Comments on: 2010 Olympics Mascots

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 03:51:48 +0000

I noticed that you can buy them online at http://www.vancouver2010.com/store/ now… I bet they are all gone… kids on the bus in Vancouver are talking about them like they are that “Tickle me Elmo” craze we all remember

I think my favourite is still Quatchie.. though the name still sounds funny to anyone not part of the conversation

By: heather

heather — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:43:10 +0000

Cute, but offenseve. I’m not sure a lot of people realize this, but the little pseudo-anime figures they made are bastardisations of very sacred and powerful dieties in Native American myth. The little cat…panda…thing is actually supposed to be Sea-Bear, a powerful and revered spirit, and the Bear-thing with the feathered shirt is Thunderbird. Ask anyone with knowledge of Native American art and culture and you’ll get the controversy. It’s basically like turning Jesus or the Apostles into cartoon characters and plastering them all over mugs, t-shirts, and beanies. Cute.

By: Lasse

Lasse — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 09:28:17 +0000

Nice to see that Chewbacca is employed again.

By: L

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:21:41 +0000

Those are the 2010 Olympic mascots, RHINNY. If you are truly from Vancouver, you would know that. It’s been all over the news to a nauseating degree.

I agree with Lady Cooper. We do have a large Asian community, so the Asian-looking characters are sort of appropriate. And the toys will probably appeal to children and tourists. That’s important. At least the characters themselves are based on local myths and legends. Unlike the Vancouver Olympic logo (which has been compared to Gumby).

By: Sammy

Sammy — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:52:45 +0000

I don’t like them at all. Then again, I really don’t like the Olympics either. It’s just a huge influence peddling doping and cheating scandal.

The Vancouver Island Judge gives a 2.5.

By: aware

aware — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 03:49:38 +0000

the sasquatch in the middle looks an awful lot like the turdmonster, aka domo-kun.

did turdmonster take a hiatus from his job on japanese television and get a job in vancouver?

By: Nora

Nora — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:56:46 +0000

Make that Miga not izzy. o_O *coffee…need coffee*

By: Nora

Nora — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:55:51 +0000

Love em. I wanted to get a whole set of the stuffed animals for christmas but looks like only Sumi and Izzy are left. went to buy it and they only deliver to Canada. booooo!

By: Pudifoot

Pudifoot — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 16:28:48 +0000

They sorta look like the woodland critters from Southpark. o.O

By: RHINNY

RHINNY — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 11:20:13 +0000

Those are the *Para*lympic mascots, not the Olympic mascots.

I am from Vancouver, I don’t like them.

By: Lady Cooper

Lady Cooper — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 06:51:15 +0000

Hey now, do remember that Vancouver has one of the largest Asian communities in Canada, and that our Asian heritage is just as Canadian as our European heritage. Melding Asian and Aboriginal themes is perfect for Vancouver! “Canadian” shouldn’t just be something regurgitated from Expo ‘67 or the 1970’s, and it certainly shouldn’t be so homogeneous as to ignore regional culture and styles.

And hey, they’re cute and stylish and have something to do with the actual location the Olympics is in, unlike the “ice block and snowball” from 2006 or those unspeakable, terrifying phallic horrors from 2004.

My one problem isn’t with the mascots but with the logo. Yes, an inukshuk is instantly recognizable as Canadian but geez, Vancouver is a hell of a long way from the Arctic. They could have easily gone with some sort of Haida logo, it’s just as stylish and striking, and at least comes from BC.

By: ted

ted — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:03:35 +0000

I thought they were for the Chinese Olympics. Obsiously they’re heavily geared toward an Asian market.

Sumi the thunderbird? I wonder if the designer ever saw a native rendering of a thunderbird. They’re not cute pajama-teddy bears.

Sasquatches are Canadian?

This whole design is just sad.

By: Levi

Levi — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:00:31 +0000

i never realized that olympic mascots where supposed to represent a particular country. i always thought they were always mythical beasts.. if not, wth is izzy??

By: Jacki

Jacki — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:55:28 +0000

I am a Vancouverite… I personally don’t like them very much. They are cute, I admit, but they don’t represent anything about Canada I find. Their names are very japanese influenced I find.

I just remember at the passing of the torch ceremony of TV, they kept featuring vancouver with igloos and seals and such though. That was funny…

Quatchi’s probably the best. The “Orca” slash “Black bear” looks like a skunk and Sumi…wow. It’s a rip off from one of the Beijing ones…

By: Abestar

Abestar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 21:42:03 +0000

Why would they take North American mythic animals and then turn them Asian?

Oh, Meomi Design well you suck Meomi Design. I’m from the US and I don’t even like this.

By: Skipweasel

Skipweasel — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 21:25:10 +0000

At least they’re a step up from the London Olympics logo. Then again, so’s a cowpat.

By: Radin

Radin — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 21:11:39 +0000

Proves that having cute animals for mascots like the Chinese Olympic ones are contagious. Better than an air freshener, though.

By: leslie

leslie — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:48:25 +0000

meh.
I’m from Vancouver Island and I don’t know anyone who like them The general feeling I get is that they don’t scream, “I am Canadian”

Personally I love the idea behind the mascots e.g. West Coast Native/Aboriginal characters, but the artwork is not even close to what I think is traditional

If you really really want one, you can get them at http://www.hbc.com (Hudson’s Bay Company)

Peace,

leslie

By: ruby

ruby — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:14:35 +0000

They are so cute! I would have these guys on my T-shirt anytime! Adorable! Great job!

By: k

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:34:22 +0000

I like it! But I agree, at first I thought it was for next year’s Beijing olympics.

By: meg

meg — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:14:24 +0000

so much better than london 2012.

By: Tempscire

Tempscire — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:49:55 +0000

How cute. The thunderbird looks rather bear-like, though. Is it supposed to?

By: matt

matt — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:25:51 +0000

p.s. that sasquatch rules.

By: matt

matt — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:25:32 +0000

i suppose i initially thought they looked like contemporary japanese characters, and i could see the vancouverans’ collective beef about that. but that type of aesthetic has saturated the western world’s arts/crafts/internet culture already, throughout the last several years. look at http://www.jottodotcom.com (especially the bubblesoap section) or http://www.shawnimals.com and then follow links from there, and then follow more links from those links. it’s already everywhere in the flat-shapes, vector world.

By: Aeris

Aeris — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:09:10 +0000

possible reactions:

“awww, shucks!”
or “cute!”
or
“kawaiiii!”

with which the Vancouverians (?) were right. they don’t look Canadian, lovely mascots nonetheless…

By: stephad

stephad — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:57:20 +0000

its weird because most people they polled living in vancouver said they didnt really represent vancouver and they didnt really like them, saying they looked like “japanese cartoons”. i love them though, the stuffed toys they released are adorable!