Mascots

[Steven Edwards]

Should their be a mascot that we can use when writing congress that will help relay and reinforce our message? If so, what should it represent? Should it be chipper? Upbeat? Sad? Regretful? Angry?

Any ideas?

-Steven

[Wise Young]

A mascot. That is an interesting idea. For the cure fundraising event, we had a bull and a bear. Perhaps we should consider a snake (which is mostly spinal cord). How about a dragon? Fierce and fire-breathing...

Wise.

[Steven Edwards]

I was thinking about an actual quad as a mascot. An artistic sketch in a semi-modern style... but I was at a loss as to what type of attitude the person should be in and the mood of the scene. Going through the anime section of this site (http://www.deviantart.com/) made me think of a mascot. This picture (http://www.deviantart.com/view-full.php?id=61934), in particular.

-Steven

[Rick1]

fire-breathing dragon - taken (bureaucrats)
sneaky-snake - taken (researchers)

Alas - I think our loyalties lie with the legions of lab rats who continue to lay down their lives in the name of spinal cord regeneration research. While I am but a simple idea man, I know there are creative souls among us who could bring the honorable lab rat to life in a way that would represent our cause with pride and determination. His/her side-kick could be an animated stem cell. Okay team - let's go out and win one for the Rat!

That sketch is just a bit too close to kiddie porn for comfort, Steven. Cute but... I like the snake idea because snakes have been symbols of regeneration and rebirth for thousands of years because they shed their skins each year. How about an anaconda strangling a wheelchair?

[Steven Edwards]

I meant using the raver-style in the picture. Use something that today's teenagers can relate to, because whatever teenagers talk about, their parents usually hear about it. If teenagers began talking about spinal cord injury, more parents would become aware of it.

Anyway, I like the anaconda idea. That could be done a few different ways. And thanks for reminding me about what snakes stand for -- I had forgot. Silly me. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

-Steven

Raver style? She looks like the girl in the Precious Moments figurines with her pants falling off. A rave is an all night dance, right? How about pulling her jeans up and tying them up with a snake belt--live not skinned? Or use snakes as suspenders over a tank top. Or..we could get Bruce Willis to get freaky with a girl snake.. Hey...you live near beaches..copyright a tattoo and $10 for each one goes to SCI research. Don't we have a comic book artist on this site?

[Rick1]

...or does anybody else think that a mascot with no legs kind of misses the point?

[Steven Edwards]

Originally posted by dtx:

Raver style? She looks like the girl in the Precious Moments figurines with her pants falling off. A rave is an all night dance, right? How about pulling her jeans up and tying them up with a snake belt--live not skinned? Or use snakes as suspenders over a tank top. Or..we could get Bruce Willis to get freaky with a girl snake.. Hey...you live near beaches..copyright a tattoo and $10 for each one goes to SCI research. Don't we have a comic book artist on this site?

Precious Moments? I haven't seen those in a while. Yes, a rave is an all night dance. Usually accentuated by drugs and sex, but still a dance. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif Anyway, the clothes in that drawing are the current quote-unquote raver style. Check out this place (http://www.gorave.com/) to see people trying to capitalize on the style, which is fairly popular with teenagers and girls in their early twenties.

I do live near the beach, but I don't know any tattoo artists. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif

-Steven

[Scorpion]

Good point, Rick!

Btw, I'm a comicbook type artist. I'd be willing to donate my artistic abilities to a mascot and/or logo.

www.ruswooton.com (http://www.ruswooton.com)

~Rus

"Because you're not promised tomorrow." ~ Stuck Mojo

[angel7]

Steven,

What about three small pictures all in a row. First a quad with a painful look on his/her face. Then a quad using his hands to pull himself half out of his chair with a look of anticipation and sweat on his face. Then the last picture of him standing by his chair smiling and blowing a kiss.

Debbie

[Steven Edwards]

Originally posted by Debbie7:

Steven,

What about three small pictures all in a row. First a quad with a painful look on his/her face. Then a quad using his hands to pull himself half out of his chair with a look of anticipation and sweat on his face. Then the last picture of him standing by his chair smiling and blowing a kiss.

Debbie

All of these ideas sound good and have merit. Since this will be a "community" mascot, let's wait for a couple more ideas to come in and then put it to a vote. Sound fair? http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

-Steven

[angel7]

Steven,

I think a poll is the only way to go.

Debbie

[Steven Edwards]

Originally posted by Debbie7:

Steven,

I think a poll is the only way to go.

Debbie

Allrighty.

So far we have:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>a male quad
<LI>a female quad
<LI>something with a snake
<LI>something with a dragon
<LI>a timeline type picture
[/list]

Anybody have any other suggestions?

-Steven

[SCI-Nurse]

I think what we are really talking about is a logo or other symbol of the effort. Personally, I am turned off by the term "mascot" which to me connotes some cute, cuddley little image that is not in line with the dead seriousness of fighting for a cure for SCI. If it is not serious, we will not be taken seriously.

[Steven Edwards]

Originally posted by SCI-Nurse:

I think what we are really talking about is a logo or other symbol of the effort. Personally, I am turned off by the term "mascot" which to me connotes some cute, cuddley little image that is not in line with the dead seriousness of fighting for a cure for SCI. If it is not serious, we will not be taken seriously.

