Why this Alabama town loves Pete the Cat

Right in downtown Fort Payne is a set of bronze statues to honor country supergroup Alabama, who famously hails from the small northeast Alabama town. And right across the street from them is a huge mural of the town’s other superstar, Pete the Cat.

In case you haven’t been around kids in the past decade, let me explain: The Pete the Cat children’s book series is a global phenomenon. There are more than 100 books chronicling the adventures of the calm, groovy cat (and its friends), and it doesn’t look to be letting up anytime soon. The books have been on the New York Times Best Sellers list for hundreds of weeks, and they’ve been translated into more than a dozen languages. There was even a four-season Amazon Prime Series where Elvis Costello and Diana Krall voiced some of the characters. The beloved cat even has celebrity fans like Leonardo Dicaprio.

But what is the famous blue feline’s connection to Fort Payne? The co-creator and illustrator of the series, James Dean, hails from the mountain town.

Dean was born in the area, moved away, and then moved back for his high school years. He graduated from Fort Payne High School (a little more about that in just a sec), and attended Auburn University, graduating with a degree in electrical engineering. (He told Auburn Magazine in 2019 that he favored an art class over engineering classes when he was on the Plains.) He moved to Georgia to take an engineering job with Georgia Power before he struck gold with the Pete the Cat series.

Pete the Cat Fort Payne — A painting in Pete the Cat Alley in downtown Fort Payne, Alabama.Haley Laurence

And although Dean still lives in Georgia, he frequently drives over to Fort Payne to show love to his hometown.

In August 2022, he painted the huge Pete the Cat mural downtown on the old Sawyer building at the intersection of Gault Avenue North and 4th Street. (Yes, that’s right – he painted the mural in the Alabama August humidity, bless him.) It’s been deemed “The World’s Tallest Pete the Cat Mural” by Visit Lookout Mountain, and it’s perfect for a selfie or two.

And remember what we said about Dean’s love of Fort Payne High School? He signed the mural, “FPHS, Class of ‘76.” Check it out:

But that’s not the only Pete the Cat fun you can find in Fort Payne. The town celebrates Dean’s success. In 2017, a Pete the Cat alley was developed downtown, according to Fort Payne Main Street Director Connie Fuller. The alley is filled with lots of original pieces of Pete the Cat art that incorporate local institutions, like Dekalb Theatre and Hamilton’s Drive-In. (And there may just serendipitously be a stray cat or two that wander around the area, according to Fuller.)

In true Hollywood Walk of Fame style, you can also find a star on the sidewalk near the alley that is devoted to Pete the Cat. And if you are looking for more Pete the Cat goodies, check out Katherine’s Gallery and Custom Framing. It has plenty of books and other memorabilia.

But again, that’s not all.

The first Saturday of each August, Fort Payne hosts Pete the Cat Day. Since 2017, Dean has driven over to the northeast Alabama town to participate. A limited amount of tickets to meet Dean for an autograph session are given away ahead of time, and there are always plenty of kid-friendly activities on the agenda. At least a thousand people attend every year.

According to Fuller, neither Fort Payne Main Street or Dean make any money off the celebration. She explains, “He is kind enough to come over here and not charge us, and he does it because he loves Fort Payne.”

More Alabama small town stories:

Why Brewton is ‘small-town Alabama at its best’

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This Alabama muralist brings small towns together