Who is Totoro?

Totoro is a character from the Japanese anime film Tonari no Totoro [My Neighbor Totoro], which happens to be one of my all-time favorite movies. Only unjaded kids can see Totoro and his friends (two smaller totoros as well as a creature that's half cat, half bus). The movie also features Makkurokurosuke, little black sooty spirits that live in old dusty homes:



I have a habit of doodling Totoros in almost any setting, but my paltry, one-dimensional attempts are nothing compared to the awesome Totoro drawing that my friend Kagan whipped up as a birthday present for me:



Thanks a million, Kagan-- I love my new Totoro.