Fall Premier Auction 2017
Wed, Oct 18, 2017 04:00PM EDT - Sat, Nov 4, 2017 11:00PM EDT
Timed Auction
Lot 20
THE SAN DIEGO CHICKEN MASCOT OUTFIT - SMALLER VERSION (SDHOC COLLECTION)
Sold for
$2,361.60
Sold Price includes BP
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $200 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $30,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $25,000 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $100,000 |
| $1,500,000 | $150,000 |
The San Diego Chicken was an institution in itself as the celebrated cheerleader of the San Diego Padres. Largely doing his antics at Jack Murphy Stadium which morphed into Qualcomm Stadium the character originated as an animated TV commercial for KGB-FM Radio in San Diego. Writer cartoonist and actor Brian Narelle was working for Odyssey Productions and offered to animate an acrobatic chicken as part of a commercial contract bid. Narelle went on to direct and animate the commercial as well as create cartoon art for the campaign.
In March 1974 Ted Giannoulas was hired to wear the first chicken suit. At the time he was a 20-year-old journalism major at San Diego State University. He was originally from Canada but had attended Hoover High School in San Diego. The Chicken's first appearance was a KGB promotion to distribute Easter eggs to children at the San Diego Zoo. Later the Chicken would wander throughout the stands at San Diego Padres baseball games and if someone said "Lay One on Me" the Chicken would "lay" an egg via his leggings containing a prize. A redesigned suit followed that more closely resembled The Famous Chicken today. The Chicken whose antics entertained steadily larger crowds moved on to features at concerts and sporting events – appearing at more than 520 San Diego Padres games in a row. The Chicken also appeared at many San Diego Clippers basketball games before the team moved to Los Angeles. The late San Diego sports reporter Jack Murphy once described him as an "embryonic Charlie Chaplin in chicken feathers.”
The success of the Famous Chicken helped lead to mascots becoming widespread throughout professional sports particularly Major League Baseball. The Chicken was named one of the 100 most powerful people in sports for the 20th century by The Sporting News. This lot features a version of the San Diego Chicken mascot’s outfit albeit a much smaller edition from the one worn by Giannoulas. This two-piece outfit which was on display at the San Diego Hall of Champions includes the Chicken’s famous beak as well as the orange body suit.
Includes Letter of Provenance from the San Diego Hall of Champions.
Payment for your invoice must clear in full prior to shipping. All items will be shipped from SCP Auctions’ Laguna Niguel, CA office in the order that payments are received. Please allow up to three business days following clearance of payment for items to ship. All items will be shipped UPS/FedEx Ground unless you contact us to discuss an alternative shipping method. If you would like your items shipped in a different method, such as UPS/FedEx Next Day or UPSFedEx 2-Day, you must contact our Post Sale Services Manager Veronica Rodriguez by emailing customerservice@scpauctions.com to discuss alternative shipping instructions. Prior to bidding, please be aware of estimated shipping costs, especially for large or heavy lots. You may contact SCP Auctions for any shipping estimates lots you are bidding on or interested in bidding on. If you intend to pick up your items in person at the SCP Auctions office, please call us to schedule. Payment must clear prior to items being available for pick-up.