Mascot was just the first term that came to mind when I posted this topic. I was kinda hoping to get something that could be mass-marketed.

Here is my thought process:

Having a modern, contemporary mascot would allow things like shirts to be made and sold with proceeds going to a research fund. If the mascot was a person (or multiple people, as the case may be), new shirts could be released each season that would allow people to quote-unquote follow the character's life and learn a little about what goes on with a paralyzed person.

As a group, we don't want pity. But we need to start with what we can. The majority of the public will see someone in a chair and feel pity for them. Let's take that pity and mold it into compassion. Take the compassion and mold it into understanding. Use that understanding to help our cause.

People generally don't take hold of things that show up once in a while and make a boom -- that is the paralysis community. Once every quarter [or so] there are a lot of articles about curing paralysis pop up and then there is silence. By the time the next articles show up, people are like "Oh yeah, paralysis. Haven't we heard about this already?" Unless we could have a series of commercials running throughout the year to promote the fact that paralysis is real, people will forget.

That is why I believe a mascot, so-to-speak, is in order. Of course, this is all just my opinion. You are under no obligation to have the same opinion. As a matter of fact, your opinion can even be different! http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif If it is, please post it.

-Steven

[Chris Chappell]

I agree with SCI-Nurse. A mascot does not connotate the seriousness of SCI.

Personally I've liked and am partial to a logo or graphic arts design of a person rising out of a wheelchair, arms triumphant, and legs in a walking motion.

The other issue that I've posted before is the use of the word "cure" in SCI verbage. To me the word cure represents recovery from a disease or illness not an injury. We have injuries not diseases. Paralysis recovery is a healing process not a cure process.

Further, I think that the word cure gives the public a general overview of helplessness and pity and therefore promotes apathy. The thought process today might reflect an attitude of "oh well if there is no cure available then what can I do?"

Whereas if we promote the healing of sci and paralysis the task may look less daunting. The thought process might reflect an attitude of "healing and recovery are practical and attainable. If I contribute to this research then recovery may be faster".

I understand that this a very simplistic analogy but hopefully you get my point. Generally people will give and contribute their time, energy and money to a cause if they believe and hope in the possibility of recovery. Look at Breast cancer awareness, various fundraising activities for MS (bike rides), American Cancer Society, AIDS, American Heart Association, and the greatest marketing fundraiser of all - Muscular Dystrophy. What do all of these have in common? They all promote, market and sell HOPE with the underlyng theme of CURE. Fundamentally the money goes for research, overhead etc. and they are indeed investing in a cure for these diseases but they are selling the public and garnering their support (monetarily)for the greatest human characteristic - HOPE.

We lack this. First we need an organization, nationally recognized and comprehensive in scope that puts SCI in front of people's faces, e.g. The National Spinal Cord Injury Association or The National Paralysis Association. Believe me I recognize that there are already such organizations in place. But what do they really do? Do any of them roll off your tongue like the American Cancer Society? Doubtful. Personally this is where it must begin. Organization, recognition, awareness. Without the first one, organizational focus, then a logo or mascot, although a nice idea, is a waste of time and energy.

We are a very small group, comparitively, in search of a larger voice. What we should be doing is organizing collectively and joining other groups and organizations chasing the same goal of neurological healing. MS, ALS, Parkinson's, Alzheimers etc. should be our partners because, I believe, that ultimately we will all be helped by the same medical advancements.

My suggested slogan / motto:
"Losing a mind and losing a body are terrible prices to pay. Help heal Paralysis."

Onward and Upward!

[angel7]

Steven,

You hit the nail on the head when you said a series of commercials to keep our cause in the public eye. Unfortunately this probably won't happen due to the expense. People don't understand the mental horror of being in a chair. Just like they don't really understand or feel empathy for people with other injuries or dieases. No one ever understands until it happens to them personally.

How many of us spend even a little part of the day thinking about what it's like having AIDS, ALS, Parkinsons. Even with the big MD telethon, we think about it when we see it and then never again until the next year. We need to get the message out on just how horrific it is to lose your body and how many we lose to suicide. Then we need to bring it home on how easy it is for anyone to get this injury.

We have a star with enough pull to have a yearly
telethon. A telethon that gives us a vehicle to tell our stories and share our inner most feelings. Something like comic relief. Then and only then will people begin to understand. The star I am talking about is Christopher Reeve. It is okay to have a mascot but until people really understand they aren't going to open their pocket books or lobby for stem cells.

Sorry this was so lengthly and I wish I could actually come up with a solid instead of just words.

Debbie

[Steven Edwards]

Originally posted by Chris:

Organization, recognition, awareness. Without the first one, organizational focus, then a logo or mascot, although a nice idea, is a waste of time and energy.

Recognition is correct. The shirts would be released under some brand name with a "cute" tie in to paralysis. People, as you said, will think our cause is hopeless. People do not generally respond well to or associate with hopeless causes. People will come to things that are "cute". That is what I think we should be aiming for. Get people to at least associate themselves with paralysis in some way, even through clothes, and they will be more receptive to talking about it. Once we get that connection, oppurtunities will flourish.

Scorpion, how long would it take to do a rough sketch?

-Steven

[Steven Edwards]

Debbie,

Here is a smaller version of what you sent me.

http://www.spinalconfusion.com/debbie7.gif

-Steven