The North Carolina Tar Heels mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #63 of 348. (View reference images.)
Note: The Tar Heels were just selected as the top seed for 2013 NCAA baseball tournament.
Youppi! (Montreal Canadiens) – No. 620
Youppi! is the official mascot for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and former longtime mascot of the MLB’s Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals). Youppi! was commissioned by the Montreal Expos and originally leased by the team. In 1979, the mascot was purchased by the Expos baseball team and represented them until they moved to Washington, D.C., after the 2004 season. The orange, hairy giant was one of the most popular figures among everyone at Olympic Stadium, where he was often seen running around with his arms waving wildly during baseball games.
P.S. Youppi! was designed by Bonnie Erickson, formerly a designer for Jim Henson, and the designer of Miss Piggy, Statler and Waldorf and other Muppets characters. Youppi! is one of only three mascots inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The other two are the Phillie Phanatic, another Erickson design, and the Famous San Diego Chicken.
The Phillie Phanatic (Philadelphia Phillies) – No. 619
The Phillie Phanatic is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball (MLB) team. He is a large, furry, green bipedal creature with an extendable tongue. According to his official biography, the Phanatic is originally from the Galápagos Islands and is the Phillies’ biggest fan. He entertains fans during baseball games and makes public appearances for the Phillies. The Phanatic is usually acknowledged as one of the best ballpark mascots.
P.S. The Phillie Phanatic was designed by Bonnie Erickson, formerly a designer for Jim Henson, and the designer of Miss Piggy, Statler and Waldorf and other Muppets characters. The Phillie Phanatic is one of only three mascots inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The other two are the Famous San Diego Chicken and Montreal’s Youppi!, another Erickson design.
The Famous Chicken (San Diego Padres) – No. 618
The San Diego Chicken, also known as the Famous Chicken, is an advertising mascot played by Ted Giannoulas. The character, created by writer-cartoonist Brian Narelle, originated as an animated TV commercial for KGB-FM in San Diego. In March 1974, Giannoulas was hired to wear the first suit for a promotion to distribute Easter eggs to children at the San Diego Zoo. The Famous Chicken then moved on to features at concerts and sporting events, including appearing at more than 520 San Diego Padres games in a row. The success of the Famous Chicken helped lead to mascots becoming widespread throughout professional sports, particularly Major League Baseball (MLB).
Benny the Bull (Chicago Bulls) – No. 617
Benny the Bull is the mascot of the Chicago Bulls, a role he has filled since 1969. He has become just as popular as some of the franchise’s most notable figures, such as players Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman and head coach Phil Jackson. Benny is one of the longest-tenured mascots in the NBA and in all of professional sports.
Saint Louis Billiken – No. 604
The Saint Louis Billikens mascot has appeared in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament each of the past two years, only to be eliminated in the Round of 32. What is a Billiken anyway? A white Grinch? It’s actually a charm doll invented by an art teacher. This is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #62 of 348. (View reference images.)
La Salle Explorer – No. 603
The La Salle Explorers mascot had its biggest Cinderella moment in 2013 when the 13th-seeded La Salle men’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. This is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #61 of 348. (View reference images.)
Wichita State Shocker – No. 601
The Wichita State Shockers mascot is a muscular, dopey-looking shock of wheat. But this anthropomorphized bundle of grain and its ninth-seeded men’s basketball team made it to the Final Four of this year’s NCAA tournament. Wichita State narrowly lost in the semifinals on Saturday and thus is not playing in today’s championship game. The goofy yellow haystack from Kansas had an impressive Cinderella run. This is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #60 of 348. (View reference images.)
Gonzaga Bulldog – No. 599
The Gonzaga Bulldogs mascot had its biggest Cinderella moment in 1999 when the 10th-seeded Gonzaga men’s basketball team advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. This year, Gonzaga was the top-ranked team in the country going into the NCAA tournament, but the Bulldogs were upset in the Round of 32 by Wichita State (which contributed to the ruination of my bracket). This is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #59 of 348. (View reference images.)
VCU Ram – No. 598
The Virginia Commonwealth Rams mascot had its biggest Cinderella moment in 2011 when the 11th-seeded VCU men’s basketball team advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, ultimately losing to Butler. This is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #58 of 348. (View reference images.)
Butler Bulldog – No. 597
The Butler Bulldogs mascot played Cinderella for two consecutive years. In both 2010 and 2011, the Butler men’s basketball team advanced to the national championship game of the NCAA tournament. They were seeded fifth in 2010 and eighth in 2011. This is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #57 of 348. (View reference images.)
