Who’s behind the mask?

This is a typical question Willie the Wildcat gets while attending Chico State sporting games and university events. But this is a question that will never be answered because Willie Wildcat is an iconic figure. Just like in Disneyland marketing, “Mickey Mouse is Mickey Mouse” and never is out of character. The focus of the mascot is not the person inside but Willie as the spirit and pride of the university.

Looking at the evolution of Willie Wildcat from 1961 to 2013, the mascot has gone through many uniform changes. In 1961, Willie had just a cat head and was dressed in a suit from the neck down. Then from the 70’s to the 80’s, Willie was away for a while but then returned in the 90’s. In the 2000’s, Willie transformed to Slash which changed his costume to a hairier, more aggressive cat. In 2003 Chico State decided to bring Willie back to his original state with a big cat head, a big smile and a furry body to complete the look.

“Willie is an entertaining addition to all the athletic programs and the university,” said Jeff Kragel, the athletic marketing coordinator.

Willie the Wildcat appears during sporting events before games to take pictures with the crowd and kids. He also joins the teams in their pregame rehearsals to rally the crowd and bring a smile to the audience. During halftime at basketball games, Willie will dance with the cheer teams and then has activity races with the kids, which helps bring a family feel to Acker Gym.

“Kids always request for pictures with Willie and he is always willing. It makes for a good time,” Kragel said.

Protecting Willie’s image will always be an issue for the marketing department but the presence of Willie does bring camaraderie to the university and sporting events.

“Even though Willie can’t talk his gestures do wonders for Chico State and show the community to not be scared to show spirit,” Kragel said.

Benjamin Marquez can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_sports on Twitter.