Nick Filippou’s simple yet accurate comics deal with his life with his cat Minnie and their everyday interactions. Those who have a cat already know what pleasure felines bring to their lives. But there’s nothing wrong with reminding everyone. And for those of you who don’t know, now you can.
The comics are called “I iz cat”, written in the vein of “cat tongue” similar to “I can make cheesburger”, a meme that went viral in what would seem to be an ancient age of the internet. Even though the comics have a very rudimentary drawing style, it’s not about showing the skills of the artist, it’s about showing how great his life is with his cat.
From classics like a cat in a box and its undying hunting instincts, to Minnie’s psychedelic escapades with catnip and whatnot, the comic covers just about everything on the spectrum of feline life with its loving owners. But what’s more, they add a dash of humor and cuteness that all cat owners (and not just them) can relate to.
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Nick explained the reasons and context behind his comics in an interview for Bored Panda. “So, the comics feature my real-life rescue cat, Minnie. I adopted Minnie 5 years ago from a shelter in Baltimore. She was a former stray and part of a TNR (trap neutralization release) program that passed the most of her life living outside. The severed ear in the comics is real, and it’s from her being a part of the TNR show. My first comic came from a Christmas poem I wrote about the cat’s perspective from “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and I’ve been drawing ever since. Minnie is always the inspiration.
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Of course, the artist is an avid cat lover. “What I like most about cats is how Zen they are, but also, at the same time, they are little agents of chaos. Cats relax me and make me laugh.”
And Minnie isn’t the first cat to rule his household. “I adopted my first cat in college (also a rescue from Baltimore) and snuck him home. I named him Binx. Of course I got caught sneaking a cat into the house, and my dad, who was very into against cats, he was I’m not a fan. He warned me that if that cat scratched any furniture or anything like that, he would take it back to the shelter. Then a few days later I come home from class and see my dad snuggling with my cat. in my bed. They’ve been best friends ever since. Even when I moved out a few years later, my dad told me I couldn’t take Binx with me because I loved him too much and this was his house. He was pretty adorable. I let Binx to stay with my parents and I moved into an apartment.