The Olympic
mascot are fictional characters, usually an animal native to the area or
human figures, who represent the cultural heritage of the place where the Olympic and Paralympic Games are taking place.
London 2012 organizers have unveiled cartoon animations named Wenlock and Mandeville as the mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
"We've created our mascots for children,"
said Locog chair Lord Coe. "They will connect young people with sport, and
tell the story of our proud Olympic
and Paralympic history."
The characters are named after the small town
of Much Wenlock in Shropshire - which hosted a precursor to the modern Olympic
Games in the 19th Century - and the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, Stoke Mandeville hospital in Buckinghamshire.
The Wenlock
Games gave inspiration to Baron Pierre de Coubertain as he formed his
concept of the modern Olympics in 1896.
Olympic motifs chime through the design: Wenlock wears the Olympic rings as friendship bracelets, and although predominantly
silver in colour, also contains flashes of gold and bronze.
Mandeville's head reflects aspects of the
three crescent shapes of the Paralympics
symbol.
In a deliberate homage to London taxis, each
has a yellow light on top of its head, with an initial in the middle.
In author Morpurgo's vision, the pair begin
life as two drops of steel from a factory in Bolton, taken home by a retiring
worker who fashions characters out of the metal for his grandchildren.
They appear to have a single central eye,
explained as a camera lens, through which they'll see the world, and respond to
it.
In a series of animated updates, linked to the
official games website, they will be seen learning to play different Olympic
sports in a narrative that will be regularly revised between now and the
opening of the Games.
The mascots
are an important revenue generating tool for the Games, and Locog's commercial partners were consulted throughout
the design process.
