Hello Kitty is a marketing wonder and a cultural phenomenon. Having recently celebrated her 50th birthday, her popularity shows no signs of slowing. There are theme parks, restaurants, cafes, and hotels dedicated to her. Millions of people worldwide buy Hello Kitty products, from toasters to tweezers. Her appeal crosses all classes: parents buy their children Hello Kitty pyjamas from discount high street stores, super fans spend thousands of dollars to amass thousands of items bearing Kitty's face, and star fans such as Paris Hilton sport Swarovski-encrusted Hello Kitty necklaces. In Pink Tsunami you will read about the fans, but also about Hello Kitty's designers and marketers and how they contributed to the kawaii kitty's global popularity. We will also see why the Queen of Kawaii is derided by some for her simplistic cuteness. Several years in the making, and meeting the people who love, hate, and live Hello Kitty along the way, this book is the definitive account of Japan's cutest cultural icon.

Alan Brender is author of over 20 books and hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles. Among the many celebrities he has interviewed for Starlog are Jane Seymour, Mark Hamill, Gene Roddenberry, Billy Crystal, Wilfred Hyde- White, and David Hasselhoff.