Grumpy Cat has made more money in her two short years on Earth than you will in 10 years. It’s depressing but it’s true.
By last September, Grumpy Cat’s (real name: Tardar Sauce) takings had amassed an estimated $1 million after a mere 12 months as an Internet sensation.
The dwarf feline with the overbite can thank genetics and a generation of meme-obsessed online groovers for her good fortune. But more materially, she, and her owner, single mum and former waitress Tabatha Bundensen, can thank Ben Lashes (real name: Benjamin Clark), a meme talent manager.
Yep, a talent manager for those weird things that just seem to go viral on social media networks. That’s a real job. Grumpy Cat isn’t Lashes’ only famous client. He also represents Keyboard Cat, Nyan Cat (the rainbow poptart cartoon cat), Mike Tyson’s face tattoo and Ridiculously Photogenic Guy.
Lashes was playing in a rock band when he decided to take a break, he tells Mashable. He said his meme career started when family friend Charlie Schmidt, who had created Keyboard Cat, wanted advice on how to handle the sudden fame.
It’s Grumpy Cat, though, that has captured the online world’s attention. And almost two years and counting is a long time in the fickle Internet game. Grumpy Cat’s owner hooked up with Lashes a few months after the cat’s picture originally lit up Reddit.
Lashes, who has worked behind the scenes in the music industry, has lined up numerous TV interviews and live appearances for Grumpy Cat as well as negotiating a movie deal last year. Grumpy Cat also has her own book, “Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book: Disgruntled Tips and Activities Designed to Put a Frown on Your Face,” commercial deals with Grenade Beverage and Friskies, plus T-shirts, plushies and other assorted wares. Lashes takes about a 20 percent cut.
“Monetizing [the memes] can be totally different depending on the thing, it’s not just one formula,” Lashes told Mashable. “There’s advertising, licensing for merchandising, licensing in the digital world. And they become brands in themselves. It’s not that much different if you own Bart Simpson or Mickey Mouse.
“It’s not about what you can make. It’s about what you can do that’s fun that people will like. If you build it, they will come. You need to connect with the fan base and make it even cooler for them. If you do a good job, then the stuff you do will make money.”
This article originally appeared on News.com.au.