Meet Olympic Mascots, Mandeville And Wenlock

If you are a fan of the Olympics then you may want to get acquainted with Mandevllle and Wenlock, the one-eyed mascots for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Launched amidst much fanfare last week, the duo who look eerily similar to Monster Inc.'s Mike Wazoswki, were picked amongst the many designs submitted, largely because officials believe they will appeal to children. The creative agency that came up with the idea has even crafted a story around the two, which starts with their rather unusual names.

Wenlock inherits his name from the19th century Wenlock games, the inspiration for the first Olympics, while Mandeville is named in honor of the Stoke Mandeville games, believed to be the forerunner to the Paralympics.

While at first sight, they may seem like curvy one-eyed monsters, a closer look reveals more meaningful insight into the design curves. The three dents on Wenlock's head represent the three medals that are won in each event, while Mandeville's aerodynamic head features the three colors of the paralympics. Wendell wears friendship bracelets bearing the five Olympic colors, while the more competitive Mandeville ties his 'personal best timer', around his wrist. As for the single eyes - Well, they are really not eyes but cameras, which will take in the entire glory of the summer games.

The futuristic-looking mascots have begun to show up at schools all over London, inspiring kids to move and play sports. As is the case with all famous monsters, er mascots, they even have a website and a four-minute animated film featuring their story!

sources: dailymail.co.uk, cnn.com