It’s just come to my attention that the folks behind the Michigan Roots Jamboree (formerly known as the Ypsitucky Bluegrass Festival), have rolled out an official mascot. His name is Jamboman, and, according to Facebook, he wants desperately to be my friend.
Here, on the origins of Jamboman, is a clip from the Ypsilanti Citizen:
…The event’s official mascot, Jamboman, is a shining example of an out-of-the-box strategy. The yellow critter in the green cape will be all around town throughout the summer. People who follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter can get a heads-up on his upcoming location so they can take his picture. Organizers will choose the best photos and award free tickets to the event.
“If you see him, you better get his picture taken,” Sicheneder said…
I was going to kid around, and poke some fun at Jamboman, maybe even pointing out that, according to the Urban Dictionary, “Jambo” apparently, at least in some circles, means, “Someone who proffesses to be straight but is quite obviously a homosexual,” but, truth is, the little yellow guy is growing on me… Regardless of his sexuality, I think he’s a damn site better than, for instance, Izzy, the much maligned mascot of the Atlanta Olympic games. And, I’d be honored to be his friend.
Anyway, the reason that I post this is because it’s got me thinking that all the projects that I’m associated with at the moment need mascots. This website needs one. The Shadow Art Fair needs one. The bike powered movie project needs one. Dreamland Tonight needs one. Crimewave USA needs one. The Monkey Power Trio needs one… I don’t have anything to give as a reward, but, if you have mascot ideas, sketch them out, send them in, and I’ll post the good ones here on site.
update: Actually, come to think of it, I do have something that would serve as a prize… And I’m not kidding about this. Whoever comes up with the best mascot (it can be for any of my projects) will win a giant box of horrific smut, like it or not.
19 Comments
Jambo is also a Swahili word. Here it is in a traditional song:
http://www.museke.com/en/node/1126
The Shadow Art Fair should have a walking goatse. I’ll see if I can’t mock something up for you.
I think that you, Mark Maynard, should be the mascot of each, only at different ages and in varying degrees decomposition. I see, for instance, the Shadow Art Fair mascot being a skeleton of a small, toddler-aged Mark Maynard, perhaps dressed in a safari costume and sucking on a lollypop. The mascot for Dreamland Tonight, by contrast, could be a bitter, old Mark Maynard, hunched over in a wheelchair, grimacing, a shawl clutched in its boney arthritic fingers. The Crimewave USA mascot could be an undead Mark Maynard, flabby fresh from the crypt, with earthworms coming out of his eyeballs. Linette could be there too.
And, for what it’s worth, I’d hit Jamboman.
markmaynard.com = mark in unicorn costume but face uncovered, unicorn head on ground (i read that it’s taboo to photograph mascots without their head on, showing their human face…)
Dreamland Tonight = plushie toilet – the genesis of puppet Mark
Power Monkey Trio = 6-armed monkey simultaneously doing “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil”
Shadow Art Fair = a black sun, one that shines shadows and shadows become light
i really want that box – have you confirmed the contents? i’d be willing to share…after use.
Not to be serious or anything, but you can volunteer for this year’s Jamboree to earn free tickets. Contact me at volunteer4jamboreeypsi@gmail.com
And, isn’t Puppet Mark kind of a mascot in it’s own right?
I would like to confirm that Jamboman is in fact Bi Sexual. His skin is so soft, it attracts both sexes. He has a slight drinking problem, but that is to be ignored due to his witty banter. I really think that we can get Jamboman 4,999 friends on FB. Do your part and send him around! Looking forward to this years festie. Get your tickets for camping now, they will be limited and will become collectors items.
http://www.rootsjamboree.com
Don
Here’s a little known fact – Jamboman is stuffed with pot.
But can Jamboman do this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3umtw179KA
I confess I thought the prize was gonna be one of the Obama sex toys, but I guess they’re still in the development stage?
Getting a mascot = jumping the shark.
But what if the mascot WAS a jumping shark?!
A Monkey Power mascot could be a giant vomiting douche.
A shadow Art Fair mascot could be a sickly pregnant teenager with a neck tattoo.
The Monkey Power Trio mascot should be a turd with five heads trying to climb out of a toilet bowl.
“Blow it in his face, and he’ll follow you anywhere.”
I like that Jamboman tag line, Kim.
As for a Monkey Power Trio mascot how about a giant douche using a smaller douche? (if there’s room, the smaller douche could also be douching.)
MarkMaynard.com’s mascot should be a beady eyed little rat with a “Y” shaved in its fur.
I agree about the SAF mascot being a smoking, teen mother with a neck tattoo.
The bike powered movie project should have a sweaty but crack at its mascot.
Would you consider making “the unopened box” a mascot for one of your projects?
Maybe put it in a pimped up baby stroller – or pimped out old persons grocery cart? ;)
How about a douche taking a dump, next to a turd douching?
Greetings of profound love, peace and universal harmony to all our comrades! This is T.B.B. and I speak on behalf of the Diazotrophical Liberation Armada. We of the Diazotrophical Federation, The Intergalactic Diazotrophical Harmony Peace and Love Animals Cooperative Party of Ypsitucky Michigan, and The D.L.A. are a United Front and Federated Coalition of members from the Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, Archaea, and Bacteria Liberation Movements. We speak as one voice because were are truly and profoundly one interdependent organism relying upon each other even as we enjoy our independence.
Why have you remained silent about the kidnapping of the bear formerly known as Jambo Man and our demands for a unified communities of all the creatures of all the species from each and every kingdom, Mark Maynard? We demand that our voice be heard and that our platform be published here on the most prominent local media source, Mark Maynard! How long will you enforce this continued silence and squelch the voices of every human, beast, god and devil, Mark Maynard? We will not be silenced and will cry out that taxonomy and the very idea of species differentiation is a construct of the human mind clouding our true nature as one interconnected whole, Mark Maynard.
Symbiotic Cultures Of Bacteria and Yeast living together in perfect harmony!
sometimes you should appreciate the work of nature’s god the work of nature’s god the work of nature’s god. lightning, sunshine, wind, the leaves on the trees, rain, ocean, birds, bees. give some credit where is due.
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[…] the world, doing stuff that I don’t want to do, like having pictures taken with the likes of Jamboman, but still… And, jealousy aside, it’s just weird knowing that he’s out there, […]
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