Rutgers Scarlet Knight – No. 544
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #56 of 347. Rutgers recently announced they will leave the Big East and join the Big Ten Conference with the Marlyand Terrapins on July 1, 2014. This is Big Ten mascot #14 of 14. (View reference images.)
Maryland Terrapin – No. 543
The Maryland Terrapins mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #55 of 347. Maryland recently announced they will leave the ACC and join the Big Ten Conference on July 1, 2014. This is Big Ten mascot #13 of 14. (View reference images.)
Wenlock (2012 Summer Olympics) – No. 471
Wenlock and Mandeville are the official mascots for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics being held in London. The mascots, unveiled in 2010, are animations depicting two drops of steel from a steelworks in Bolton. They are named after the town of Much Wenlock, which held a forerunner of the current Olympics, and Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which organized a precursor of the Paralympics.
Apparently Grant Hunter of Orwellian Britain is to blame for these London Olympics mascot designs. Illuminati, what?
The Pink Panther – No. 461
The Pink Panther is the title character in the opening and closing credit sequences of almost every film in The Pink Panther series of comedies. First appearing in 1963, his popularity spawned 124 shorts, 10 television shows and three primetime TV specials. The Pink Panther Show aired on Saturday mornings from 1969 to 1979. The Pink Panther became the corporate mascot of Owens Corning in 1980 to promote its pink insulation.
Note: Have a happy Friday the 13th!
Quick Draw McGraw – No. 443
Quick Draw McGraw is an anthropomorphic cartoon horse who starred in The Quick Draw McGraw Show (1959-1962), the third cartoon television production created by Hanna-Barbera. He is usually depicted as a sheriff, with a Mexican burro deputy named Baba Looey. Quick Draw was the mascot for Sugar Smacks (now Honey Smacks) from 1961-1965. In the 1970s, he appeared in several productions with Yogi Bear and friends.
West Virginia Mountaineer – No. 442
The West Virginia Mountaineers mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #54 of 347. West Virginia will leave the Big East Conference and join the Big 12 Conference on July 1, 2012. (View reference images for this mascot, who is not unlike Davy Crockett.)
Astronaut Jesus – No. 397
Astronaut Jesus was conceived in 2004 by Argentine design collective Doma. A limited edition, five-color silkscreen poster exclusive to Andr8id was printed in 2004 and a matching vinyl toy was manufactured by adFunture in 2005. The visually striking toy is a 9.5″ (24 cm) figure with a removable helmet and a swiveling right arm. Doma is best known for their visual designs and installation arts. According to the Astronaut Jesus collectible packaging, “[AstroChrist] is an elite member of the astronaut gods that have come to our planet since the beginning of time to shape our civilization and the world as we know it.”
I am amused by the concept that Jesus has been in outer space overseeing the world and will one day return to fix our problems. It would be fun to have my own Astronaut Jesus figure, but only a few hundred exist in the world, so I’m not holding my breath. After the original run of 500 Astronaut Jesus figures, six small limited edition runs were manufactured in different colors during 2005 and 2006, including a hot-pink flocked Wooster Collective Edition.
Wanzouko (San-X Wanroom) – No. 354
A friend received a small Japanese plush toy as a gift. We later discovered that this red refrigerator-dog character is named Wanzouko. It is one of 24 hypercute zoomorphic inanimate objects (mostly furniture and housewares) in San-X’s Wanroom line. Sewn inside this refrigerator-puppy is a shelf and a chicken leg. Velcro holds its door closed.
Seeing Wanzouko next to a red camera from the OptiTrack motion capture line (especially the old FLEX:C120 model) reveals amusing similarities in color, shape and size. All the camera needs are some floppy brown ears. Or, perhaps what the mocap industry needs are adorable Wanroom carrying cases for their OptiTrack cameras. I think the current Wanzouko toy might actually work as a soft camera case, if not for the sewn-in refrigerator shelf and chicken leg. Pity.
Mandeville (2012 Summer Olympics) – No. 472
Wenlock and Mandeville are the official mascots for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics being held in London. The mascots, unveiled in 2010, are animations depicting two drops of steel from a steelworks in Bolton. They are named after the town of Much Wenlock, which held a forerunner of the current Olympics, and Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which organized a precursor of the Paralympics.
As for the designs of Wenlock and Mandeville, you say “drop of steel,” I say “penis monster in a crotchless jumpsuit.” But at least these mascots don’t look like Lisa Simpson performing fellatio on London, which is what was selected for the official London 2012 logo, at great expense.