Half Magic is a delightful children's fantasy novel written by Edward Eager. The story revolves around four siblings - Jane, Mark, Katherine, and Martha - who discover a magical talisman that grants them half of whatever they wish for. The children embark on various amusing adventures and misadventures as they try to navigate the enchanting world of half magic. The main characters in the book are lovable and relatable, making it easy for young readers to connect with them. Jane is the oldest and the leader of the group, always coming up with imaginative ideas. Mark is the prankster who often finds himself in funny and unexpected situations.

This artist brought the 2010 Olympic mascots back to life in Vancouver (PHOTOS)

Quatchi is a forest-dwelling sasquatch, while Miga is a sea bear - a mythical animal that is part killer whale and part Kermode bear.

Do you remember Quatchi, MukMuk, Sumi and Miga?

While they may not have seen them for a long time, four beloved 2010 Olympic characters are a welcome sight to Vancouverites during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pasted in various parts of the city, the adorable troupe offers a colourful trip down memory lane. Many people purchased the mascots as souvenirs of the winter games, while others may simply remember them as part of the Vancouver Olympic squad.

According to Olympic.org, Quatchi and Miga are the official mascots of the Vancouver Games. Quatchi is a forest-dwelling sasquatch, while Miga is a sea bear - a mythical animal that is part killer whale and part Kermode bear. These creatures are inspired by tales of the First Nations on the West Coast of Canada. Although he isn't an official mascot, MukMuk is very popular. "Mukmuk was inspired by a rare and threatened type of marmot that lives only on an island in Vancouver. His name is taken from the word “muckamuck”, meaning food in Chinook."

Sumi is the Paralympic Games mascot, and gets his name from the Salish (a language spoken by the Amerindian people of British Columbia) word “sumesh”, which means “guardian spirit”. Olympic.org explains how, "This creature, which has the wings of a thunderbird, the paws of a black bear and an orca hat, lives in the mountains near Vancouver."

Wile they aren't originally from Vancouver, the artist, who prefers to remain anonymous under their artist name, WKNDsnack, says they've spent a number of years in Vancouver and feel like home here. They add that they started making street art after seeing inspired local work from artists such as @mwbowen_artist, @sasquatch_army, and @olgairesse.

"The idea for this project started with me being a big fan of Olympic mascots. These four were designed by Meomi Design Inc (Vicki Wong and Michael C. Murphy) and they’ve become these unofficial symbols for the city," writes WKNDsnack to Vancouver Is Awesome in an email.

"It got me thinking where would they be ten years later. When I dug into the characters they had really detailed lore and I wanted to expand on that with some references to Vancouver culture like Quatchi wearing blundstones and Sumi studying law at UBC (a thunderbird studying at a school where Thunderbirds are the mascot)."

"At the end of the day, I was just trying to make people laugh and it felt like the right time for this."

While the artist wasn't in town for the Olympics, they say they enjoyed them in another country on T.V.

"The current pandemic is impacting everyone. A lot of people are feeling really isolated right now so whether it’s creating, or just following artists and art you like, it’s helpful. The Vancouver Mural Festival has done some amazing work partnering with local artists and businesses to really showcase the best of Vancouver, but there are a lot of great underground projects going on right now on Instagram like @mixedgemsvancouver, @stickvancouver, @ slicevancouver, and @stuckinsidevancouveraf."

Have a look at what the mascots - and their mascot pal - are up to in B.C. these days.

Quatchi

WKNDSnack notes that Quatchi suffered a painful knee injury after the Olympics that, "ended his dreams of “going to the show” as a hockey goalie."

"While recovering quatchi moved to East Van, got a few more tattoos and got really, really into craft beer. Like, really into it. He is currently working as a brewmaster and is a fully fledged member of the Sasquatch army."

Vancouver olympic mascots

Hi! I'm Jessica Jones, a brand identity designer and surface designer. I've retired this blog, but I'm always designing. Visit my website to learn more about my work.

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Mark is the prankster who often finds himself in funny and unexpected situations. Katherine is the quiet and sensible one, while Martha is the youngest and full of curiosity. As the children experiment with the half magic talisman, they quickly realize that the wishes they make do not always turn out as expected.

