Costumed character

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Costumed character

The term costumed character sometimes refers to a costume that covers the performer's face. These range from theme park "walk-around" or "meetable" characters, the mascot

Mascot

The term mascot ? defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck ? colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or Brand....
s of corporations, schools, or sports teams, some novelty act performers, to personal fursuits. Some costumes cover the performer's face; others, especially those in theme parks, may leave the performer's face visible.

are intended to add to the fantasy experience by enabling visitors to encounter and interact with fictional characters, such as mascot

Mascot

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Costumed character'

Start a new discussion about 'Costumed character'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The term costumed character sometimes refers to a costume that covers the performer's face. These range from theme park "walk-around" or "meetable" characters, the mascot

Mascot

In theme parks

They are intended to add to the fantasy experience by enabling visitors to encounter and interact with fictional characters, such as mascot

Mascot

The term mascot ? defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck ? colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or Brand....
s for the company. Meetable characters that have the performer's face visible are allowed to speak (usually following a script by the people who train the performers), while characters that have their faces covered are not allowed to speak and can only communicate through pantomime

Pantomime

Pantomime is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in Great Britain, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Republic of Ireland, Gibraltar and Republic of Malta, and is usually performed during the Christmas and New Year season....
.

They are a major feature of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the segment of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company's theme parks and holiday resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises....
, where the most ubiquitous of them is Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse is a funny animal cartoon character who has become an icon for The Walt Disney Company. Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks and voiced by Walt Disney....
, but a wide variety of characters from different media franchise

Media franchise

A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the fictional character, fictional universe, and trademarks of an original work of News media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, or a video game....
s are portrayed at various parks. For example, Disney parks feature characters from their animated movies; Six Flags

Six Flags

Six Flags, Inc is one of the world's largest chains of amusement parks and theme parks, based on quantity of properties. The company maintains 21 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, water parks and family entertainment centers....
parks feature Time-Warner's Looney Tunes

Looney Tunes

Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series which ran in many movie theatres from 1930 to 1969. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and is Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series....
cartoons and DC Comics

DC Comics

DC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. A subsidiary of Warner Bros....
superhero characters;; Cedar Point

Cedar Point

Cedar Point is a 364-acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. It currently holds the world record for most roller coasters , one of which, Top Thrill Dragster, is the world's second tallest and third fastest roller coaster, reaching speeds of and a height of ....
, Knott's Berry Farm

Knott's Berry Farm

Knott's Berry Farm is a brand name of two separate entities in the United States: a theme park in Buena Park, California, and a manufacturer of food specialty products based in Placentia, California....
, and other Cedar Fair parks feature Peanuts

Peanuts

Peanuts is a print syndication daily strip and Sunday strip comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000 , continuing in reruns afterward....
characters; and Kings Island, California's Great America and Canada's Wonderland feature Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon (TV channel)

Nickelodeon is an United States cable television network owned by Viacom International, founded in 1977 as Pinwheel. The Pinwheel name was used until 1981....
characters. Some theme parks create their own meetable characters.

The characters are portrayed by park employees in costume. Some of the costumes consist of clothing and makeup (e.g. Snow White

Snow White

Snow White is the title fictional character of a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm....
, Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty is a fairy tale classic, the first in the set published in 1697 by Charles Perrault, Contes de ma M?re l'Oye .While Perrault's version is better known, an older variant, the tale Sun, Moon, and Talia, was contained in Giambattista Basile's Pentamerone ....
, Batman

Batman

Batman is a Character , a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939....
), while those for non-human characters generally conceal the performer entirely and include a full-head mask (e.g. Donald Duck

Donald Duck

Donald Duck is a cartoon fictional character from The Walt Disney Company. Donald is a white anthropomorphism duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet....
, Goofy

Goofy

Goofy is an animated cartoon character from the Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse universe. He is an anthropomorphic dog and is one of Mickey Mouse's best friends....
, Bugs Bunny

Bugs Bunny

Bugs Bunny is a fictional rabbit who appears in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animation films produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, which became Warner Bros....
, Snoopy

Snoopy

Snoopy is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly ordinary dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character ? and among the most recognizable comic characters in the world....
). Park employee regulations are careful to prevent visitors from seeing performers out of character

Out of character

Out of character is a phrase used in entertainment and role-playing to differentiate between a person playing a fictional character and the character itself....
, and in the case of more elaborate costumes, to be seen "with their head off".

On television

Current shows featuring a costumed character puppet include Big Bird

Big Bird

Big Bird is a full-body Muppet, featured on the children's television show Sesame Street, which airs on Public Broadcasting Service. He is sometimes referred to as "Bird" by his friends....
of Sesame Street
Sesame Street

Sesame Street is an Television in the United States educational children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both edutainment....
, Barney

Barney & Friends cast

Dinosaurs...
from Barney and Friends, and Bear of Bear in the Big Blue House
Bear in the Big Blue House

Bear in the Big Blue House is a television program for young children produced for the Disney Channel by Mitchell Kriegman and The Jim Henson Company....
. Less complicated characters include Hip Hop Harry
Hip Hop Harry

Hip Hop Harry is an Australian kids show that airs on Discovery Kids and TLC in the United States, similar to Barney & Friends. Hip Hop Harry is a live action program designed for preschool children in the 3 to 6 year old age group....
or RAGGS Kids Club Band
RAGGS Kids Club Band

The Raggs Band is a US-based musical troupe of five Dog characters who have played over 2,000 live performances on four continents since 2002....
.

Older examples include New Zoo Revue
New Zoo Revue

'New Zoo Revue' is an United States half-hour children's television show that originally aired in syndication from 1972 until 1977. Stations usually broadcast the program in the early or middle part of the morning hours, when many pre-schoolers were watching it as well as similar shows such as the franchised Romper Room and CBS's Capt...
, H.R. Pufnstuf
H.R. Pufnstuf

H.R. Pufnstuf is a children's television series produced by Sid and Marty Krofft in the United States. It was the first Krofft live-action, life-size puppet, program....
, Banana Splits
Banana Splits

The Banana Splits Adventure Hour was an hour-long, packaged television program that featured both live action and animated segments. The series was produced by Hanna-Barbera, and ran for 31 episodes on NBC Saturday morning cartoon, from September 7, 1968 to September 5, 1970....
, and British series Gophers!
Gophers!

Gophers! was a Channel 4 children's programme about a family of United States Gopher who move into a new neighbourhood, called Sycamore Heights, living next door to a family of uptight but well-intentioned rabbits, The Burrows....