Big Mascots & Big Costumes

mascot design

National Mascot Association

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There are a lot of mascots running around, but there’s no central spot where mascot people can check in and come together…

….That is, until now! INTRODUCING

THE NATIONAL MASCOT ASSOCIATION

At AvantGarb, we are big fans of everything mascot. All mascots bring joy and curiosity whether they are totally fabulous, or a teensy bit ragged from age. Mascots create community for all who are near them.

As mascot makers, we like to connect with all of the people in mascotdom:

  • other mascot makers
  • mascot performers
  • designers
  • trainers – yes, really -get some training for your mascot!
  • the marketing people who have incredible ideas for characters.
  • The suppliers of the mascot stuff,
  • the people who dye the fabric,
  • the sewing machine guys,
  • the fabric & fuzz suppliers,
  • the foam suppliers
  • …and everyone who fills orders at McMaster-Carr.
  • the people who know where to get the props, Gameops.com, comes to mind,
  • the video people who catch the amazing mascot moments,
  • ….and the mascot fans.
Fuzzier Together – Safer Together.

Mascots are fun, but there are serious issues that need to be addressed within the mascot world. The most important issue is safety. The NMA is compiling  Mascot Safety Guidelines and Best Practices – for the performers, handlers, organizations, makers and planners.

JazzyJagKissCharging Ahead!

I hope you join as we bring the Association into being.

In 2018, we will gather, meet, chat, decide some stuff and put on little mascot shows.

…..and, well, it is a mascot organization…so there will be fuzz, foam and hilarity.

Everything changes when a mascot shows up because, when a mascot shows up, you know you’re going to have fun. Welcome to the National Mascot Association!

©Jennifer Smith 2017

 

Bringing BetXi Bear to Life – The Alpha Xi Delta mascot

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Bringing BetXi Bear to Life – The Alpha Xi Delta mascot

According the Alpha Xi Delta, AvantGarb is the”Glam Squad” for BetXi Bear. Her belt matches her shoes. of course! – and her shoes are yellow, patent-leather BetXi is ready for any occasion. Quote button

Lauren Fisher, wrote an article about making BetXi Bear, Bringing BetXi to Life – in Quill, the sorority’s quarterly publication.

Details, details, details

Getting the details right is what AvantGarb does best.

Making BetXi’s dress

We matched the fabric to theAlpha Xi Delta’s colors.

There is no fabric that is durable enough and has polka dots big enough for a socially active mascot like BetXi.

The artisans at AvantGarb cut out polka dots and stitched them onto blue fabric. We added light blueBetXi - Dress in process trim to the bottom of the dress and made that giant bow!

BetXi’s first appearance was at the Autism Speaks Walk in Indianapolis. BetXi travels from campus to campus promoting Alpha Xi Delta and their good works.

BetXi is classy, stylish and she has a big, big heart.Quote button

Alpha Xi Delta’s BetXi Bear

Small Business makes Big Mascots – UPS blog

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We ship big mascots and we use UPS a lot. We use UPS so much, as a matter of fact AvantGarb made it into the UPS blog – Small Business makes Big Mascots. With big, custom mascots, good, reliable shipping is crucial. The mascot has to be at the game or at the product promotion or at the play-offs or cheering the runners at a marathon. We play a very tight game with logistics.

I have faith in our shipping sources. So, when UPS called, I answered. I am, after all, a wee bit of a shipping nerd or possibly a shipping obsessive.

Being featured in the UPS blog is an example of the power of accidental marketing. This is how it happened.

I tweeted @UPS to complain about a minor billing issue – the UPS people took the complaint seriously & they made my billing smoother – 1 bill a month rather than many. I tweeted something nice about shipping & UPS’s PR people gave us a call.

UPS is a classy company. Not only do they get mascots where they need to be when they need to be there, they respond calmly and efficiently to a complaint.

Turns out we’re mascot mavens &  shipping savants here at AvantGarb.

 

JJ Jumper

 

 

9/11, Fisher-Price & the Billy Blazes Mascot

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BillyBlazes

The Rescue Hero – Billy Blazes

billyblazestoyOur team mascot making experts created the Billy Blazes mascot and sent it off. It must have been at the end of August 2001. The mascot was very popular —all of the Rescue Heroes were very popular.

The Rescue Heroes were Fisher-Price’s action heroes. They wanted a mascot of – Billy Blazes – the fireman character for the rescue heroes. There was a big event planned for the Rescue Heroes at a well-known, giant toy store in New York City. The Billy Blazes mascot made his appearance to the delight of children and their parents.

9/11

Then the planes flew into the World Trade Center Towers on 9/11. Billy Blazes became a symbol of faith and hope for young children in 2001. A popular action figure became a beacon of hope and bravery.

Honor

I have never had a mascot experience like the Billy Blazes experience. It was an honor to make the mascots. It was also a touching moment to work with Fisher-Price.

In working with and creating mascots for companies, organizations and teams, I get a sense of their true tenderness and goodwill.

In working with Fisher-Price in September of 2001, I came to know the soft, beating hearts that are at the core of all great companies.

Let’s connect and discuss big things!

Say Hello

Gotta love where you work – the Mascot Studio

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The Mascot Studio – Location, location, location!
AvantGarb is in the coolest building in the United States.
Our building, The Stutz Business & Arts Center is an old, car factory. Stutz Bearcats used to be made here—in our studio, you can see fragments of the old factory workings –lotsa pipes and wheels controlling the steam heat. The building is warm in the winter and it’s cool in the summer —well, the building is always cool is the coolest sense, if ya know what I mean!
It’s good for the soul, and really good for business to like the place you work in…..and we like the where we work. The location, and, of course, the work!!!!

Cars, Tech, Art & Mascots

The building was designed to be a place where real, tangible objects are made. It was also designed to be a place that holds ideas and innovation.
First Stutz Bearcat cars were made here.  Now there are tech companies, artists and a mascot making studio. Innovation continues everyday.
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