Crowds, Cuteness Overwhelm First Hello Kitty Con

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hello Kitty cuteness is taking over Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles as the city hosts the first Hello Kitty fan convention.

Hello Kitty Con, which kicked off Thursday, is expected to draw some 25,000 fans over four days.

The sold-out event is being held at the Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art. A related exhibit at the neighboring Japanese American National Museum continues through April, 2015.

Conventioneers who didn't mind long lines could pose for photos with Hello Kitty, get permanently inked with her image, hear lectures about her popularity and shop for exclusive products created for the mouthless cat character's 40th birthday, which falls on Nov. 1.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.