Minion Press

Before the Minions Before the Minions roamed the Earth, there was Hello Kitty. In 2015, the Hello Kitty brand was estimated to be worth over $7 billion. Originating during the 1970s economic boom in Japan, Hello Kitty became popular in Northeast and Southeast Asia, eventually reaching the West as well. Since her creation, Hello Kitty has been the de facto mascot of kawaii, a Japanese subculture that fashion blogger Misha Janette describes as “a delicate cuteness, like a weak, small type of thing” that’s also “an embodiment of all that’s happy and positive.” During the last two decades, kawaii has become one of Japan’s primary cultural exports. It’s no accident — this heightened sense of cuteness inherently has a mass appeal. For children, it’s simply adorable. For adults, this imagery can be approached as either escapist or ironic. With their wondrous, large eyes and goofy, infantile demeanor, the Minions have something in common with this Japanese subculture. It's import...

Minions Are So Popular “Ba-ba-ba, ba-banana...” I played a clip of the Minions covering the Beach Boys hit “Barbara Ann” and instructed my classroom of 4- and 5-year-olds to sing along. When I was teaching at an ESL center in Huế, Vietnam, in the fall of 2015, the administrators encouraged us to start off lessons with English songs as a way to engage the students. A week before the lesson, my students were waving Minions moon lanterns at our school’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. And so I assumed that the Minions — these yellow, squishy enigmas that were ubiquitous in Vietnam — would be a safe bet to gain their attention and trust. I turned on the projector, pulled down the blinds, and took a seat. “Ba-ba-ba, ba-banana...” Everyone started singing along. Good, I thought. My students were learning the word "banana." Mission accomplished. “Bababaanana potatoooo, tokati, potato, bachata, bababananna, bababanana…” Uh-oh. My students instantly started mimicking...

You didn’t know about minions Unless you’ve somehow managed to avoid all of the billboards, bus ads, TV commercials and bazillion brand tie-ins, you probably know that everyone’s favourite pint-sized henchmen, the minions, have their own movie coming out this weekend. And while Minions is set to tell the pre-Despicable Me origin story of Gru’s mischievous, fun-loving, goggled little helpers, we thought we would expose all of the secrets behind their creation. Fact: THERE’S REALLY ONLY ONE MINION  Believe it or not, Despicable Me and Minions co-director Pierre Coffin voices all of the minions himself. For the new film, Coffin voiced 899 of the little yellow henchmen. Presented by:  https://www.theloop.ca Take a Look our Minion Gift Collection MinionPress