If you’ve scrolled through social media this summer, you might have come across Katie, a buxom blonde computer-animated character with large eyes and a facial bone structure reminiscent of Handsome Squidward. She’s been catapulted to sudden meme status, which makes her origin story that much funnier.

Katie was first introduced to the world in 2008 in the animated Czech film Goat Story: The Old Prague Legends. The movie is set in the early 1400s and tells the story of a Czech peasant named Jemmy who travels to Prague with his goat to help build the city’s iconic astronomical clock. Needless to say, he was smitten when he met Katie.

The character’s visage has recently become ubiquitous across social platforms, with people using multiple clips of the film in a series of absurd situations.

Director and writer Jan Tománek spoke to The Hollywood Reporter following his character’s viral social media takeover. He revealed that Katie was modeled after Czechs’ idea of what a proper country girl should look like, mentioning the term “blood and milk” as a representation of rosy cheeks and glowing skin. When it comes to her generous chest, Tománek still doesn’t see an issue.

“It’s interesting how a lot of people have a problem with the stylization that a character has big breasts. But with an animated character, character traits need to be exaggerated,” he explained. “It’s hypocrisy. A big nose isn’t a problem, but big boobs offend some people.”

“Almost every American animated kids’ movie has some violence, people fighting,” he noted. “There’s not a speck of violence in Goat Story and yet because of the big breasts, which are natural, it got a PG-13 rating. Yet violence doesn’t matter in America.”

The movie eventually made its way stateside complete with dubs in several languages, but it was only available to watch on TV, DVD, or VOD and only screened in theaters in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Today, the entire film is viewable on YouTube. And while it may seem like a throwaway independent film that even its home country ignored, nothing could be farther from the truth.

“In the Czech Republic, the film became the most successful animated film in our history,” Tománek pointed out of its record-breaking theater attendance. Goat Story was so successful, in fact, that Tománek released a sequel in 2012, Goat Story 2: With Cheese. 

When it comes to Katie’s newfound fame, Tománek is indifferent and believes it to be a U.S. trend. “This doesn’t happen here in the Czech Republic. It’s more of a YouTube fad in America,” he said. “Some YouTuber makes a meme out of something and others ride the wave. It’s a kind of a fad. It’s nice, but it leaves me completely cold.”

As for the future of the Goat Story universe, Tománek offered, “Never say never.” He’s more focused on writing books these days, which he says affords him “much more freedom and satisfaction.” But he didn’t close the door on a possible Goat Story 3, potentially done in partnership with his art-oriented kids.

If you’re looking for a movie to add to your list this summer, why not check out the Czech Republic’s biggest animated movie ever?

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