Baby Milo is the cartoon monkey mascot of A Bathing Ape. Complex says he was designed by the BAPE artist MANKEY under Nigo's direction, took his name and look from the baby chimpanzee Milo in the Planet of the Apes films, and entered the BAPE line in 1999. BAPE's own site marked his 25th anniversary in December 2024, which fits that date. One older interview suggests a different start, and we cover that below.
Where the name comes from
BAPE itself is built on Planet of the Apes. The Ape Head logo comes from the 1968 film, as our history of A Bathing Ape explains. Complex ties Baby Milo to the same series: Milo is the name of a baby chimpanzee in the films, and BAPE turned him into a rounder, cuter character for its own line.
That makes Baby Milo the soft side of the brand. Where the Ape Head and the camo look hard and graphic, Milo pieces lean on bright colors and a cartoon face.
Who created Baby Milo?
The usual answer is MANKEY, one of the artists who worked on BAPE graphics in the early years. Complex writes that Milo was "designed by BAPE artist Mankey under Nigo's direction."
MANKEY's own words, in a 2018 Hypebeast interview, are a little different. He thanks "meeting NIGO who inspired me to create the Baby Milo character." That still points to MANKEY as the person who drew him, with Nigo as the push behind it. In the same interview MANKEY also says the camo designs from 25 years earlier were his.
