New look Phanatic

[ill]

to be revealed tomorrow

Phillies will unveil a new-look Phanatic on Sunday

The Phillies purchased rights to the Phanatic in 1984, but federal law allows artists to renegotiate rights to their work after 35 years.

In 2018, Erickson and Harrison informed the Phillies that they would seek to wrest the rights to the Phanatic away from the team unless it paid them millions. Last year, the Phillies filed a lawsuit against Erickson and Harrison in New York federal court to keep their beloved mascot. The Phillies contend that the Phanatic's four-decade rise from a costume to a Philadelphia sports and cultural icon is the result of their own creative forces and investment and therefore makes the creature property of the team.

The Phillies' rights to the Phanatic will expire on June 15, but the club is hoping the latest round of creative changes will be enough to legally continue its use of the Phanatic.

 

[Orlando Eagles]

Meh. Not much to see here. He will be out there doing the same routine and it will be great.

Though those eyes make him look a bit more like Mrs Phanatic

Here's a first look at the NEW Phillie Phanatic

 

[ill]

I think it is a downgrade, but I am sure I will get used to it.

 

[broncosmitty]

Looks like a girl.

 

[ill]

no more stirrups...not a fan of the eyes or changing from Phillies blue to I guess maybe powder blue around the eyes and tail...but they don't look like they even match

and I don't know what the extensions over the hands are...part of his "wings"?

 

[Guy Incognito]

I think it is a downgrade, but I am sure I will get used to it.

The eyebrows and the nose/beak thing are a little odd. He's also got some weird faux scale/feather things under his arms, but those will be easy enough to ignore.

Greedy ass mofos trying to take the Phillies to the cleaners.

 

[ill]

Looks like a girl.

well, the male bird in nature is usually the more colorful

 

[ill]

The eyebrows and the nose/beak thing are a little odd. He's also got some weird faux scale/feather things under his arms, but those will be easy enough to ignore.

Greedy ass mofos trying to take the Phillies to the cleaners.

 

[broncosmitty]

well, the male bird in nature is usually the more colorful

That thing is a bird?

 

[ill]

That thing is a bird?

the Phanatic has always been a bird

Phillie Phanatic - Wikipedia

The Phillie Phanatic is the official mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. He is a large, furry, green bipedal flightless bird[1] with an extendable tongue.

 

[Guy Incognito]

That thing is a bird?

Galapagos flightless bird.

The new snout makes it easier for him to scarf down cheesesteaks.

 

[ill]

Galapagos flightless bird.

The new snout makes it easier for him to scarf down cheesesteaks.

it looks less funneled

and he does look thinner, so he can annoy the folks in the middle of the rows more

 

[jvett77]

I think it is a downgrade, but I am sure I will get used to it.

Horrible! Designed by an LGBT person.

 

[ill]

I don't like the hands

 

[Guy Incognito]

I don't like the hands

Anti-Darwinist.

Having been a mascot for 40 years, he's seen the utility of hands.

 

[ill]

Anti-Darwinist.

Having been a mascot for 40 years, he's seen the utility of hands.

having hands is just more opportunities to get sued

 

[ill]

 

[ill]

just hand the baton off to Gritty...he is Philadelphia's #1 mascot now.

 

[Sparhawk]

So, this is in response to the legal hijinks currently going on.

If that's the case, are these changes enough for them to state that these are two completely separate characters?
I mean, it's still the Phanatic.
Would a couple of color/scheme changes be enough to satisfy a lawsuit that says the Phillies stole the original concept?

It still looks like the Phanatic.

Just don't understand the reasoning for the change.

 

[Orlando Eagles]

So, this is in response to the legal hijinks currently going on.

If that's the case, are these changes enough for them to state that these are two completely separate characters?
I mean, it's still the Phanatic.
Would a couple of color/scheme changes be enough to satisfy a lawsuit that says the Phillies stole the original concept?

It still looks like the Phanatic.

Just don't understand the reasoning for the change.

Such laws to delineate these things can be wonky as hell. The Phils clearly have very expensive legal experts that were involved in this "redesign" to try to slide around whats coming this summer and not have to pay out.

So he is a large, flightless bird? I wonder if this classification was originally set by the creators that are suing. Maybe these changes (like the "scales" on his arm, the snout that has changed to more of a snout and not a tapered beak.....maybe these are things they are doing to make him less bird like.

It feels like this should be no where near enough to make a distinction, but I have been surprised before.....