Cool Cats Group, the global character brand behind the blue-chip digital collectibles Cool Cats, has partnered with renowned animation studio Titmouse (Big Mouth, Metalocalypse, Beavis and Butt-Head and The Venture Bros.) to produce a series of new episodic shorts, titled The Milk Chug.
The shorts will feature the main Cool Cats character Blue Cat with his best friends Chugs, Jo and Ardi, all born from the creative mind of founder and artist Colin “Clon” Egan. The Milk Chug‘s voice cast features Maggie Lawson (Psych, Two and Half Men, Lethal Weapon), Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast [2017], Godzilla x Kong) and Zeno Robinson (Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, The Owl House) as Jo, Ardi and Blue Cat, respectively.
The first episodic short premieres today on YouTube in time for Cool Cats’ debut as a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and more episodes are set to launch across Cool Cats’ digital channels in the coming months.
“Working on a cartoon series has been a dream of mine since I was young, and I’m ecstatic to collaborate with Titmouse to make that dream a reality,” says Clon. “The entire process has been an absolute blast and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with. I’m excited to debut the pilot episode today and share my vision for these characters and the world they live in.”
Originating in the early days of Instagram, Clon introduced his Cool Cats characters as doodles and cartoons. Selling his artwork at flea markets and showcasing his art on the freestyle walls of Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, he cultivated a following of fans in the digital space of social networks. When the web3 boom took off during the pandemic, Clon built a major community of collectors and new supporters in the developing digital art market. During this time, Cool Cats grew as a brand, expanding their offerings in gaming and entertainment through global partnerships, later becoming one of the first web3-rooted companies to participate in Comic-Con.
Following a strategic investment from web3 giant Animoca Brands earlier this year, Cool Cats last week announced a partnership for Japan and anime-centric markets to expand the IP. Cool Cats also has a strategic partnership with leading AI and metaverse technology and content company Futureverse. Cool Cats has recently announced games in development with Sync Studios, as well as nWay and iCandy — both a part of the Animoca Brands ecosystem.
Cool Cats’ participation in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will mark the first-ever NFT-inspired collection to be featured in the legendary holiday event, which will take place live in New York City on November 23, airing nationwide in the U.S. on NBC and streaming on Peacock. The Cool Cats balloon will feature the iconic characters Blue Cat and Chugs, and limited-edition collectible merchandise will be available in Macy’s flagship stores and online.
