When Mike Bridavsky began uploading videos of his cat, Lil BUB, to YouTube and Facebook in November 2011, he didn't expect her to become an Internet sensation. What began as an effort to adopt and take care of a wide-eyed, deformed "perma-kitten" turned into a movement that's inspired people around the world and given thousands of dollars to charity.
It wasn't long before Lil BUB had her own Tumblr and online store, giving her fans more ways to connect with and learn about her. Buzzfeed, TheFW, Jezebel, and VICE championed her as an adorable "happy accident" without realizing that she was becoming an important model for how viral Youtube videos and memes define today's culture in an ultimately positive, uplifting, and creative way.
On April 18, a VICE-produced documentary titled Lil BUB & Friendz will premiere at the TriBeCa Film Festival in New York City, followed by a public screening at the TriBeCa Drive-In on April 20 and two screenings in Bloomington, IN on April 28. While the film's main character is Lil BUB, the documentary also features Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, Keyboard Cat, and meme-manager Ben Lashes.
To celebrate the premiere of Lil BUB & Friendz this week, and its important investigation of the way people are obsessed with cats online, we're launching Lil BUB Week starting today and ending on Friday, April 19. Each day, we'll have 1-2 Lil BUB features that encompass things you didn't know about her, her charity work, the music she likes, and her fan art. We'll also have a special merch giveaway at the end of the week, so get excited!
Come to Complex Art+Design each morning (starting at 8am EST) this week to learn more about Lil BUB and her forthcoming documentary. You can like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, in addition to liking Lil BUB on Facebook and following her on Twitter and Tumblr for more updates.
If you haven't already seen it, watch the trailer for Lil BUB & Friendz below, directed by Andy Capper and Juliette Eisner:
Monday, April 15: 25 Things You Didn't Know About Lil BUB
Tuesday, April 16: 25 Awesome Lil Bub GIFs
Wednesday, April 17: 10 Ways Lil BUB's Charity Is Helping Cats Everywhere
