I haven’t been to a baseball game in a while due to COVID, but the Phillie Phanatic looks… well, different. At first, the changes seem subtle, but after awhile the added flair is apparent. What have they done to our beloved mascot and when did the Phillie Phanatic get a makeover?
Copyrights laws are a tricky thing
In 1984, the Philadelphia Phillies paid $215,000 to Harrison and Erickson, the creators of the Phanatic, for what the organization thought were the perpetual rights to use and market the green fluffy mascot as they saw fit. Little did they know, there’s a clause in the Copyright Act that basically protects creators of copyrighted work, allowing for the renegotiation or termination of a licensing agreement 35 years after the agreement date, according to bizjournals.com.
Since the Phanatic has become this huge star over the past 3 decades and the #1 mascot in all of sports, Harrison and Erickson wanted to renegotiate terms, and I don’t blame them. $215K equates to about $730k in 2021, so the Phillies definitely got the better end of the deal. Long story short, the whole thing is now tied up in litigation. You can read more about the lawsuit over at 6abc.com.
The Phillies think they’re slick
What’s the best way to counter a loophole? With another loophole of course! In a crafty move, Phillies management made several subtle tweaks to the Phanatic’s design. You know… just in case they lose the lawsuit. All I can say is that the Phanatic has reached a whole new level of glamorous.
So, what has actually changed?
The Phillie Phanatic makeover is subtle until it’s not. Pictured above are the new and old Phanatic designs. Can you tell which is which? The Phanatic pictured on the right is the new (and improved?) version.
Here’s the full list of changes:
- Light(er) green fur
- Star-shaped eyes surrounded by light-blue hair
- Skin hands, eeek!
- Blue socks, red shoes with fake laces
- Arm scales, WTF?!?
- Blue furry tail, no longer mixed with green
- Botched nose job
He’s still the same Phanatic
Despite these changes, the Phillie Phanatic still acts the fool on the field while entertaining tens of thousands of fans. He still sticks out his tongue, shakes his belly, rides an ATV and, most importantly, pranks the visiting team. So, all is good in the world! What are your thoughts, do you like the Phanatic’s makeover?
