Compelling Stories - For Television & the Web
Television & Video Production ♦ Public Speaking
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The Magic of Kitty Humbug
by Sandy Levine
Imagine a little white cat with a big, huge mane like a lion. Almost all the rest of his hair shaved close, so he looks like a poodle. And with attitude to spare. That’s one very special cat. That’s Kitty Humbug.
“Who is Kitty Humbug?” you ask. Kitty Humbug is a Poodle Cat Superstar. He has his own video on YouTube with thousands of hits. He’s on Facebook, t-shirts, coffee mugs, greeting cards and more. He has his own original song on iTunes, "Kitty Humbug the Cat," and he even has his own music video too.
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Still, “Who -- or what -- is Kitty Humbug?” you ask again. That’s what I’m going to tell you about now. How Kitty Humbug came to be; where Kitty Humbug is headed; and the valuable lessons this magical cat has taught me.
First, how Kitty Humbug came to be. My sister, Diana Madaras is a well-known artist in Tucson, Arizona. And as you probably know, I’m a television producer in New Jersey. Even though Diana and I live far apart, we’re very close. We share everything.
One day she said to me, “I’m working on a painting of the cat who lives in my veterinarian’s office. I saw him wearing his little Santa hat... it was so cute – he looked so mad about it -- I just had to paint him right away.”
The painting flowed freely and easily for Diana. That’s when Kitty Humbug’s magic began. For creative people, it’s simply magical when the process flows easily, and manifests into something extraordinary.
So after Diana finished the painting, she emailed me a photograph of her work. The moment I saw it, I was hooked. I called her up, all excited, and I said, “This is going to be HUGE! A big seller this Christmas!"
I looked at the painting of the grumpy cat in his Santa hat, and I came up with the perfect name: ‘Kitty Humbug.’ Captivated by the magic there was only one thing for me to do: I needed to produce a video about Kitty Humbug.
So I flew out to Tucson and met the real-life Kitty Humbug for the first time -- the veterinary office cat named Starsky. With his shaved poodle body, he’s the funniest cat you’ll ever see! He struts around the veterinary hospital...greeting clients, and their pets.
As soon as I met Starsky I knew we’d be able to make a great video. I told my sister, “I had a dream that there would be original music for my video. I heard the singer’s voice – it’s a man.”
My sister thought about it for awhile and remembered she’d met a guy named David Glinski who had told her he writes music. Diana told David about the Kitty Humbug project. He immediately sat down and started composing the song “Kitty Humbug the Cat.” It was perfect, first try. The creative magic was at work once again.
I came home from Arizona and began editing the video. I went into my hyper-creative mode, screening tapes, writing and editing day and night. Working on the video was euphoric – and magical. My 10-year-old daughter Caroline got swept up in the excitement too, and helped me with the video. We posted it on YouTube where it’s received thousands of hits.
There still was more Kitty Humbug waiting to come to life. In June Diana went on a trip to Portugal. During that 10-hour flight - she never slept – she was in the magical creative mode. She outlined the basic story of a children’s book called Kitty Humbug’s Christmas Tail. It’s a fun story with messages about kindness and compassion. And of course Kitty Humbug saves Christmas.
Next came the stuffed animal. There were plenty of complications in coordinating the manufacture of this toy in China. My sister and I talked on the phone many times...every day. There were countless emails. We were in love with our work and wanted to do nothing else. We were in Kitty Humbug Land.
Now you know how Kitty Humbug came to be. So where is he headed?
Kitty Humbug is headed off to help others. My sister and I both have a deep love for animals—she runs a foundation that benefits animals, and I do television programs to help homeless pets –so we decided a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every Kitty Humbug product will go to charity. After all, Starsky, the real-life Humbug cat was adopted from an animal shelter.
In addition to raising money, Kitty Humbug is also encouraging others to do acts of kindness through Kitty Humbug’s Kindness Project on Facebook.
And we think Kitty Humbug is headed for the Big Time. In November an article ran on the front page of the newspaper in Tucson. A couple of hundred people showed up at a book signing to buy copies of the book. The first shipment of the Kitty Humbug stuffed animals sold out in a flash!
I was interviewed on WJRZ radio in mid-December. And there’s much more to come.
You’ve heard how Kitty Humbug came to be and where he’s headed. Finally I want to tell you the three valuable lessons I learned from this magical cat.
*First, when you can work on a project that strengthens your bond with people you love, DO IT.
*Second, when you can work on something that’s so magical and so joyful that you lose track of time. When working on it makes you smile. When just saying the NAME of the project makes you smile....you know you’re on YOUR right path.
*And finally, when others question how you’re spending your time. Or say your dreams are too crazy. Stand tall. Be proud. Enjoy the ride. And above all -- Stay the Magical Course.
(Back to Kitty Humbug)
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