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)
©Jennifer Smith 2017
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