Photos from Hollywood Blvd!

DeeJay · Post by **DeeJay** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 3:31 pm

Why would anyone want to hurt a loveable mascot?

Post by **HoodedMan** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 6:23 pm

Originally posted by DeeJay
Why would anyone want to hurt a loveable mascot?

It's a solid fact that there are sad people in this word. There is no logical explanation for any peoples' actions.

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 11:04 pm

I rather liked the article about the Superheroes. The weird almost reflexive "Look honey, people in costume, quick get the camera" that people do is totally familiar to me.

Bunny's right most of the time when I "work" I've been contracted by some agency (Museum of Science and industry, Lucasfilm, a charity, etc...) and I usually do have spotters. At the museum we had six or seven spotters for the whole group but one or two of them were specifically assigned to the high profile characters with complex costumes like me, Darth Vader, and Captain Jack (his costume wasn't particularly complex, but he tended to get a lot of um... action).

What was incredible to me was that those folks on the Blvd seem to make a living off the tips they are getting for their photos. I've never heard of such a thing. It makes me wonder what I've been doing wrong.

Now in some cases it's obvious I've been "hired" like at the museum or when I was working at Lucasfilm's booth in San Diego this summer. But often I have just been out on the street in costume either coming or going or, sometimes just because.

After the Thanksgiving Parade I had to walk the entire parade route BACK to my car alone as Nightcrawler except that it was hours after the parade. The reason it took so long is that we spent at least 2 hours at the parade's end point posing for pictures with people and then on the way back random people were taking my picture as I tried to walk. On several other occasions we did street marketing for the museum walking around downtown Chicago in our costumes, handing out flyers, and creating a buzz with tourists about the museum. At one point, so many people were lined up to take pictures with us that police actually came and asked us to disperse. (They also got pissed at me for climbing a sculpture. The other cool thing about my Nightcrawler costume is that I have a pair of gymnastic shoes inside the feet and very sticky material on the soles which made for excellent fun in the museum. As far as I know I am the only person ever to get permission from the curators to climb the exhibits.)

And this is just with Nightcrawler. I've been doing this since 1999. No one has ever offered to pay me for posing for a photo. Ever. Clearly, I need to move to California.

As for costumed disasters, don't let that scare you off. The truth is that kids have done more (innocent) damage to my Nightcrawler costume than anyone (other than myself). Nearly every time I wear it I need to replace all my resin toenails because kids step on my feet and break them. Obviously this is a design flaw and they will some day be replaced with more durable kid-proof toenails.

At the museum I only needed my spotter once. Two brothers who obviously watch too much TV decided it would be amusing to try to pull me down off the steam engine I was perched on under the guise of shaking my hand. They had me by my hand and my coat when I called for security. My spotter and their parents arrived together, the kids let go, and everything was fine.

The worst damage happened, ironically, at a circus. Chicago has a very good professional circus called the Midnight Circus, who are friends of mine. They were performing for free in downtown on the same day that we did one of our museum marketing things. It was right around halloween so we all had big buckets of candy that we were carrying around to give away. After the show they were playing music and everyone was dancing where the circus had been performing. I was dancing/walking through the crowd to say hello to Julie who is the lead aerialist when all these kids (who I think thought I might have been part of the circus?) grabbed me by my tail and literally wrestled me to the ground to get some candy.

Anyone who's seen what my tail looks like inside has seen all those little joints and stuff it has to make it move right. The kids like "disjointed" it and when I finally managed to get back up it looked like something out of a Tex Avery cartoon. I had to go back stage and repair it by feel - trying to fit all the joints back in together inside the skin. It was retired from use after that day. And the kids took all my candy! The weirdest thing was that Julie recognised me before I even spoke. She's the only one who ever has.

And finally, the scariest Nightcrawler disaster happened at Wizard World last August. I was there as a paying customer, but I was in costume as Nightcrawler. I'd already worn Nightcrawler at Comic Con and in general I'm used to being photographed a lot, but Wizard World was insane. I literally could not move. I walked in the door and people started taking pictures. The problem was that they weren't being nice about it and after a little while it became obvious that I was incapable of handling the crowd control on my own. It was actually kind of scary, even with two friends acting as bodyguards.

