Mascot Origins started with a simple idea: "I wonder if Ronald McDonald used to be a rodeo clown." This thought festered until it extended into every aspect of corporate advertising, and thus, I decided to examine every possibility in meticulous detail, and document my findings.
Currently, I'm working through as many cereal mascots as I can think of. As you might guess, I do plan to expand into other types of mascots in the future.
I try to post about one story per month, although this might not be obvious from the current catalog. I've set up an email list so that you can be notified whenever a new mascot's past is exposed. Check out the subscription page to sign up - I promise not to spam you or send pointless updates every week.
The Author
My name is Phil Zona and I write these stories. I have a B.A. in English and now work as an engineer for a software company. The story about the gas station security tape was also written by me. I grew up in Pennsylvania but currently live in Texas with my wife and two cats.
Find me on Twitter at @philzona.