Tomodachi

Hello Kitty’s 40th anniversary is well underway this year, with a wide variety of events, exclusive releases, and even a new theme park in the United Kingdom. This weekend, Hello Kitty has brought the celebrations to this year’s San Diego Comic Con in a big way. A number of SDCC exclusives were released in commemoration of the event, and off-site activities and events were opened up alongside SDCC.


Within the convention center itself, Sanrio-themed exclusives will be available at several booths, and Hello Kitty designer Yuko Yamaguchi will even be present throughout the event to sign autographs and greet fans! Some exclusives available at the event include Toynami’s Chun-Li themed Hello Kitty vinyl toy bank, Upper Deck’s SDCC-exclusive Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary Mini-Figures and Trading Cards, and more. Tamashii-Nation’s Chogokin Hello Kitty robot figure, released this past June, has also made an appearance at the event, showing off its various alternate modes and articulation.

On top of that, VIZ Media has released an SDCC-exclusive early print of their upcoming “Hello Kitty, Hello 40″ tribute book at the event! This new book serves as a celebration of Hello Kitty as a character as well as a cultural icon, and features work done by comic artists, muralists, toy creators, authors, and fans from all over the world! This book, which is set to release in bookstores in October, is making an early debut at this year’s SDCC with an exclusive cover. Limited to only 250 copies, this book is a must-have for any Sanrio fan!

Sanrio has also opened up an offsite exhibit at the Interactive Zone in Petco Park, which is less than a mile from the San Diego Convention Center, where fans can meet Hello Kitty and take photo ops with the character. A number of events and activities will be available at the Interactive Zone as well, including free temporary tattoos and nail art from official Sanrio Tokyo artists. Hello Kitty still has a long way to go before her 40th anniversary is over, with more events like October’s Hello Kitty Con in the near future, so make sure to stay tuned for more news!

Tags: 2014, Bandai, book, Chogokin, Events, Exclusive, Hello 40, hello kitty, San Diego Comic Con 2014, sanrio, SDCC, Toy, Yuko Yamaguchi