Big Mascots & Big Costumes
Mmmmm- cold beer on ice —even better, Racing Budweiser Beer cans on ice!
We’ve been making the Bud Beer Cans for the Grand Rapids Griffins Hockey Beer Can Race. They race around the ice, while Griff & Finn, the mascots, do everything they can to stop them from getting to the finish line. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC5ZcdJlCng&feature=share
Grand Rapids Griffins -Beer on Ice – AvantGarb mascots
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.
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.
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.
© Jennifer Smith 2014
A week before Super Bowl 2012 festivities started in Indianapolis, the ChopSaver people- Dan and Noelle Golsling came to visit. They wanted a mascot for their ChopSaver Lip Balm – For People with Lips. If your a small biz w/ a great product, you have to pay attention to the SuperBowl’s outreach possibilities.
AvantGarb was swamped. We didn’t have a spare second to make a right-this-very-minute-new mascot. There were 3 Kangaroos, a Horse, a Soybean, a Grizzlie and the Griff waiting to be made. However, ChopSavers came with a referrral from a close friend, Carol Frohlich.
….and Dan & Noelle are ardent entrepreneurs and they have THE MOST LUSCIOUS LOOKING LIPS!
Of course we said yes.
Making “Choppy” was like driving the Indy 500. The sewing machines raced and whirred for 3 days.
….and sometimes we used our big, old, powerful cobbler machine. Rather than turn the fabric, foam, patent-leather-vinyl, the walking foot turns to change the stitching direction (sewing machine info for sewing nerds).
Whenever the ChopSaver folks show up, the excitement & entusiasm level rises. Annie & Mike ( a couple of Garb Ganger) finished the last stitches and wriggled the ChopSaver mascot onto the interior structure while with help from the ChopSaver gang.
Everyone in the GarbGang has luscious lips now because we use Chopsaver Lip Balm. Plus, it was a blast working w/ Dan & Noelle.
…okay, we love the Griff—the mascot for the Grand Rapids Griffins Hockey.
Isn’t he the handsomest Griffin on skates?
Here’s a very cool video of the Griff waiting for the season to begin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdUSsnR5Emk
©Jennifer Smith 2009