A Cat with a Cause
Tags: Mobile Games, Cats, Animals, Animal Welfare, Gaming

A Cat with a Cause

Lil BUB, the internet’s favorite animal advocate, is on a cosmic journey to celebrate creativity and help pets with special needs.

Few people have authored books, inspired albums, and made multiple TV appearances, all in the space of a few short years. It’s likely even fewer animals can say the same. Her mesmerizing green eyes and tiny tongue may have basically won over the whole internet, but Lil BUB is very consciously redefining what it means to be a cute cat online.

BUB was found in a tool shed in rural Indiana in 2011. Mike Bridavsky, who you might know as BUB’s “Dude,” took the sickly kitten in and nursed her back to health. “I was so enamored by her magic that I couldn’t resist taking photos and videos of her at almost every moment. I even started a blog about her, at the request of friends and family who were equally intrigued and moved by her existence,” Mike says. “It wasn’t long before hundreds and eventually thousands of people discovered her.”

As BUB’s story garnered national attention, the feline phenom gave the world much more than adorable pictures to fawn over. With every project and public appearance, Lil BUB advocates for homeless and special needs pets — all while capturing the hearts and attention of anyone she comes across.

Her latest endeavor finds her on an intergalactic 8-bit adventure as the star of her own mobile game, HELLO EARTH. After several years of development, Mike and BUB have come to Kickstarter to clear the final hurdle in bringing their game to life. We spoke to the pair via email to learn more.

— Yangsin Lau Vazquez

❤ BUB ❤

Lil BUB has been the star of books, records, and so much more. What made you want to create a mobile game?

Mike: To be honest, I never know what BUB’s going to want to do next. All of these projects are most certainly her own doing, but she has a funny non-linear way of making them happen.

If I trace the steps back, I can sort of figure out how BUB managed to make this particular project come about. It all started about three and a half years ago, shortly after she decided to become famous. At that time, we were getting many solicitations and partnership requests, and it was my job to carefully navigate that world and figure out what was right for BUB. One of the cool things that came about was a friendly partnership with The Yetee, a T-shirt manufacturer that focused on the games community. One of their designers, Drew Wise, designed this incredible “Super Lil BUB” T-shirt depicting BUB in a spaceship, mocked up to look like an NES cartridge. Around the same time, we partnered with mobile app developer Snap.r to create a photo editing app called “The Power of BUB,” which allowed you to “BUBify” your photos.

As BUB’s videos were becoming more popular, I started commissioning my best pal, bandmate, and neighbor, Matt Tobey, to compose original music for them. Since he’s a huge fan of 8-bit music, they mostly turned out sounding like video game soundtracks. I myself am a huge fan of the NES and have always thought it’d be cool to make a game about BUB and her interstellar adventures. With BUB’s guidance, these forces and resources gradually — and inevitably — came together over the course of the next few years to become HELLO EARTH.

How did you settle on the 8-bit retro-style gameplay? Are you a fan of 8-bit games?

Mike: Yes, I’m almost exclusively a fan of 8-bit retro gaming. It’s what I grew up playing, and I really haven’t ventured too far past that era of gaming since. Matt and Drew from our team are also huge 8-bit gaming fans, so this game just naturally came about!

How about you, BUB?

BUB: Hello, it’s me. BUB. I don’t particularly care for playing games. But I love creating them, especially if they’re about me.

Who are you hoping to reach with this game? Is HELLO EARTH for fans of BUB? For people who love games? For 8-bit fans? Animal lovers? All of the above?

Mike: The goal of every BUB project, from her book to her talk show to her full-length album, is to celebrate her magic, celebrate creativity, and make something special that stands on its own. We don’t typically concern ourselves with the audience too much, as that can muck up the creative process and results in second-guessing. So we dove into Hello Earth headfirst.

Looking back on the project now, it seems like the game should specifically resonate with all lovers of 8-bit gaming. It’s meant to be a truly challenging retro game with a rich story, deluxe graphics, and engrossing gameplay. I certainly think it’s interesting to BUB fans as well as animal lovers, and I think a lot of our backers are long-time BUB fans. But I also think there’s a chance that the game itself might be a little too challenging for non-gamers. It’s no Candy Crush or Angry Birds! I hope the project reaches many folks in the games community who may not be familiar with BUB. I think they’ll see that this is going to be a really unique, special, and fun game.

One of your stretch goals is to expand the in-game music collection. What made music such an important aspect of the project?

Mike: As a musician, recording studio owner, and producer, music has been the most important aspect of my life. Matt and I first met when I recorded his band Good Luck almost ten years ago. Since then we’ve become very close friends. The music in old NES games is what carries the mood, the essence, and ultimately the nostalgia for each game. I find it to be one of the most critical parts of the gaming experience because it introduces life, excitement, and emotion into the gameplay.

The games has a beautifully detailed storyline. How much of Lil BUB’s life story contributes to this game? What else inspired the story?

Mike: I’m glad you like the story! There’s a lot more to it, actually — but of course, that will only be revealed if and when the game is funded, and if and when you make it to the end of the game.

The HELLO EARTH storyline is a heavily fictionalized account of BUB’s true story. For example, BUB really did crash her space pod onto Earth five years ago, but it wasn’t because she was on a mission to find Spooky. Spooky’s character is based on her real-life brother, who lives in our house. BUB has known Spooky since he was a little kitten. They met when I was dating a lady who had just adopted him. That lady is now my wife, and Spooky is now BUB’s little brother, even though he’s three times her size.

You and Lil BUB work to help homeless and special needs pets. How does this game fit in with Lil BUB’s mission?

Mike: Every single BUB endeavor has two things in common: BUB, and helping animals in need through awareness and fundraising. Ever since the very first BUB T-shirts, I’ve donated a portion of proceeds to homeless pets. It started with our local shelter, and then, as BUB’s fame grew, we partnered up with the ASPCA to create the first national fund for special needs pets, Lil BUB’s Big FUND.

The focus on special needs pets comes from BUB’s own special needs [BUB has dwarfism and osteopetrosis]. Pets with special needs — like terminal illnesses, blindness, mobility issues, and old age — are the hardest to adopt and are always the first to be put down in overcrowded shelters. Our mission has been to help raise awareness and encourage people to adopt special needs pets. Through Lil BUB’s Big FUND, we raise money for shelters with special needs pet programs all over the country. The fund has awarded over $200,000 in grants nationwide, and BUB and I have raised close to $300,000 in additional funds through appearances and fundraisers.

HELLO EARTH continues the tradition of creating original and exciting BUB content while helping animals in need. Since we are unable to donate funds raised by the Kickstarter itself, we have agreed to make a personal donation of $10,000 to Lil BUB’s Big FUND for the ASPCA if our project gets funded. If we exceed our goal, we look forward to contributing even more.

If there’s one thing you’d want people to take away from this game, BUB, what would it be?

BUB: Hello, it’s me. BUB. Besides pure enjoyment, I hope that the game will inspire people to trust their creative instincts, to follow their dreams, and to follow their hearts. If a tiny cat like me can do it, so can you!