Andy
Our dear friend, the father of “Mr. Kat & Friends” Jaime Alvarez has a few words on his latest project! Typical Friends teams up with Mr. Kat to drop something truly special. Following in the footsteps of Markus Magnusson and Tony Babel, Mr. Kat is the third artist in the LDE legendary lineup. This collaboration is a celebration of creativity and community.
Inspired by surreal, dreamlike moments, the animation Snooze with Ooze taps into that hypnotic, immersive state, blurring the line between reality and dreams.
But that’s not all! In the spirit of collaboration, this drop is split into two groups:
-Limited Designer Edition (LDE): 99 Mr. Kats + 25 Bunnies in green outfits, all numbered and signed.
-One Fam Edition: 4 pink bunnies sneaking into the LDE collection + a Limited- Time Open Edition featuring Mr. Kat in a black outfit.
Each character comes fully rigged for Mixamo, with refined skin weights, UV mapping, 2K/4K textures, facial blend shapes, a Mixamo T-pose, VRM T-pose, and extra banners and animations for the community to enjoy.
Jaime, known as Mr. Kat, is a character designer and art director who has worked with iconic brands like Nike, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, and made his mark in the Web3 space as the artist behind the AKCB characters.
He specializes in creating bold designs with playful charm, blending precision with vibrant energy to connect with audiences through his work.
Why two characters?
Mr. Kat has evolved significantly since its inception in 2013. Initially a totem, this character opened the door to a new chapter in my career. Thanks to Mr. Kat, I’ve spoken at festivals likePictoplasma, OFFF, Us By Night, and Today at Apple. It also drew the a/enon of major brands like Nike, which I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with for four consecutive years. Mr. Kat’s journey has mirrored my growth as an artist and technician, evolving from a totem to a four-legged creature, to the AKCB version, and now to an anthropomorphic, stylized cat.
Meanwhile, I’ve been exploring a style I call “cute badass.” This is where Fluffy the Bunnycomes in. Both Mr. Kat and Fluffy evoke different emotions and personalities while existing within the same universe.
I’ve even envisioned a world for them, though that remains a secret for now. For this drop, I couldn’t imagine releasing just one character. They belong together. So, I went the extra mile to prepare both. The Theme: “Snooze with Ooze”The theme “Snooze with Ooze” draws inspiration from surreal and dreamlike moments we experience while daydreaming. The animation captures Ooze vising during a nap or commute, creating a hypnotic and immersive experience. This simple yet mesmerizing concept embodies the atmosphere I wanted to achieve.LDE: Limited Designer EdionThis drop includes two characters: 99 Mr. Kats and 25 Bunnies. The numbers are symbolic: 25 for 2025 and 99 because “I got 99 problems, but a cat ain’t one.”Each comes with a unique, numbered texture image that is the collection to a gallery-like narrative. Below each number, I’ve digitally signed and saved the image specifically for you.ONEFAMAs an extension of the LDE project, and inspired by all the great friends I’ve made along the way, we’ve expanded the project to include a limited-me Mr. Kat OE. Plus, 4 pink bunnies have sneaked into the LDE collection, making them the rarest of the rare.
File Preparation
The UV maps are designed to make it easy for you to recognize which parts of the texture correspond to the character. I encourage you to customize your model, paint the cat as your pet, your alter ego, or whatever connects most with you. I challenged myself to prepare the files in Blender, ensuring anyone customizing the character can render PFPs using the original settings. You’re free to keep it as is or make it your own.
Rigging: The character is rigged in Mixamo, with a manually refined skin weight for smoother results. The Mixamo T-pose file is included as an FBX.
Shape Keys: Explore different expressions to customize the character’s emotions.
Textures: Both 4K and 2K versions are provided for your convenience. The Blender project contains the 2K textures.
VRMshave has been included as well. This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material for non-commercial purposes, provided a/ribuon is given. Any adaptations must be shared under the same terms.
Supplementary Terms:
Characters may be used on platforms like NiFy Island for earning tokens in gameplay.Characters may not be minted, sold, or monetized as NFTs.
Aribuon does not necessarily need to be included everywhere. For example, it is not required on social media posts unless the holder wishes to mention me. However, a/ribuon is especially important in contexts where ambiguity might arise, such as:
1.When presenting the work in exhibitions or portfolios.
2.When featured in articles, reviews, or blog posts about the project.
3.In game credits or documents when characters are prominently featured.
4.On websites or platforms where the character serves as a central element or branding.If you wish to take the license a step further, share your idea and we can talk about it.
WHEN: NOW
WHERE: https://www.typicalfriends.com/mr-kat
This collaboration means so much more than just a project. Mr. Kat is deeply personal to me, and sharing it in this way felt like the right step. Over the past two years, I’ve grown in this space, and this drop is more than a release, it’s a statement. Being part of this journey connects us in a way no other project I’ve worked on has. This marks a new beginning. – Alvarez
Find Mr Kat via Facebook, Instagram and Behance.
