Archives for August 2017

The Best Mascot Company

August 8, 2017Leave a Comment

Are we the best mascot company?

We’re awfully good at what we do. We have to be. We’re not a mascot factory. We are a mascot studio. What we do is custom, custom, custom, custom. We make sure all of the unique parts of your mascot come together. If the tail has a bit of a curve, we give it the curve.

If you want a pancreas , a muscle and a couple of cholesterols, we design them, dye the fabric and bring them to life!

When Heinz needs a mascot (Sergeant Squeeze) in camo & mascot sized, desert storm boots, we’re there!

If you’re Oyster Recovery, we’ll make you a cute, endearing, dare I say, “stylish” Oyster.

When the Cav’s mascots want tattoos, we make it happen.

Need some big, big muscles?

And if you are Kona the Penguin and you have a favorite print on your Hawaiian shirt, we will have that print made, as well as make the lei and some really swell flip-flops.

Each mascot is an original designed, sculpted, stitched and engineered in our studio. All the fabrics, furs, and foams are hand selected for each mascot. Often the fabrics, and sometimes even the furs, are custom dyed to match corporate colors.

A Mascots is the real live, Relationship Building, Marketing Magnet & Brand Awareness Monster. It had better look good.

Is AvantGarb the Best? We think so.

Let’s connect and discuss big things!

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Fuzz, Foam & Fleece – Mascot Haute Couture

August 1, 2017Leave a Comment

Yes, the mascot studio is like a haute-couture atelier.

Rather than fine silks & wool, our materials are fuzz, fur, foam & fleece. Patterns are drafted, fur fabric is cut, foam is sculpted, ears are placed and eyelids are sewn onto hand painted eyes. If a mascot is a big, muscular guy, those big muscles are created with fabric, and foam and all of it is sewn together.

The original plan was to design costumes for avant garde theater, thus the name, AvantGarb. Making mascots wasn’t part of the plan until a teensy cookie company called.

The teensy cookie company’s mascot appeared on the front page of the SF Chronicle when the giant food & dessert trade show rolled into town,

That cookie got me hooked on mascots. I changed the business plan. That was in 1986.

The second mascot was for Hewlett Packard. 30 years later, we got another call for an HP mascot – this time a really fabulous Knight.

…and don’t forget the shoes.

We’ve made several generations of TiVo mascots On the outside, TiVo looks the same, but my, oh my has the interior structure changed. From basic PVC pipes to a sleek, light-weight aluminum structure that comes apart for shipping and clicks together when TiVo makes appearances. We call it mascotology.

AvantGarb is one of just a handful of custom mascot-making companies. We’re headquartered in Indianapolis.

This is what some people have said:

“Ten years ago we searched for someone who could produce a high-quality, fun mascot. The first TiVoGuy was born and 4 generations later, he (and his newer relatives) are still bringing joy to TV fans everywhere. Nobody does smiles better than AvantGarb!” Bard Williams, Director, Marketing, TiVo Inc.

“Jennifer and the rest of her “groovy” staff at AvantGarb have been a pleasure to work with over the years. The quality, and service that goes with it can’t be matched in the industry. Much love from Grand Rapids!” Rich Meyers, Director of Game Operations,

Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL)

Griff – The Grand Rapids Griffins Mascot – It Started with the Feet

August 3, 20171 Comment

The Beginning

Our relationship with the Grand Rapids Griffins Hockey began with the feet. Griff’s mascot feet were old and tired, and the performer wasn’t happy. He got in touch with AvantGarb.

We made the Griff new feet and the performer was very happy with the feet. We gained a wonderful client.

Mascot Feet

At our mascot studio, we have spent hours fine-tuning the inner structure of the mascot foot. Next to sculpting and building the head, making feet/shoe/boots for a mascot is the most complex. There are buckles and straps and foam and leather and soles that have to be cut and there are doohickies and various types of elastic and webbing and something called “cloud”,

Soon we were building the whole Griff mascot from the wispy head feathers to the silver wings and…. the feet!

The Griffin is a mythological character. He is part eagle, part lion. This means we got to make wonderful silver wings put hints of feathers on the Griff’s head and give the guy really furry leg and feet. The Griff is the King of the Beast and the King of the birds, so we muscled him up a bit too.

Professional Mascot Makers

For us, muscles are foam, foam, foam, foam. All of that foam is covered in athletic mesh. We use a foam that is designed to have water flow through it —-so its washable and it is tough.

The Griffins were our first introduction to the world of hockey. We’re big fans.