# Haskell plush toy
**URL:** https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [June 14, 2021, 6:14am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654 "2021-06-14T06:14:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@marcosh](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/marcosh)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 6:14am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/1 "2021-06-14T06:14:04Z")
Hey all,
on of the things I particularly like of the PHP community are the elephpants (see [https://afieldguidetoelephpants.net/](https://afieldguidetoelephpants.net/)), plush toys which work as mascot for several PHP related projects.
I was wondering if something similar could be done for the Haskell community. I’m imagining a purple husky, but could be whatever.
I think it could be a nice tool to sustain the growth of a friendly community. What do you think?
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### Author:  [@tonyalaribe](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/tonyalaribe)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 7:04am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/2 "2021-06-14T07:04:54Z")
In go we have the gopher mascots. While Rust has the ferris crab. I have both on my shelf right now.
Maybe Haskell should adopt a cute mascot as well. This can also serve as marketting tool.
Heck, even good ol’ Linux has the Tux penguin mascot.
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### Author:  [@sclv](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/sclv)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 7:08am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/3 "2021-06-14T07:08:57Z")
As per the choice by O’Reilly for the cover of Real World Haskell, we already have the hercules beetle: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules\_beetle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_beetle)
Alternately, there’s the narwhal: [https://wiki.haskell.org/File:NarleyYeeaaahh.jpg](https://wiki.haskell.org/File:NarleyYeeaaahh.jpg)
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### Author:  [@brechtserckx](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/brechtserckx)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 8:09am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/4 "2021-06-14T08:09:00Z")
> [@sclv](#):
>
> As per the choice by O’Reilly for the cover of Real World Haskell, we already have the hercules beetle: [Hercules beetle - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_beetle)
Harry the Hercules beetle
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### Author:  [@tomjaguarpaw](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/tomjaguarpaw)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 9:01am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/5 "2021-06-14T09:01:07Z")
> [@brechtserckx](#):
>
> Harry the Hercules beetle
How about “Hasky” the beetle 😃
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### Author:  [@Elland](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/Elland)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 2:17pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/6 "2021-06-14T14:17:49Z")
Adding this to the list of things I didn’t know I needed. A purple plush narwhal or beetle would be great!
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### Author:  [@Solid](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/Solid)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/7 "2021-06-14T14:39:49Z")
I can’t think of anything more glorious than Hasky the husky 🙂
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### Author:  [@jaror](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/jaror)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 3:11pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/8 "2021-06-14T15:11:07Z")
[Accelerate](https://hackage.haskell.org/package/accelerate) has a Theia (that is what the alt-text says), as mascot:
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### Author:  [@tarleb](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/tarleb)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/9 "2021-06-21T19:10:26Z")
Two ideas which I remembered (neither is from me)
Monica Monad, a Warm Fuzzy Thing
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### Author:  [@mtonnberg](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/mtonnberg)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2021, 7:40pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/10 "2021-06-21T19:40:17Z")
I think this is a great idea! I do not have any specific proposal but I think something friendly over something “cool” is preferable.
To have names that refer to fundamental concepts (like Monad) could be good to make those concepts friendlier. However, it could also make the mascot itself more unfriendly _“Even their mascot has a name I cannot understand”_. Maybe it is good if people just can start using Haskell and without noticing learn those concepts.
If that is true, that would suggest that a name that is relatable and not directly connected to infamous terms is the best.
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### Author:  [@ChShersh](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/ChShersh)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2021, 8:07am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/11 "2021-06-22T08:07:20Z")
I would love to have a Haskell mascot ❤ Making the language friendlier can help newcomers overcome the fear of starting! Haskell often can look overly intimidating and scary, and it doesn’t help with learning 😞
In Kowainik, we were also thinking about the Haskell mascot. And we came up with “Lemon Ada”. There’s a hidden pun with “monada” inside the name but it doesn’t scare people immediately. Also, I believe this mascot helps with promoting diversity and women in tech.
> DISCLAIMER: We’re not professional artists; this is just a sketch.