Late in the day the flash bulbs started to make me dizzy and we'd achieved the #1 goal of having my friend Kim (in the new Illyria (character from Angel) costume I'd made her) actually meet and talk to Joss Whedon. We were trying to sneak out the side but people were still grabbing me to take pictures with me when I had a seizure. I left the convention in an ambulance, an event which, I am told, was heavily photographed. No one is sure why this happened though they think it was because of the camera flashes. It was a near tragedy when the paramedics, befuddled by my prostetics and tail rig, started to cut my costume off. My friends stopped them and showed them how everything worked. I woke up in the ambulance with my costume intact. So there was a happy ending.

Still that's three bad stories and I've worn the costume ... I'm not sure how many times. Enough that if some one asks me to pose for a picture and I'm not thinking, I will automatically do one of my stock Nightcrawler poses no matter what I'm wearing.

People aren't being anal, Thayr, they're telling your the truth. Marvel is a litigious company. People getting sued for infringement and use of other's intellectual property is a reality. However, you've seen another truth, that for whatever reason a fringe element of people manages to coexist with Marvel, and Fox, and Warner Brothers, WITHOUT getting sued, having a bit of fun and making some cash besides. And there's nothing wrong with that. Remember, it's how I worked for years.

If I'm ever in LA again, I will make that section of Hollywood Blvd one of my stops if only for the novelty of being on the other side of the lens for a change. I think it's kind of cool what they're doing now that I understand it better. I'd go do it if I were you, if only to be a part of it while it's still innocent - before it does get noticed and is forced to change or go underground.

-e

Bamfette · Post by **Bamfette** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 11:28 pm

Originally posted by DeeJay
Why would anyone want to hurt a loveable mascot?

it was usually kids around 10-14 who saw mascots as a 'kid thing' and therefore worthy of ridicule. the problem was they were seeing the character but not quite grasping there was a living breathing person inside. also if their motion is encumbered, it makes for an easy target for the mean spirited kids because they can not effectively fight back. there is this mascot for blood drives which is essentially a giant red tear drop shape. the arms are only out from just a bit above the elbows, the bottom comes to a bit above the knees, and there is a point up top, curved a bit. well, TWICE the costume came in after a group of kids grabbed the tip and pulled the guy down and dragged him. he jsut pulled his arms and legs inside like a turtle, so he wasn't hurt, but it totally trashed the costume, these costumes are $5,000 dollars minimum. and there's the infamous incident where Harvey the Hounds tongue got ripped out by the coach of the opposing team. heh. the press made a big deal out of it, but it wasn't really. the tongue is held in with velcro, becuase it is interchangeable. but a lot of ears get ripped off, (well, damaged, anyway, they're usually on there pretty good and very tough to rip off, but they can be crushed and broken so they lose the proper shape) and whiskers, and tails, and sunglasses, and teeth. the Safeway bags, oh how i loathe them, were constanly having the groceries ripped out, because they Safeway people wanted the groceries somewhat mobile, so they were only tied on with those plastic ties. i had to make so many fucking carrots and milk cartons... and one time at the Stampede (annual fair/rodeo) the Safeway bags nose got ripped clean off right before the parade! the nose was soft foam, the body is hard foam, so the glue held, the soft foam just came apart. the shop had to get some glue and latex together and rush down to the grounds to do an emergency repair.

you also hear about a lot of your run of the mill punching and kicking from the kids, but this usually is not enough to damage the costume, but it certainly is unplesant for the operator.

and this isn't about beating up a mascot, but remember how much they cost... well, the ... can't remember what city.... Matadors, a hockey team, their costume head (which i made, and had to re make a whopping 2 weeks later....) was stolen as a practical joke of some kind and destroyed a mere week after it had made it's debut. people don't understand that these things are awfully damn expensive, especially the head.

Post by **fourpawsonthefloor** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 1:20 am

For those who have dressed up in a Mascot costume (particularily those with tails) can tell you just how much they like being approached by teeny boppers.
I (as a 6.5' cat for the SPCA) have been assulted by kids many a time. How the tail is still attached to the body is beyond me. Plus the head wasn't designed very well and is top heavy, so it risks "popping off" at the worst times. (That is one of the major no-no's in the mascot world) Plus you can't even tell the little f#$@*!@ to back off if you have a fake head, as that is another forbidden thing to do.
Be prepared to be kicked, tugged on, belittled, have things thrown at you...you get the picture. I recently saw a poor mascot get fully tackled by an drunken twit. He was injured.
Dangerous work sometimes!

