Welcome everyone, today we’d like to introduce you to a very special kitty named Benson. Benson is a cat that was rescued and adopted directly from the streets and his quirky personality and cute outfits have made him a true internet celebrity. (Is cat influencer even a term?)

Illustrator Bill Mayer is known for his humorous, yet earnest characters and scenes, rendered with both digital and traditional means. His works often both personify and look at the real-life nature of the animal world. His gouache paintings, featured in this piece, offer a particular, absorbing characteristic.

As kids, my friends and I would spend hours drawing all sorts of creative things, including anthropomorphic animals and creatures of all kinds. As an adult, I still find these things fun! Unlike the medieval outfits of most of my childhood creations, these guys are mostly dressed up in 19th century outfits because, well, they just look so good that way. I also hand screen print the art onto clothing, which is just another step in the artistic process.