It's Happy Bunny

It's Happy Bunny is the name of a character in a series of stickers, buttons, greeting cards, posters, and other merchandise sold at novelty shops across North America. Designed by artist and writer Jim Benton, "who "People Magazine" called 'the most visible cartoonist in America'", [ [http://www.copcorp.com/Home_InteriorFrames/pressreleases90.html Press release for a licensing deal accessed October 7 2007] ] It's Happy Bunny is a small, smiling bunny, often varying in color, with a insulting slogan printed at its feet. [Daniel J. Vargas [http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040805/news_1c5bunny.html There is a smile behind the fangs of It's Happy Bunny] "The San Diego Union-Tribune", 5 August 2004. Accessed 8 October 2007]

Products

Happy Bunny products are sold in many forms such as key chains, computer mouse pads, energy drinks, school supplies, clothing lines and many more. "Mr. Benton's intellectual properties ... have made him stand out in an industry dominated by big entertainment companies." ["The Wall Street Journal", June 19 2007, cited on http://www.jimbenton.com/, accessed October 7 2007] "Last year, the It's Happy Bunny brand nabbed the International Licensing Excellence Award for Best Art Brand Licensing of the Year, from the Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA)." [ [http://www.brandchannel.com/careers_profile.asp?cr_id=64 Brand Channel interview accessed October 7 2007] ] "An anti-drug campaign featuring It's Happy Bunny was honored at the 2007 Austin ADDY Awards for advertising excellence in the category of public service." [ [http://www.jimbenton.com Jim Benton website accessed October 7 2007] ]

The appeal of the merchandise lies in the fact that most, if not all, of the slogans are apathetic and sometimes offensive and derogatory, although one commentator noted that "'It's Happy Bunny' has joined the "tasteful" category of merchandise ..." [ [http://www.menstuff.org/archives/itshappybunny.html Menstuff.org retrieved October 7 2007] ] . Examples of slogans are "You suck and that's sad", "Cute but evil: things even out", "Hi, Loser", "It worries me how dumb you are" and many others. It's Happy Bunny also has a line of "medicine" to cure quite awkward (fictional) diseases such as the "I'm delusional" pills; they are actually mints or small candies, the word poison badly blocked out with crayon (with happy bunny holding a crayon) and written in crayon there is, "mints for a friend".

In addition, Jim Benton has written It's Happy Bunny books including "Life. Get One"; "Love Bites"; "What's Your Sign?"; and "The Good, The Bad, and the Bunny". These books are targeted towards teen audiences and should not be mistaken for children's books. An It's Happy Bunny Sudoku book has also been written by Jim Benton and Rafael Sirkis.

References