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 5:04 pm

Be prepared to be kicked, tugged on, belittled, have things thrown at you...you get the picture.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and speculate that working in a mascot costume and what I do are completely different. The reason I say this is that I have always been treated with respect by adults. Usually adults are polite, curious, and friendly, at worst they are a bit standoffish and shy. Kids have a little trouble drawing the line and can be rough on the costume, but I understand that and it's cool.

I think somehow, with the mascot costumes, people must lose sight of the fact that there's a person inside it because those are some crazy stories. Nothing in my experience even comes close. With Nightcrawler, my least human costume, the weirdest people get is that they feel the need to touch me, almost as though they need to reassure themselves that I'm really fake. They always ask permission and I usually take it as a compliment. (Though I must admit to feeling a little odd having 5 or 6 people all running their hands down my face, ears, and hands at the same time. I draw the line at my teeth. I've been asked to bite people and I always say no - though I will pose for a photo pretending to bite them. Often that's good enough.)

As for the tips thing, I think you're right Bunny, there is a certain art to it and I'm definitely not a natural. It took me a long time to become comfortable in front of crowds and cameras - to "sell" the character I was playing. With Nightcrawler I literally had to re-learn to emote through the teeth and makeup; in a lot of early photos I have a very creepy blank expression on my face that went away later.

If I took that much abuse as those mascots, I wouldn't do this I don't think. I told three bad stories (that weren't really that bad), but if I started telling the good stories then you'd have a seriously long post. Longer than this one. Which is too long as it is.

-e

thayr · Post by **thayr** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 6:34 am

Nightcrawler is the newest addition to the ranks of superheroes on the boulevard. About 20% of the people have no clue what character I am. Though a fair number of people say 'Nightcrawler, you're my favourite!' The image at the top of this site w/ kurt squating on a statue- that's the look I have, there's a pipe sticking out of the sidewalk that I perch on. I'll have some photographs soon. As for monetary gain- one may be better off with a part-time job at a fastfood resturant. It's a fun time doing it, and the looks I get riding the metro-rail are priceless.

Oh yeah, as for people abusing me. A couple people have given my tail a swat, and a girl pinched my butt. A group of young kids gathered around me in attack formation, I did a side somersault and I guess they decided I was too cool to mess with. Riding the tube home people are wide eyed seeing a character like me, they don't have the killer glint in their eye. Once on the street I run the three blocks home. If anyone ever gets it in their head that they really want to mess with me they'll find that this Nightcrawler is a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, a second degree black belt in Karate, and a practitioner of brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

ac0demon · Post by **ac0demon** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:33 am

Originally posted by DeeJay
Why would anyone want to hurt a loveable mascot?

The misfortune of mascots is indeed funny. When you saw Will Ferrell catch fire in that cougar suit during Old School, you laughed.

hahaha Thayr flippin' around in public is cool. Way to be completely in character(minus bamfing). I'd like to see an n/c fan vid on your site of some fight choreography.

thayr · Post by **thayr** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 12:45 am

Hollywood Blvd.

I wish my eyes would glow like that but that's due to some photo manipulation.

Enjoy.

Blue_Demon94 · Post by **Blue_Demon94** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:56 am

if only I could do that:D

Northstars Love · Post by **Northstars Love** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 7:51 pm

Very Nice! Very nice indeed! The video was great! You look like Kurt through and through. Climbing all over light poles and jumping around.

What hours and days do you appear thayr? I'm planning to go to LA for 3 days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February to see family and friends and was just wanted to know what days and hours you are dressed as Nightcrawler.

I want to get a picture with ya!

The Drastic Spastic · Post by **The Drastic Spastic** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 1:19 am

Thayr, you are easily the hottest Nightcrawler I have ever seen.

thayr · Post by **thayr** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 7:28 pm

Post by **HoodedMan** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:52 pm

Nice face colouring on the first one; I'm glad to see updates!

CurlyyHairGirl · Post by **CurlyyHairGirl** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 2:31 am

Originally posted by The Drastic Spastic
Thayr, you are easily the hottest Nightcrawler I have ever seen.

