Mary Allen
Introduction: What is Nyan Cat?
Nyan Cat is a popular internet meme featuring a cartoon cat with a Pop-Tart body, rainbow trail, and catchy background music. The meme originated in 2011 and quickly gained popularity on social media platforms like Tumblr, Reddit, and 4chan. Nyan Cat has since become a cultural icon and is often referenced in internet culture and mainstream media.
The Birth of Nyan Cat: A History
Nyan Cat was created by Christopher Torres, a 25-year-old artist from Dallas, Texas. Torres originally drew the cat in 2009 as part of a donation to a charity art auction. The cat was inspired by Torres’ pet cat Marty and a Japanese pop song called “Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya!” The original drawing featured a grey cat with a cherry Pop-Tart body, but Torres later changed it to a rainbow Pop-Tart to make it more colorful.
After uploading the drawing to his website, Torres received positive feedback and decided to animate it. He added the rainbow trail and the catchy background music, which is a remix of the Japanese song that inspired the cat. Torres posted the animation on YouTube in April 2011 and it quickly went viral, receiving millions of views in just a few weeks.