Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Mascots are dying. The snarky Duolingo Owl was hit by a cyber truck in February 2025. Planters Mr. peanut met a fiery death in a Super Bowl teaser in 2020. Jack from Jack in the Box was blown up in 1980. Corporate mascots are being killed off, sometimes even murdered, all in the name of publicity. But what happens when the power to save or do away with a company mascot is given to the people? This is the story of the vote to save Big Boy in 1985.
Correction:
5:50: E. coli outbreak, not listeria.
Sources:
“Round-About…with Art Ryan,” The Los Angeles Times, Dec 4, 1964
“Bob Wian Defies ‘Prophet,” Copley News Service via Evening Vanguard, Aug 27, 1969
“Jack-in-the-Box Blows Away Old Image in TV Commercial,” Bud Wilkinson, The Arizona Republic, May 29, 1980
“Fast-Food Jack Seeks New Grease-Free Image,” D. Weyermann, The Arizona Daily Star, Apr 3, 1980
“Big Boy’s Future Rests with Your Vote,” AP and Free Press Staff, Detroit Free Press, Feb 23, 1985
“Will ‘Big Boy’ Get Dumped or Win a Vote of Confidence,” Jube Shiver, Jr., The Los Angeles Times via The Muskegon Chronicle, Feb 24, 1985
“Is Chain Too Big for the Big Boy? Patrons To Get Chance to Decide,” Renee Villeneuve, Battle Creek Enquirer, Mar 18, 1985
“Should He Stay or Should He Go?,” Peggy Spangler, York Daily Record, Mar 21, 1985
“Mascot Secret is Broadcast,” AP via Princeton Daily Clarion, May 1, 1985
“Oops! WKJG-TV Leaked Big Boy Secret,” AP via Chronicle Tribune, May 1, 1985
“Big Boy Diners Eat Up Symbol, Vote to Retain It,” AP via Record Searchlight, May 2, 1985
“Ban the Bozo? Millions of Fans Say the Star Stays,” UPI via the Orlando Sentinel, May 2, 1985
“Big Boy Lives! Chain to Keep Mascot,” AP via The Miami Herald, May 3, 1985
“Robert C. Wian,” Matt Lait, The Los Angeles Times, Apr 1, 1992
“Robert Wian, Opened First Bob’s Big Boy,” AP via The Fresno Bee, Apr 2, 1992
“Bacteria Illness Claims Toddler,” AP via Tri-City Herald, Jan 23, 1993
“Jack’s Back in Business in Jack in the Box Ads,” Entertainment Wire via The Californian, Dec 28, 1994
“Jack Campaign Opened Pandora’s Box,” Dan Neil, The Los Angeles Times, Mar 17, 2009
“Big Boy Morphs Into Buff Boy,” Alexander Coolidge, The Kentucky Enquirer, Jun 29, 2016
“In Michigan, Big Boy Mascot Replaced with Girl Named Dolly,” Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati Enquirer, Jul 8, 2020
“Duolingo’s Owl Mascot is Alive After All. What Did It Gain from Faking His Death?,” Rachel Treisman, NPR, Feb 26, 2025
The Mascots are dying. The snarky Duolingo Owl was hit by a cyber truck in February 2025. Planters Mr. peanut met a fiery death in a Super Bowl teaser in 2020. Jack from Jack in the Box was blown up in 1980. Corporate mascots are being killed off, sometimes even murdered, all in the name of publicity. But what happens when the power to save or do away with a company mascot is given to the people? This is the story of the vote to save Big Boy in 1985.
Correction:
5:50: E. coli outbreak, not listeria.
Sources:
“Round-About…with Art Ryan,” The Los Angeles Times, Dec 4, 1964
“Bob Wian Defies ‘Prophet,” Copley News Service via Evening Vanguard, Aug 27, 1969
“Jack-in-the-Box Blows Away Old Image in TV Commercial,” Bud Wilkinson, The Arizona Republic, May 29, 1980
“Fast-Food Jack Seeks New Grease-Free Image,” D. Weyermann, The Arizona Daily Star, Apr 3, 1980
“Big Boy’s Future Rests with Your Vote,” AP and Free Press Staff, Detroit Free Press, Feb 23, 1985
“Will ‘Big Boy’ Get Dumped or Win a Vote of Confidence,” Jube Shiver, Jr., The Los Angeles Times via The Muskegon Chronicle, Feb 24, 1985
“Is Chain Too Big for the Big Boy? Patrons To Get Chance to Decide,” Renee Villeneuve, Battle Creek Enquirer, Mar 18, 1985
“Should He Stay or Should He Go?,” Peggy Spangler, York Daily Record, Mar 21, 1985
“Mascot Secret is Broadcast,” AP via Princeton Daily Clarion, May 1, 1985
“Oops! WKJG-TV Leaked Big Boy Secret,” AP via Chronicle Tribune, May 1, 1985
“Big Boy Diners Eat Up Symbol, Vote to Retain It,” AP via Record Searchlight, May 2, 1985
“Ban the Bozo? Millions of Fans Say the Star Stays,” UPI via the Orlando Sentinel, May 2, 1985
“Big Boy Lives! Chain to Keep Mascot,” AP via The Miami Herald, May 3, 1985
“Robert C. Wian,” Matt Lait, The Los Angeles Times, Apr 1, 1992
“Robert Wian, Opened First Bob’s Big Boy,” AP via The Fresno Bee, Apr 2, 1992
“Bacteria Illness Claims Toddler,” AP via Tri-City Herald, Jan 23, 1993
“Jack’s Back in Business in Jack in the Box Ads,” Entertainment Wire via The Californian, Dec 28, 1994
“Jack Campaign Opened Pandora’s Box,” Dan Neil, The Los Angeles Times, Mar 17, 2009
“Big Boy Morphs Into Buff Boy,” Alexander Coolidge, The Kentucky Enquirer, Jun 29, 2016
“In Michigan, Big Boy Mascot Replaced with Girl Named Dolly,” Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati Enquirer, Jul 8, 2020
“Duolingo’s Owl Mascot is Alive After All. What Did It Gain from Faking His Death?,” Rachel Treisman, NPR, Feb 26, 2025
