My first job for Major League Baseball was actually A New Mascot for the Washington Nationals. A baby eagle named screech.
That day was nothing short of incredible. It started normal enough and I was sipping on my coffee and doing work for another client. My phone rings and it’s someone who I worked with at Happiness Express, the small Manhattan toy company where I began my art career. I hadn’t heard this guy’s voice in about 2 or 3years. So, he tells me “Hey! I’ve been looking for you. I finally found your website (which was horrible at the time and had my actual phone number on it. What was I thinking?!!!). “I have a job for you and I think you’re going to love it.”
Needless to say my interest was immediately peaked. “How would you like to design a mascot for the Washington Nationals?” At first I thought this was a joke of some sort but This guy was not the type to play that type of joke… AT ALL… Of course I said yes after picking my jaw off the floor. A few days later I received the contract to sign along with the nondisclosure form (standard in the business. I actually just signed one!)
A few days later I got the creative brief via email. My buddy called me that afternoon and went over the job. I learned later that the team had held some contest and the winning concept was a baby eagle. However, Major League Baseball wanted to see a range of characters. Three concepts in all. At some point I will post the illustrations that I did because the were actually finished pieces of work. Inked & colored.
I did an Uncle Sam, a star shaped character along with the baby eagle. Ultimately the team went with the baby eagle and I began working on the initial poses and the 360 turn drawings. I guess these took me about a week or so. I tried to look at the numerous MLB photos that I found with the use of good ole’ Google.
To my surprise all four of them were accepted! As time went on I would receive photos of the costume being made with the use of my drawings. At the end of the process MLB sent me a date that the mascot would be introduced.
Now, this all happened back in the day. Streaming wasn’t really a thing and this was happening in another city and this was before there was a live tv service that I could tune into and watch the reveal. Luckily, at the time I was a bit of a pirate. So, when that date came around I used my skills to tune in to the Screech’s introduction.
The rest is history! Now, a few years later the MLB hired me to to create an adult version of the character. It was my understanding that thereby character was alway meant to grow up into a full blown mascot. I have included in this post the initial baby poses as well as the adult art that I created for the team. I’m also posting a video that was made to go along with the adult character unveil.
There were two versions of this mascot. When he was first introduced he was a newly hatched baby. Eventually, He grew into the adult mascot that I designed above.
Here are the initial baby designs of the character also designed by yours truly!
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