The official mascots of the
2010 Winter Olympics and the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver were Miga and Quatchi, and Sumi respectively, who had a sidekick named Mukmuk. Designed by the Candian and American duo Meomi Design
[1], the mascots were revealed on November 27, 2007 to 800 schoolchildren at the Bell Centre For Performing Arts in Surrey, British Columbia. It marked the first time that both the Olympic and Paralympic mascots were revealed simultaneously, as well as the first time they had an official sidekick.
Miga and Quatchi
Miga and Quatchi were the official mascots of the
2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Miga (left) is a mythical sea bear, part orca and part kermode bear living off the coast of Vancouver Island. She loves to surf in the summer, especially in Tofino, and snowboard in the winter. Her green scarf was given to her by Mukmuk.
Quatchi is a sasquatch. He comes from the mysterious forests of Canada, wears blue earmuffs, and dreams of being a hockey goalie. He loves to travel and learn about the regional dances and cuisines of every place he visits. He carries his camera around his neck wherever he goes.
Sumi
Sumi was the official mascot of the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver. He's an animal guardian spirit with the wings of the Thunderbird and legs of a black bear who wears an orca-like hat in an artistic style of Haida people. He lives in the mountains of British Columbia and is a passionate environmentalist. His name comes from the Salish word "sumesh," meaning "guardian spirit."
Mukmuk
Mukmuk was a sidekick to the aforementioned mascots. He is a marmot from Vancouver Island described as "small and friendly". As of December 2008 he has joined the other mascots as a plush toy, but not yet a life-size mascot costume. His name comes from the Chinuk Wawa word "muckamuck," meaning "food" or "to eat", because of his large appetite. Although he was only a designated sidekick, Mukmuk was a run-away success, "capturing the hearts of Games-goers everywhere"; including an impromptu "protest" at the Vancouver Art Gallery to make him a full-fledged mascot, and making 24 Hours' "Top 5" for the Olympic games.
[2]
Pedobear Controversy
In 2009, Canadian artist Michael R. Barrick created a photoshopped image of the Vancouver 2010 mascots with the internet meme
Pedobear, who was popularized by the imageboard
4chan. The images were created to make "a visual critique of how the style of the mascots resembles the style of Pedobear."
[3] As a result of the images receiving high rankings on Google Images, this image was mistakenly used by other media. The Polish newspaper Gazeta Olsztyńska used one the images for a front page story about the then-upcoming Olympics, published on February 4, 2010
[4]. Similarly, the Dutch television guide Avrobode used one of the images.