February 22, 2010

Vancouver Olympics mascots

My name is Jessica and I'm an Olympics addict. I have zero interest in sports outside of two weeks every two years. Then if I could have my way, I'd never leave my house at night so I could stay permanently glued to my TV set. I love watching people who work really, really hard experience the sheer joy of victory. I also like watching people fall down and get back up again. Human beings are amazing and bewildering creatures.

Wow, I'm chatty this morning. What I set out to mention was Vancouver's completely adorable Olympics mascots, created by the design studio Meomi. The Olympics have had mascots since 1968, and these characters must be among the cutest. According to the Vancouver Olympic committee, Miga is a snowboarding Orca whale-turned-bear, Quatchi is a shy and gentle sasquatch, and Sumi is an animal spirit who wears an orca whale hat, has the wings of a thunderbird, and the legs of a black bear. So round up the kiddies and send them to the official mascot site, where they can watch videos, play games, download desktop wallpaper, print coloring pages, and make paper models of these guys. Awww.

26 comments:

I heart Miga, but we can't forget about the cute sidekick MukMuk haha! I'm LOVINGG all figure skating activities.. I can't wait for the women's!!

Mukmuk is the best. If you haven't already, you should follow Fake Mukmuk on twitter (@JustAMarmot). have you seen the plush toys where they're all wearing mittens? All that cuteness is killing me!

I went to the Olympics last weekend and brought those adorable mascots home with me to match paper set my kids made for our opening ceremony party. So cute.

I love the olympics events as well and I think that the mascots are cute. But being a Canadian/BC resident I have to say I was surprised by them - they don't represent Canada very well. JMO

I love the Olympics too! I don't watch sports except for the winter & spring olympics!! Cute mascots!

I am obsessed with the olympics. I'm gonna be honest, I avoid all communication with the outside world from 7-11 pm each night.

I'm a huge fan of the Olympics - and I love the mascot page. You can even take a personality quiz to see which mascot you are. super cute and fun.

I live in Vancouver and have been enjoying the Olympic fever! I thought of you when passing by a group of fans from the Netherlands who were decked out head to toe in orange!

Thank you for explaining Sumi. I have been wondering for weeks why a fox has wings. Drove me crazy.

I'm with you on the O's. Big fan. Love the winter ones a little better - maybe because I'm Canadian and I understand the sports better.

So cute! :)
This time I'm not glued to the TV set, like you, because here all the main events are late in the evening or at night. :(

My name is Kate, and I'm an Olympics Addict. I'm so glad there's more out there!

Such cute mascots!! The winter olympics are great!

They are just so cute. I just love the olypics.

These mascots are just too darn cute!
I'm not usually a winter Olympics fan, but for some reason this year has me hooked.

These are SO cute! I love Miga.

I am absolutely in the same boat, I never ever watch sports, but the Olympics are amazing and exciting and I just want to watch them all day. Check out this V day fan art I made of Quatchi and Miga, they're sooo cute.

Such a great post! I've been going to an event every day since the Olympics started here in Vancouver, so I'm totally in the spirit too. My whole family is obsessed with the Olympics. AND the mascots! Two years ago we named our new puppy Miga. :)

I agree with you.
These are the cutest ever.
I'm wondering having those
with me. So adorable.

AND I'm very excited,
even nervous about our hope, Mao.

I'm with you on the olympics thing. I am embarrassed by the level of my devotion to short track.

I'm with you on the olympics thing. I am embarrassed by the level of my devotion to short track.

I hear you! I am losing sleep in a bid way, as I watch the broadcasts every night, and then catch them on the web in the morning. I just posted about the ice dancers medal ceremony: http://occasionalpiece.blogspot.com/

What a touching event to see the gold medalists, and the entire hall (it seemed) sing along to the national anthem.

I have to admit that I haven't paid much attention to the Olympics this time.

I love love Mukmuk the marmot, so flippin' cute! And Quatchie, because he's also a hockey player! I have little stuffed keychains of both these guys on my purse right now!

i adore meomi! everything is so cute!!

City Informer: Where Are the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Mascots Now?