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### Author:  [@marcosh](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/marcosh)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2021, 8:23am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/12 "2021-06-22T08:23:59Z")
These are all great ideas!
What I see missing here is an organization who could organize ideas and also lead the actual production of the plush toys (or stickers, or whatever deemed appropriate), while keeping the profits of the sell. I wonder if the [@haskell-foundation](https://discourse.haskell.org/groups/haskell-foundation) would be interested in such a thing or if it goes outside its role
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### Author:  [@mtonnberg](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/mtonnberg)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2021, 11:32am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/13 "2021-06-22T11:32:16Z")
I have used [https://www.stickermule.com/](https://www.stickermule.com/) a lot for stickers and they are great (I’m not affiliated in any way, just a happy customer). They do not do plush animals though. After doing some research (a 90 seconds search 🙂 ) it seems like there are several companies that do just that, for example [https://www.stuffedanimalpros.com/mascot-stuffed-animals/](https://www.stuffedanimalpros.com/mascot-stuffed-animals/). I have never used them so I do not know anything about price or quality.
But I guess the bigger issue is to to decide on the actual mascot, or decide on how to make the decision 🙂 .
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### Author:  [@myShoggoth](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/myShoggoth)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/14 "2021-06-22T16:07:03Z")
I love this thread, keep it going!
We’re exploring a merch store for the HF, and would certainly be open to carrying a plush.
On the HF Slack we have a #merch-shop channel to discuss ideas, too, but I’ll definitely be watching this thread.
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### Author:  [@mtonnberg](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/mtonnberg)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/15 "2021-06-22T18:48:27Z")
I like this. Both the name and the play on words. I understand that it was an early sketch but I quite like nevertheless - but I think it is good if we avoid stereotypical “girl” attributes like long eyelashes, I feel that is a bit counter-productive. (I do not have any problems with the mascot being clearly feminine but I think there are better way to express that).
One downside is that lemons are not very cuddly though 🙂 …
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### Author:  [@sclv](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/sclv)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2021, 8:58pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/16 "2021-06-23T20:58:37Z")
Talking to some friends I realized that most languages, etc. have picked somewhat uncommon animals as mascots – camels, gophers, etc. Ideas for Haskell mascots have followed suit.
But we don’t have to accept this state of affairs. The above means that _the most common animals are wide open_. In particular, no language has just said yet “our mascot is a cat.” Not like an especially interesting or exotic cat, or a particular cat with a particular name belonging to a particular person. Just, a cat, like, in general. See any cat? That’s our mascot!
Haskell is a great language, it deserves a top tier mascot, common, recognizable, widely loved. Let’s take cats. Literally nothing is stopping us. (Also we get cat theory puns as a bonus). See a cat anywhere in the world? Think Haskell! Now _that’s_ branding.
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### Author:  [@jaror](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/jaror)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2021, 9:07pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/17 "2021-06-23T21:07:21Z")
Didn’t SPJ call his cat Haskell? I think I remember that from the escape from the ivory tower presentation on youtube.
Edit: yes, at [17:00](https://youtu.be/re96UgMk6GQ?t=1020):
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### Author:  [@simonpj](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/simonpj)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2021, 9:15pm UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/18 "2021-06-23T21:15:11Z")
Yes: we have a cat, and he is indeed called Haskell. My children insisted on the name. “We all know that Haskell is your first child, so we should have a member of the household called Haskell”.
Haskell is pretty old now, and sleeps a lot. (Maybe he is garbage collecting.)
Simon
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### Author:  [@mtonnberg](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/mtonnberg)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2021, 8:57am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/19 "2021-06-24T08:57:09Z")
I like this idea! Then we could have Cat the Cat (Cat as in both Catherine and the animal cat)
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### Author:  [@marcosh](https://discourse.haskell.org/u/marcosh)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2021, 10:02am UTC](https://discourse.haskell.org/t/haskell-plush-toy/2654/20 "2021-06-24T10:02:29Z")
do not forget that Cat could be a reference also to category theory!
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