30 under 30 Kyivpost

Nadiia Kushnir hit the headlines after she created a cynical cartoon character with a typical Ukrainian mentality — the Goose.

Kushnir first came up with the Goose two years ago, when she started placing him in various life situations as a comical character, and it became a ubiquitous internet meme. The character’s virtual behavior resonated with Ukrainians, and it has become a big hit.

The Goose character talks about everyday problems in a mix of the Ukrainian and Russian languages, often using profanities.

“The Goose is like a free psychologist. People see how he copes with problems similar to their own ones,” Kushnir told the Kyiv Post. “But mainly, I guess, I’m just doing what I love, and so people love it, too.”

Due to public affection, the Goose has become a commodity: two books about the Goose have been published, the character has appeared on credit cards, t-shirts, mugs, and even on safety posters in the Kyiv underground.

Read more: https://archive.kyivpost.com/top-30-under-30-of-2018/nadiia-kushnir-creator-of-popular-cartoon-character-goose-also-writes-books-for-children.html