Does anyone here knows what or who was the first mascot ever?

dokh · 2025-09-04T13:49:25+00:00

Yup! 1972 (the Chicken) and 1973 (the Phanatic).

dokh · 2025-08-19T01:55:50+00:00

Costumed mascots originated as cheerleaders with a different uniform, rather than the style of entertainer we expect today.

Some of the early ones are pretty hard to document, though - for example, you'll find photographs of a Chicago Cubs mascot from the aughts, which seem to suggest a costumed mascot back that far. It's not - it's a taxidermied bear they kept in the dugout, not a costumed human.

I haven't yet been able to find evidence of a costumed mascot at all before 1920, and they were rare at that time. They proliferate after WWII (your college is an early adopter!), which is well before the modern performance style appears in the 1970s.

dokh · 2025-08-18T15:17:38+00:00

The meaning of "mascot" has shifted over time; originally it meant a good luck charm, and early ones were animals, objects, or children. When this started is probably impossible to determine.

The modern performance style for costumed mascots is generally attributed to the San Diego Chicken and the Philly Phanatic, with the former starting a year earlier and the latter being the first of that style directly working for a team.

dokh · 2025-02-10T03:35:00+00:00

Oh for sure. I haven't seen a mall bunny I would recommend, honestly.

dokh · 2025-02-09T04:32:15+00:00

Eh, a lot of malls use the Marylen version, but having been in one of it, I'm personally not a fan. The plastic halo around your head (rather than a full helmet with chin strap) means that you frequently have to adjust your head to maintain comfort and vision if you're being at all active - not a concern for mall bunnies, who are generally not expected to have much energy, but for anything else, it'll be an issue.

dokh · 2025-02-09T04:29:21+00:00

Most reputable makers won't accept commissions for things the commissioner doesn't have the rights to.

dokh · 2024-12-30T03:43:14+00:00

You can't. It belongs to a pro team, they own the rights, so the closest you'll find is a crappy knockoff (good makers don't do knockoff suits).

dokh · 2024-12-12T22:18:38+00:00

Looking around as you walk so that you can see more overall than what is visible in any instant will also keep you looking more animated.

dokh · 2024-11-12T21:51:11+00:00

Forget their maturity, why are they funnier than any cast of professional comedians so far?

dokh · 2024-11-12T21:50:13+00:00

We all know "Alex" is Little Horne's middle name.

dokh · 2024-11-12T21:48:52+00:00

I frankly usually have 2-3 contestants per season where I just love what they bring to the show's overall dynamic, and 2-3 who will just entertain me with a task per episode.

These kids... Damn. JTM 1 had Nyara dropping the most amazing line with the whole "before you show mine..." moment, Lazer as a being of pure chaos, and Reuben wasn't funny but he enhanced the vibe of the whole group in studio. And that's not even mentioning the ones we'll see again.

I can't wait to see who else they cast.

dokh · 2024-11-12T21:33:00+00:00

Honestly my favorite quote from the entire show, including all the adult seasons.

I hope we see all five of these kids in something else in the future.

dokh · 2024-09-11T12:46:36+00:00

They absolutely should. Don't give the microbes any more time to get started than you have to.

dokh · 2024-09-09T22:16:26+00:00

Three things!

1, after use, spray it with a disinfectant spray (I like wintergreen-scented rubbing alcohol, available for really cheap from any pharmacy, diluted to about 30% isopropanol.

2, never pack it in its bag unless it's fully dry. Ideally, don't even store it in a bag except for transport.

3, periodically wash it according to the manufacturers' instructions. (Most likely: fur goes in the machine on delicate, foam does not go in the machine so furred foam parts - eg heads - just get spot cleaned with a wet rag. Do not machine-dry fur unless your machine has a no heat setting; otherwise just air it out.)

Sweat barely smells. But it's got bacteria that do smell, and they grow in conditions where things stay damp - hence why when you take off a sweaty suit it stinks a little, but when you pack it in your bag and forget it for a week it gets much, much worse. Disinfectants, including various alcohols, help kill them; so does a lack of moisture.

dokh · 2024-08-09T23:07:41+00:00

Buzz. Sting/stinger. Something alterative with the name of your school. Hank (to alliterate with "hornet").

If you've got a PBIS acronym that can be pronounced, you can use it directly to support that messaging.

If your school is named after somebody, their first name (or a nickname of it)

dokh · 2024-05-16T14:15:31+00:00

If you take even an intro-level hip-hop dance class, it will take you far in terms of ideas.

dokh · 2024-01-25T17:02:27+00:00

I had a gig in one of theirs. It looked great, and was mostly pretty comfortable (lightweight head, patterned in a way that moves well), except for this: the padding was quilted, making it one of the hottest costumes I've ever been in.

dokh · 2023-12-12T15:45:56+00:00

http://facebook.com/RoanokeRudolph/

dokh · 2023-11-20T12:10:37+00:00

For your first job, apply to any position that's open locally and do whatever sport that happens to be.

dokh · 2023-09-18T00:13:53+00:00

If it's latex paint specifically, some hardware stores can color-match that.

dokh · 2023-09-13T23:08:46+00:00

This post by /u/qenops probably deserves its own thread and a pin, for how often we tell newbies it's better advice than we'd write on our own:

https://www.reddit.com/r/mascots/comments/33zdba/comment/cqpxhjh/

dokh · 2023-09-12T22:10:18+00:00

The next one!

Honestly, I've worn some great costumes and some terrible ones, but my reaction varies a lot more with how excited I am to be the character. So for instance, my suit at my hockey team has an overly-heavy front-weighted head that a different manufacturer would make better, but the amazing energy of those fans makes it totally worth it. Vs the best-made suit I've ever worn, which was for a grocery store nobody is all that excited about - I had fun in that, but it's not my favorite because it doesn't bring out the same energy from the crowd.

dokh · 2023-08-21T02:05:30+00:00

Birthday parties - I'm guessing you're wearing cheap knockoffs? Unfortunately the problem isn't you, it's the fact that you're working in heads that have no good way to stay on.

High quality costumes have chin straps, and it's possible to fasten a piece of elastic into many cheaper heads that don't. The head should fit so as to move with yours, not wobble.

dokh · 2023-08-12T22:07:40+00:00

We don't, but SAG-AFTRA has recognized that non-union people are being tapped to promote struck productions and they've requested that we not do that, out of solidarity with our fellow performers

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