Flowers

Who is...

...MR. DOB?

MR DOB

Murakami envisions characters which become icons, even logos, of his visual imagination and universe.

In 1993 he created Mr. DOB as an alter ego, a sort of self-portrait.

Mr. DOB has a circular head with two ears; the letter D is inscribed on his left ear and the letter B on the right ear. The face is O-shaped, thus making his name legible.

DOB is a contraction of the dada-like phrase, “Dobojite dobojite” (Why? Why?), derived from the comic book Inakappe Taisho, and “oshamanbe,” a catchphrase of Japanese comedian Toru Yuri.

With Mr. DOB, Murakami sought to create an icon, which, while authentically Japanese, would have universal appeal.

Murakami drew on elements of a character called Doraemon – a cat-like robot from manga – Japanese comic books – and anime, or animation. Sonic the Hedgehog – a character from video games and anime – was another influence.