Angst-ridden adolescents of all ages have a new anti-hero to call their own. His name is Bad Badtz-Maru, and right now he's one of the coolest characters in the cartoon kingdom. Bad Badtz-Maru, a penguin, is the newest comic creature from Sanrio, the Japanese stationery and accessories company that's best known for the cartoon character Hello Kitty. Worldwide, the company's sales of merchandise - which ranges from stickers and pencils to T-shirts and backpacks - top $1 billion a year.

While Sanrio's original target audience was - and remains - pre-teen girls, the company's Bad Badtz-Maru character has achieved a cult-like following among older teens and twentysomethings. Bill Hensley, a U.S. marketing manager for Sanrio, says that's one reason for Badtz' popularity. In New York City, Badtz is the company's No. 3 best seller, behind Hello Kitty in first place and Keroppi the frog in second. With his just-got-out-of-bed head of spiky hair and heavy-lidded expression of ennui, this penguin is the black sheep of the Sanrio family.

"I like him because he's not as cheerfully goofy as Kitty or Keroppi," confessed one Fashion Institute of Technology student who was fingering Badtz-Maru pencil cases in Chinatown. "This guy is more cynical, like me." Ironically enough, one of the largest retailers of Bad Badtz is a Chinatown basement shop called Penguin Village, located at 13-17 Elizabeth St. in New York City.