Ditto, to that.

Man, I give you props for that!

How often do you do this?

Crocodile Hunter · Post by **Crocodile Hunter** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 12:44 pm

That is way too cool. :E

I wouldnt like to be a mascot. :/
sounds like i would never like to be
"a mascot was beaten up buy a horde of 4th graders"
couldnt they just..kick back etc.?

and about the law issues.

In that case, couldnt they sue all the 5000 flash makers in newgrounds for making flash cartoons with marvel characters?

Bamfette · Post by **Bamfette** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 7:54 pm

As for mascots fighting back.... the thing about being a mascot is, you're not there for you, you're there for an audience. so even if someone is attacking you (within reason) you have to stay in character for everyone else watching. you can't attack someone, even if they started it, because it would break character. You're not even allowed to talk to them, as Paws said, if your face is hidden. A lot of the larger sports mascots, and such, ones who do this *for a living* take this VERY seriously and will not fight back unless they are very threatened.

But.... there are ways around it, sometimes. I helped make the costumes (they got 2) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and the operator was up form Florida to oversee the costume making process, as he was vary particular about vision, helmet placement, and the like. well. he's an ex Navy Seal. He's trained extensively in fighting techniques and how to subdue people. a few of those techniques look perfectly innocuous, like a handshake, yet they are very painful. he told us of a couple times where someone got too rowdy and he made like he was shaking their hand where in reality he was subduing them by force. to everyone looking on, he was doing nothing out of the ordinary, but the person he was doing this to quickly left him alone.

however, most people in costume are NOT ex Navy Seals or martial arts experts, so they don't really have the chance to do that

oh, and YOU try kicking someone with mascot shoes on

Post by **Saint Kurt** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 4:31 pm

This most recent halloween I dressed up as Nightcrawler for the Vet School costume party.

It was so weird because they knew who I was and yet for the span of the evening I stopped being "Emily - 2nd year vet student" (in vet school you are your name and your year so I am Emily VM2, last year I was Emily VM1) and became Nightcrawler for them. I was so odd having people who sit next to me in class each day shyly coming up and asking me to pose for a photo.

It was amazing how after nearly 6 mos out of the costume, it all came right back to me.

-e

idsunki · Post by **idsunki** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:27 am

All this costuming is pretty sweet. The last time I dressed up was during the renn fest last summer because my girlfriend absolutely had to see me dressed up and painted. She'd heard stories from my friends, and apparently pictures weren't enough to show how I looked.

Thayr - this is pretty sweet. I have no clue when or if I'll be near Hollywood Boulevard, but I will definitely keep an eye out if I ever head that way.

Bamfette - great story. Courtesy that, I have a great mental image of an ex-marine I know in a mascot just beating the hell out of a crowd of kids.

Zam - It's really interesting how changing things from the norm can really mess up normal person-to-person relationships.

Angelique · Post by **Angelique** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 7:44 am

I know I deal with that, being a dance teacher by day, a musician by nights, and a costumed Star Wars character occassional weekends, in a small town. I have had interesting encounters with students while trooping. (Of course, it helps that I am openly fannish, so it doesn't surprise them too much to see me in public with my X-Wing uniform!)

Haver · Post by **Haver** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 5:07 am

I heard on the radio a few months ago the authorities in Hollywood were cracking down on this activity. Not so much getting rid of it, but there have been several instances of it becomming quite aggressive - almost like panhandling, and mascots attacking or threatening each other or aggressively pursuing tourists, especially foreigners who can become easily confused.

Some of the characters are doing it for fun, but others do it for a living and the increased number of characters and limited space is causing a problem.

thayr · Post by **thayr** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 7:55 pm

From my experience I learned that you cannot cross the 'Hollywood Stars', you have to stay between them and the street. There are always security guards around who enforce this.

Spider-Man and myself got into a verbal scuffle over who could perch on top of a certain trashcan. He sort of won out because I felt sorry for him.

I haven't been on the Boulevard for quite sometime now. If I do make it back I'll improve on my costume by adding coloured contacts and some fangs, as well as doing something about the blue paint rubbing off my neck... and I
ll fix my incredibly uncomfortable shoes!

Nightscrawlers