help with disaster relief after Japan's Tohoku earthquake. Once posted online, someone paired Nyan Cat with Daniwell's "Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya!" song, and it instantly took off. Nyan Cat was always meant to be lighthearted and fun, and it's grown into something much bigger than I'd ever imagined. Since 2011, it's circled the globe billions of times and has spawned countless remixes in different styles and flavors.
What’s one Tumblr-specific fan interaction, reblog, or moment that surprised you or made you feel seen as a creator?
Tumblr has always been one of the genuine spaces for Nyan Cat, and it's actually where it all first took off. The original was posted on my blog late at night on April 2nd, and that's where it first blasted off online. I've seen so many creative renditions and uses for Nyan Cat in different styles, it's still amazing to see it pop up in new ways. My favorite Tumblr thing right now has been when it's used on those Blingee/GeoCities style navbar buttons. I think it captures that early internet charm perfectly and reminds me why I fell in love with internet art culture in the first place.
What project or direction are you excited about next?
Right now, I'm happy watching Nyan Cat live a life of its own—it's the internet that's keeping the legend alive and I'm always grateful to see all the ways people use it. I am still drawing different Nyan Cat characters in the original format and style, and plan to continue making fun art as it inspires me. It's been a lot of fun keeping that energy going and watching how art and memes keep evolving together as the internet grows.
Thanks @/prguitarman! Here are some new creations, a timelapse, and an image of Marty who was the original inspiration for Nyan Cat—exclusively for you, Tumblr <3
