Labubu: The Viral Designer Toy Origin and History Labubu was created by Hong Kong designer Kasing Lung, who grew up in the Netherlands. In 2015 Lung introduced a fantasy story series called The Monsters โ inspired by Nordic fairy tales โ in which Labubu was a minor character 1 2 . The toy version of Labubu only emerged after Lung signed a licensing deal with Chinese blind-box company Pop Mart in 2019 3 4 . Pop Mart began producing Labubu figures and blind-box merchandise under its โThe Monstersโ franchise, bringing the character to a global audience. (According to ABC News, Labubu was โa decade in the making,โ first appearing as a background figure in Lungโs picture-book series before Pop Mart popularised her 5 .) Design and Character Labubu is portrayed as a small, fluffy monster with rabbit-like features. She has a round furry body, large pointed ears and wide, expressive eyes, plus a