Subway Mascots

Here are two versions of subway mascots in Seoul. Which one do you like better?

Podori the Police Mascot

I thought I'd share the mascot for the Korean National Police Agency, Podori, with you. Isn't he cute?
In case you didn't know, combining such cute characters with not so cute organizations, like the police department, softens that organizations image. Who would you rather have boss you around, a gruff looking police officer or little Podori? But don't be mistaken, Podori is the real deal. If you look closely you'll notice that his badge is not a mere drawing but a real badge!
I think there may be a problem with having Podori as a mascot. He may be too cute a character for the police department. It almost makes me want to commit a small crime just so I can see him. Then maybe I can give him a choco pie and he'll let me off the hook. Then we can go get pizza or something and we'll become close buds. Then we'll team up and become a crime fighting team!
I also noticed that Podori's design seems awfully similar to this character in Pata Pota Monta, a Japanese production. Maybe they are cousins? I prefer Podori, though. Especially in the first image. I particularly like the way his eyes are drawn.

Star Popeye Snack

Here's Popeye!

He's not sponsoring spinach, but Star Popeye Snack (Byeol Popeye) produced by Samyang Food. I found this at a stationery/toy shop. I think this is a very rich package design. On the front, Popeye is saying, "star candy included".And he wasn't lying. There is white sugary star candy mixed in with the mildly flavored noodle cookies.

I've also seen Popeye being used to sponsor a singing room (norae-bang). Tom and Jerry are classic U.S. cartoon characters that are used much more frequently in character goods in Korea.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the start of exciting Halloween posts!

Animation Museum

Korea has an animation museum. It's the only one in Korea and it's located in Chuncheon.

There are various sections, many of which are somehow interactive. There's a section that describes some of the history of animation, sections about the production of the animation process, a section of old Korean comics and more.
The section on animation from different regions in the world is a lot of fun. It displays character toys from those places. The section on North Korean animation was interesting, especially the way in which some animation is co-produced there.

Unfortunately, the exhibits are written mostly in Korean, so if you can't read Korean, you might not get as much out of it. Fortunately, animation is visual in nature, so you can understand most of what's going on.If you live in Korea, this is worth the visit. Even if you don't like the museum, Chuncheon is a beautiful natural city and there is a peaceful view of Lake Hyeonamni behind the museum. You can also check out the crazy art pieces made of reused junk scattered around the museum. My favorite is a Chinese style dragon made of tires.

The museum sits between two animation studios. Across the street is a restuarant (or cafe?) called Sketchbook. Maybe I'll investigate and report about this later.

For more information, you can visit the museum's website which is: http://www.animationmuseum.com/ or the Chuncheon City website.