Artists cash in on China's online sticker craze

Now more than two-thirds of Rui's income comes from her cartoon pig, through licensing and selling merchandise online. — AFP

When "Silly Piggy" appeared in China's popular WeChat social media app, the sticker became an instant hit, with people sending it more than 30 million times in its first month to express their feelings in text messages.

Stickers like the mischievous cartoon pig and other quirky creatures are all the rage in China, giving the artists behind them a way to make money and win fans – as long as they stay within the bounds of censorship.