I, of course, am talking about the mascots from the 2010 Olympics, Quatchi, Sumi, Miga and little Mukmuk. As you no doubt recall, Vancouver loved the Olympics so much that we needed four different proprietary characters—technically, three mascots and one “sidekick,” which I guess is a mascot for the mascots(?)—to effectively express our enthusiasm. These icons were an inspiration even for those of us who weren’t caught up in Olympic mania, for example, me, a person who, despite clearing my schedule for February 2010 and dropping a lot of pointed hints at parties and on the bus that I would be available to participate in any sport, for any country that needed me, was ultimately not invited to be an athlete and has remained bitter about it to this day.

Anyways! Despite this cruel rejection, I still think fondly of the friendly faces that acted as our plush ambassadors to the world. Though they came from different backgrounds—a “full of passion” sasquatch, a surfing sea bear, a thunderbird who loves cocoa and a marmot who’s just here to make friends—they united over the shared cause of patriotism and tourism dollars. And then, like a non-threatening boy in a top hat you made out with on vacation, they were never spoken of again.

But a decade after the Olympics transformed our city and with nothing better to do with my time, I attempted to track down these stuffed beacons of hope. The news, I found, was dire. While there were originally 61 mascot suits created to accommodate all the mascot-related demands of those buzzy two weeks, 48 of them were ultimately, as the Vancouver Sun callously put it, “rounded up and destroyed,” by order of the International Olympic Committee, who apparently are a cabal of supervillains who have decreed that mascots may not be “animated” once the Games have closed. VANOC has declined to admit how they were destroyed, but really, there is no dignified way to execute a smiling sasquatch.

There is some good news, though. If you are someone who was learning to do math instead of watching the gold-medal-winning hockey game, you probably realize this means there are 13 mascot suits still out there. One set (Sumi, Miga, Quatchi) is with the IOC in Switzerland. Another is at the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum in Calgary. A lone Sumi is with the Paralympic Committee in Germany. But two sets are right here at home as part of the Legacy 2010 collection at the Museum of Vancouver (well, one Sumi is on loan to the Richmond Olympic Experience, but we’re sure our prodigal son will be back eventually).

I’m just glad to know they’re okay, and that if I make the next Olympics, they’ll be there to cheer me on. Fingers crossed they introduce a women’s category for Obsessing Over Unimportant Regional Pop Culture Ephemera from the Early 21st Century.

Got a question for City Informer?
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For example, when Jane wishes to be able to fly, she ends up with the ability to only fly halfway. This leads to hilarious and sometimes challenging situations for the characters to navigate. Half Magic is filled with humor, adventure, and valuable life lessons. The book explores themes of friendship, perseverance, and the importance of being careful what you wish for. It also encourages creative thinking and problem-solving as the children learn to adapt to the peculiarities of half magic. Edward Eager's writing style is engaging and accessible, making the book suitable for both young readers and adults. The story is filled with imaginative descriptions and vivid imagery that bring the magical world to life. Eager's witty and clever dialogue adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the story. Overall, Half Magic is a charming and enjoyable read that captivates readers of all ages. Edward Eager's enchanting tale of half magic and the adventures of the four siblings is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who picks up the book..

Reviews for "The Role of Half Magic and Griopy Brow in Mystic Traditions Around the World"

1. Jane - 2 stars

I was really disappointed with "Half magic griopy brow". The writing felt juvenile and the plot was incredibly predictable. The characters lacked depth and their motivations were unclear. I struggled to connect with any of them and found myself disinterested in their fates. Overall, I couldn't get invested in the story and it ended up being a forgettable read for me.

2. Tom - 1 star

I can't believe this book received so much hype. "Half magic griopy brow" was one of the most poorly written novels I have ever encountered. The grammar and spelling mistakes were distracting and took away from any potential enjoyment. The dialogue was stiff and unnatural, making it difficult to follow conversations between characters. The plot was nonsensical and lacked any coherence. This book was a complete waste of my time and I would not recommend it to anyone.

3. Amy - 2 stars

I had high hopes for "Half magic griopy brow" but unfortunately, it fell flat. The pacing was incredibly slow and it took forever for anything interesting to happen. The world-building was weak and left me with more questions than answers. The romance felt forced and lacked chemistry between the characters. I struggled to connect with the protagonist as her actions often felt illogical. Overall, I found this book to be lackluster and failed to live up to its potential.

The Untapped Power of Half Magic: Using Griopy Brow to Manifest Your Desires