China’s Silly Pig sticker fad brings home the bacon for creator
- Cartoon characters can be a lucrative source of income for artists – as long as they don’t cross censorship lines
When “Silly Piggy” appeared in China’s popular WeChat social media app, the sticker became an instant hit, with people sending it more than 30 million times in its first month to express their feelings in text messages.
The creator of Silly Piggy, River Rui, was able to leave her office job with a design firm and set up as an independent artist thanks to the success of the character.
“‘Silly Piggy’ is more like how I am in my little world, how I interact with my friends, it’s that ‘Silly Piggy’ kind of style,” Rui said.
The pig has many moods: he types furiously at his desk as tears stream down his face. He lays flat on the office floor as his spirit leaves his body.
“Basically anyone who has done overtime will have the same feelings as him,” said Rui as she doodled on a scrap of paper in a Shanghai cafe.