Thursday, June 16, 2005

A Note on the Finalists

After much deliberation and creative license, I present the mascot finalists in no particular order. These mascots will be listed and offered up for your vote which will continue for a couple of days until the one I want to win is in the lead. So, without further ado.....

The Finalists.

1. The WilkeWorld Sea Cows--this mascot comes to us by way of John Cowart, who mentioned the always famous and much imitated manatee. I took some creative license and changed it to sea cow, because I think it is a funnier name and conjures up images of farm animals chewing their cud on the tropical beach somewhere. John, of course, played up the image of the sea cow as a vicious crocodile killer which prompted a vigorous but well-intentioned debate from Terry who is obviously a manatee activist there in Florida. The pros--Fat and humorous. The cons--doesn't get many chicks.

2. The WilkeWorld Wonders--not my favorite here, but both Wendopolis and Colleen came up with this one and for that I have to make it a finalist. I got thinking about it, however, and it could be the darkhorse. I especially like the idea of a loaf of bread as the mascot. It somehow seems fitting that something so inert could be the mascot. The pros--Nutritious and masks the taste of bologna. The cons--Limited shelf life and taking the twisty off could burn too many calories.

3. The WilkeWorld Doppelgangers--Terry came up with this one and I think the idea of an evil twin fits right in here at WilkeWorld. Of course, you know me quite well, and the Wilkie Collins tie-in may have swayed me a bit. I kind of anticipate this doppelganger to be a svelter version of me lying on the beach somewhere scaring all the tourists. So, yeah, good mascot choice. The pros--mischievous and handsome. The cons--hard to control and bad breath.

Please vote in the comment section for your favorite. Thanks to all who participated. I liked all of the suggestions but had to eliminate them for various reasons.

G-pa Jones--I think you were taking a pot shot at me with your suggestion.
Travis--Beet Truckers was a close fourth, but considering they almost killed my namesake, I had to eliminate them.
Lucy--I looked up Wambas and found that they are mountain bikers from Western Australia or African Tribesmen, either of which would have been interesting, but I think I didn't understand the real meaning.
Hollie--Jackalopes rock but they creep me out a bit.
Shaleen--Ditto with the Oompa Loompas. They're creepy.
Thaoist--Wildebeests were a possibility, but I refuse to be associated with a creature that looks too much like me.
Janie--My first dog was a husky and so nostalgia was on your side, but I was afraid that non-citizens would think we were all too husky. What would they do to the drill team.
Texasblu--PotatoHeads was also in the running until the very end when I decided that my Idaho roots don't run deep enough.

Thanks again, all.

15 Comments:

Blogger Silverboh said...

They are all great, but I think sea cows are the best. Number 1 all the way.

10:47 AM  
Blogger Le laquet said...

I like Dopplegangers BUT Sea Cows is my favourite ..... mind you I don't know if I'd want to wear it on the front of my t-shirt! You were going into merchandising .... weren't you? Lol!
Jo

1:15 PM  
Blogger Scooter McGavin said...

I'll vote for the Wonders.

1:30 PM  
Blogger Kim said...

I vote for the cows. I at least know what a manatee is, and have seen them live and in person too.

1:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I might boycott, wilkeworld, if you think I was taking a pot shot at you, what on earth do you think sea cow does? Wonder, Wonder, Wonder, I am thinking doppleganger is a youth group in East L.A. made up of radiologist from a local hospital. I will be a good sport and wait and see what your wife thinks is the best and I'm sure it will be that one.......

4:14 PM  
Blogger Cool Dad said...

Ox can talk???
No, that doesn't seem like a pot shot at all. C'mon Dad..

4:42 PM  
Blogger Wyrfu said...

Sea cows don't get many chicks? That's because they they are supposed to be the origin of the mermaid legend - therefore they are chicks. Surely you can't go wrong with this one.

5:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I never pictured you as a pessimist. That is until now. Beet Truckers saved your Grandpa's life. It got him to stop drinking. Which if you thought about it correctly, it was the drinking that nearly killed your grandpa, the Beet Trucker was the tool by which he was saved.

Alas, it is not one of the finalists. So, I will cast my vote for the dopplegangers because my other suggestions were in reference to Mr. Collins. But the name sounds a little o meteoroligical to me. I seem to picture Mark Eubanks, Kevin Eubanks, Dan Pope, and Sterling Poulson (local weather casters here in Utah) discussing the important of the doppler effect in predicting the weather.

7:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm going to have to go with Sea Cows. I'm a sucker for anything cow. I find them very cute and diverse with all their different functions and coloring. Even though you are referring to a Manatee I will just picture a cow by the sea. A beautiful image!

7:57 PM  
Blogger Organic Gardening Girl Gardens said...

What?! No mention of Wilkeworld Weevils? I'm hurt. Really. But I do like the Sea Cows. There's my vote.

9:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not 100% sure what that was all about but I am here via the lovely Michele! Enjoy your weekend, and yes, my weekend also inclues Friday, like Michele! Cheers.

9:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow. Think of the marketing possibilities: Cars all over Arizona sporting bumper stickers with the slogan: I Brake For Manatees!

As for placid beasts "chewing their cud on the tropical beach"... Ha, these Godzilla-sized monsters catch tractor-trailer trucks on Florida highways and chew them up.

Want proof? You see these strips of shreded truck tire along any road in Florida, all that's left from a Manatee kill... Cud-chewing indeed!

ps: Last winter, Jacksonville, my home town, put up sea cow statues on just about every dowtown corner. I posted photos of some on my site.

3:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Travis convinced me with the laugh...it's gotta be dopplegangers!
silvers mom

10:01 AM  
Blogger Shaleen said...

I've always love manatees, but I've always thought doppelgangers were interesting... I'm stuck in-between. I suppose one of those two would be just peachy. : )

9:14 AM  
Blogger Shaleen said...

That should be "loved" not "love". I'm usually pretty picky about that.

9:14 AM  

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