Hello Kitty Is 35 Years Old!

The original Kitty was targeted to children, but designer Yamaguchi heard from older kids who were drawn to the character.
Sanrio

New Directions
The original Kitty was targeted to children, but designer Yamaguchi heard from older kids who were drawn to the character but were embarrassed by its childish quality. So in 1987, Sanrio began to produce a Kitty that might appeal to older audiences, like the black and white rendering that was released in 1987, above.

Get the Latest Photos from Time.com
Get TIME photos and pictures of the week delivered directly to your inbox.