Project Information : Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is The Pinky Show?
A: The Pinky Show is an ongoing educational art project of Associated Animals Inc., a 401(c)3 non-profit organization based in the United States of America.

We are the original super lo-tech hand-drawn educational art project by cats. We focus on information & ideas that have been misrepresented, suppressed, ignored, or otherwise excluded from mainstream discussion, and do this in a way that is informal and easy-to-understand. Our materials are available for free on the internet: www.PinkyShow.org.

Q: Do you have a mission statement?
A: Yes we do!

"Our mission is to create work that cultivates compassion, fairness, and healing through a deeper understanding of the world."

Q: Where exactly are you guys based?
A: We live in the desert between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, near Death Valley. Kim and Drittens are usually there; Pinky wanders around a lot but stops by regularly.

Q: What is the purpose of The Pinky Show?
A: The research, studying, discussion, and writing necessary for producing Pinky Show materials allows us the time and space to learn about the things we're most interested in - that is, those mysterious and complicated relationships that exist between history, structure, ideology, and power. So at one level, I guess you could say the Pinky Show is for our own learning.

We hope the Pinky Show materials we create also provide nourishing brain & soul food, which is necessary for long-term growth and struggle. We focus on marginalized histories and perspectives because it’s a very powerful way for people to challenge themselves, to consider realities that lie beyond their own lived experiences and interests. We believe that positive change becomes real when human beings learn how to critically engage each other with openness, honesty, and compassion.

Q: What kind of things are discussed on The Pinky Show?
A: Cats are curious about a wide range of subjects - little-known historical facts, social and political commentary, questions of fairness or injustice, critical analyses and interpretations of cultural texts, or basically anything that people don't usually spend much time thinking about. The motivation for doing our work is simple, like Pinky says: "All I want is to be able to understand things."

Q: Who makes The Pinky Show?
A: The Pinky Show is a project of Associated Animals Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization based in the United States. We currently have three active members - Pinky, Kim, and Drittens. We have no board of directors per se; we function as a collective. Bunny and Mimi died but they still help. Daisy always comes right away when we call him.

Q: Who's using Pinky Show materials?
A: Lots of people, from all over the world! As of 2015, our videos have been watched over 8 million times online, and who-knows-how-many-times offline! We have viewers in over 155 countries and have received e-mails from students and teachers telling us how they’re putting our materials to good use - in practically every type of learning environment we've ever heard of, and also a few that we've never heard of. Anybody who enjoys cultivating critical inquiry and who's willing to use their imagination a little will find lots of ways to use Pinky Show materials.

Q: Who’s your audience? What age level is The Pinky Show appropriate for?
A: Human beings wield the most power over this planet, so we’re talking directly to them. And although our show looks like children’s programming, The Pinky Show is actually intended for adults.

Q: What kind of stuff do you cats do?
A: Well, we actually do all kinds of things - thank you for asking! We make art, videos, didactic ephemera, and educational encounters. Sometimes we collaborate with other organizations and institutions on community-based media or education projects. Contrary to popular misconceptions (and dog-propaganda), cats can actually be very hard working! We use many different forms, but our educational and political objectives are always the same.

Q: How did The Pinky Show get started?
A: Read the pre-history here.