| Sparky the Sun Devil | |
|---|---|
 Sparky the Sun Devil performing in 2019 | |
| University | Arizona State University |
| Conference | Pac-12 |
| First seen | September 21, 1951 [1] |
| Website | twitter |
Sparky the Sun Devil is the official mascot of Arizona State University.[2] Originally the ASU athletic teams' mascot was an owl, then became a "Normal" (because ASU was founded as a normal school). It was later changed to a bulldog in an attempt to make the school – Arizona State Teacher's College at the time – appear more in line with Yale and other universities that held a higher level of respect.[3] The State Press, the student newspaper, ran frequent appeals during the fall of 1946, urging the Bulldog to be replaced by the new Sun Devil. On November 8, 1946, the student body voted 819 to 196 to make the change. On November 20, as reported by the Arizona Republic, the student council made it official. The following day, the first Arizona State team played as the Sun Devils. Two years later, Stanford Alum and Disney illustrator Berk Anthony designed "Sparky", a devil holding a trident[2] (colloquially referred to as a pitchfork[4]). Anthony is rumored to have based Sparky's facial features on that of his former boss, Walt Disney.[5]
- ^ "ASU Magazine Online - Fall 2005 Vol. 9 No. 2". Archived from the original on 2007-01-26. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
- ^ a b "Graphic Elements: The University Mascot". Communication Guide. Tempe, Arizona: Arizona State University. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
- ^ "100 Day Sun Devil Football Countdown To Kickoff, #98: ASU Mascot History Before Sparky". House of Sparky. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
- ^ Holexa, Emily (2005). "The Face Behind the Mascot: The real life of Sparky the Sun Devil". The Devil’s Tale. Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona State University. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
- ^ Lukas, Paul. "The Disney/ESPN Connection Suddenly Makes a lot more Sense". Uni-Watch. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
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