The Air Force Falcons mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #52 of 347. Air Force Academy is one of the three NCAA Division I military academies (with Army and Navy). This is Mountain West mascot #3 of 8. (View reference images.)
Navy Midshipman – No. 190
The Navy Midshipmen mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #51 of 347. Yes, the United States Naval Academy’s “midshipman” mascot is a goat. Go figure. This is FBS independent schools mascot #3 of 4. (View reference images.)
Army Black Knight – No. 189
The Army Black Knights mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #50 of 347. Army has two costumed mascots: Blackjack the Mule and the Black Knight. I decided to draw the former. This is FBS independent schools mascot #2 of 4. Today is the start of the NCAA Division IA football schedule. (View reference images.)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish – No. 188
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #49 of 347. Tomorrow is the start of the NCAA Division IA football schedule, so here is a leprechaun to kick off another short series of 8-bit college mascots. This is FBS independent schools mascot #1 of 4. (View reference images.)
Spider-Man – No. 185
A fictional web-slinging superhero, created by Marvel Comics, who first appeared in 1962. He became Marvel’s flagship character and company mascot. The character is the alter ego of Peter Parker, an orphan being raised by his aunt and uncle. As a teenager, Parker deals with the normal struggles of adolescence in addition to those of a costumed crime fighter.
Domo-kun – No. 156
The official mascot of Japan’s NHK television station. Domo first appeared in stop-motion interstitial sketches in 1998 and later became well known outside of Japan through a Photoshopped image depicting Domos chasing a kitten. This Internet meme originated at Fark.com in 2002 and helped popularize “killing kittens” as a euphemism for masturbation.
Rastus (Cream of Wheat) – No. 145
In addition to being a derogatory term traditionally associated with African Americans, Rastus is also the name of the Cream of Wheat cereal mascot. The character first appeared in 1893 and is reportedly based on a photograph of Chicago chef Frank L. White. Over 100 years later, his face still appears on the cereal box.
Uncle Ben – No. 143
Uncle Ben’s rice was first marketed in 1943 and was the top-selling rice in the U.S. from 1950 until the 1990s. In March 2007, after 61 years as a domestic servant/maitre d’hotel, the image of Uncle Ben was “promoted” to chairman by a new advertising campaign designed to distance the brand from its iconography depicting a servant in the Aunt Jemima tradition.
Aunt Jemima – No. 142
Aunt Jemima was a prominent character in minstrel shows in the late 19th century who was commercially appropriated to market pancake mix in late 1889. She was meant to embody the idealized domesticity of old Southern hospitality. In 1926, the Quaker Oats Company bought the brand and later attempted to minimize its expression of the “mammy” archetype.
The Noid (Domino’s Pizza) – No. 141
The Noid was a villainous advertising character for Domino’s Pizza created in 1986 by Group 243 advertising agency. This red-suited character attempted to ruin Domino’s pizza but was constantly thwarted. Commercials that featured the character used the slogan “Avoid the Noid.” Domino’s was founded in 1960 and is the second-largest pizza chain in the U.S.
Little Caesar – No. 140
Little Caesars pizza chain was founded in 1959 with Little Caesar, a diminutive toga-clad Roman wearing sandals and a laurel wreath, as its corporate mascot. It is the fourth-largest pizza chain (after Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s). The franchise name is an allusion to Julius Caesar, former ruler of the Roman Empire.
Colonel Sanders (KFC) – No. 139
“Colonel” Sanders was an iconic American entrepreneur who first served his fried chicken at a gas station in 1930. In 1952, he founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken company, now re-branded as KFC. Despite his death in 1980, Sanders remains a key symbol of the company in its advertising and branding. My dad always referred to him as “Colonel Chicken.”
Big Boy – No. 138
The Big Boy restaurant chain (including Bob’s Big Boy) started in 1936 and is best known for its trademark chubby boy in checkered overalls. The inspiration for Big Boy’s name, as well as the model for its mascot, was six-year-old Richard Woodruff. After Warner Bros. animation artist Ben Washam sketched the boy’s caricature, he became part of the company identity.
Happy Star (Carl’s Jr.) – No. 137
Happy Star is the mascot of American fast-food restaurant chain Carl’s Jr. and its sibling chain Hardee’s. When combined with Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr. is the #4 US fast-food chain in size after McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s. The twin star logos are unstoppable!
Jack Box (Jack in the Box) – No. 136
Jack is the mascot of American restaurant chain Jack in the Box. In advertisements, he is portrayed as the founder, CEO and ad spokesman for the chain. The character made his first appearance in 1993.
Wendy Thomas (Wendy’s) – No. 135
Wendy is the daughter and fourth child of American businessman Dave Thomas, the founder of the Wendy’s restaurant franchise. She is known for being its namesake and mascot. Her likeness has been used as the Wendy’s logo, in the form of a young girl with red braids, since the company’s founding in 1969.
The Burger King – No. 134
The King is the advertising mascot for the Burger King fast-food restaurant franchise. The first cartoon iteration of this character was created in 1955. The current extra-creepy/brilliant “Wake Up with the King” costumed mascot was introduced in 2003.
Ronald McDonald – No. 133
A clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald’s fast-food restaurant chain. He first appeared in 1963. The next two weeks at Mascot Mashup will be dedicated to creating 8-bit versions of some popular food advertising icons and corporate trade characters.
TCU Horned Frog – No. 128
The TCU Horned Frogs mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #48 of 347. The Texas horned lizard (AKA “horned frog”) is the state reptile of Texas. The 2011-12 academic year is the final season of Texas Christian University’s Mountain West Conference membership. In 2012, TCU will be moving to the Big East Conference. This is Mountain West mascot #2 of 8. (View reference images.)
Boise State Bronco – No. 127
The Boise State Broncos mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #47 of 347. I hadn’t made a college mascot in a while, so here is Buster Bronco. Today is the first day of the 2011-12 academic year, which means Boise State University is now a member of the Mountain West Conference and has withdrawn from the Western Athletic Conference. This is Mountain West mascot #1 of 8. (View reference images.)
Note: Boise State’s Bronco Stadium is known for its blue field color, or “Smurf Turf.” It was the first college stadium field to be any color other than traditional green, as well as the only college to have a non-green field for 22 years (1986-2008). Since 2009, three other colleges (Eastern Washington, Central Arkansas, New Haven) have installed non-green fields, but Boise State holds a trademark on the blue field.
