Phillie Phanatic

Illustration of the Phillie Phanatic ona white background holding a red banner with white text and a blue outline

Making his big debut on April 25, 1978, the Phillie Phanatic mascot was the creation of Bonnie Erickson and her husband and business partner, Wayde Harrison. Erickson was part of the original team for The Muppet Show and designed characters such as Miss Piggy and balcony hecklers Statler and Waldorf. After working on The Muppet Show, Erickson and Harrison set up their own design firm for puppets to be used in TV ads and toys. Their big moment came when they were contacted by the promotion department at the Philadelphia Phillies who were looking to create a new mascot. They gave Erickson complete creative freedom with the desing, and she emerged with the Phillie Phanatic, a creature with a long snout and protruding tongue who, according to Erickson, hails from the Galapagos Islands. The Phanatic was a surprise success and is one of the only mascots on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.