NYC’s creepy Ratbubu is here to terrify your dreams, just in time for Halloween — but good luck getting one



New York is gross — and we love it.

A new pop-up is raising a big stink, celebrating the city’s signature grime with a cheeky collection of rat-themed merch and chaotic charm, including a sold-out Ratbubu — a tattooed and pierced Labubu dressed like a rodent.

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The WELOVENYC “Comeback Collection” — featuring everything from creepy Ratbubu plushies to trash-bag earbud covers ($25), “Legal Cocaine” coffee mugs ($35) and “S–t Shield” sneaker guards ($12) — has true New Yorkers embracing the grit and grime of our beloved dirty city.

“It’s more about what New York is really like. The funky stuff,” Tanya De Poli, a co-creator of WELOVENYC collection, told The Post about the curious compilation, a collaboration between numerous New York artists, which drew a long line of locals to the dingy corner of Walker and Lafayette for its Friday night opening.

The Ratbubu riffs on the mega-popular Labubu, giving it a truly NYC twist. WELOVENYC

“Rats are a part of that, so why not play that up?”

Seems about right, considering the Big Apple has employed a “rat czar” and even features a rat whisperer who offers tours of the city’s most populous rodent hangouts.

Shoppers were greeted in the teeny space at 101 Lafayette St. by a back wall covered in real rat traps spray-painted with “We Heart NYC,” where some of the creepy but cute $55 Ratbubus — the store’s priciest item — hung.

The first 300 limited-edition toys sold out on opening night, sending desperate fans back to the store Saturday morning or sliding into the team’s DMs begging for one.

“They went crazy,” De Poli told The Post with a laugh as a fresh shipment arrived on Monday afternoon.

The WELOVENYC “Comeback Collection” features the new creature in a setting befitting it. WELOVENYC
Delfina Lamino (left) and Catalina Recalde show off totes for sale at the pop-up store. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post

Labubus — small, plush toy keychains of an elf-like monster adorned with pointed ears, a wide serrated grin, large eyes, and fuzzy costumes — have gained popularity after being sported on the designer bags of celebrities like Rihanna, Dua Lipa, BLACKPINK’s Lisa, David Beckham, Emma Roberts, Hillary Duff, Kim Kardashian and countless others.

Some have sold for as high as $10,000.

But the new, coveted Ratbubus are much cheaper — at least for now.

What’s more New York than a Labubu-esque creature that celebrates the city’s rat population? WELOVENYC
Among the offerings is a black coffee mug emblazoned with the phrase “legal cocaine.” Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post
Fake rats appear to meander through a mini sidewalk display at the pop-up. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post
Cheeky booties labeled “S–t Shield” would protect pedestrians’ shoes from omnipresent sidewalk dog dung. WELOVENYC

Opening night also offered free, pre-designed “flash” tattoos by Chris Torres with any $50 purchase; the team was stunned by how many people waited patiently to have a rat permanently inked on their skin.

However, don’t worry if you have FOMO: Ratbubus and more rat tats return Tuesday night — this time with rat-shaped latte art by Moonface. Keep in mind, though, that only 100 Ratbubus will be available, so you’d better hurry.

Then the third and final Ratbubu drop happens Thursday, capped off with a rat costume contest so fans can twin with their new furry accessories.

Local artist Jay Mac created this window display, which includes a coveted Ratbubu. WELOVENYC
This AirPod case cover is fashioned to look like a trash bag. Stefano Giovannini for N.Y.Post

“I knew it would be both memorable and iconic. One of my favourite aspects of this is the New York creatives involved who came together to make this happen,” Rick McGuire, the founder and creator behind SubwayCreatures, told Little Black Book.

He partnered with the WELOVENYC team to curate the pop-up, which will run through Saturday, Nov. 1.

Among the artists popping up is Pamela Barsky, known as the “Original New York Bag Lady” for her line of scrawled-on totes.

Her radical rodent bags ($35) offer phrases that include “Sometimes I think the rats run this city better than we do” and “Real New Yorkers don’t scream when they see a rat.”

A $20 pouch features a less-than-subtle message. WELOVENYC

“It’s the new and more honest New York,” WELOVENYC co-creator Checha Agost Carreno proclaimed to The Post, celebrating the authenticity of the project — which has an appreciative, clearly homegrown audience.

“We didn’t want this collection to be for the tourists,” De Poli added.




Let’s be honest—no matter how stressful the day gets, a good viral video can instantly lift your mood. Whether it’s a funny pet doing something silly, a heartwarming moment between strangers, or a wild dance challenge, viral videos are what keep the internet fun and alive.

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