View of the River Thames, London, England with Clyde the Big Red Indian

Bobby Martin on Clyde the Big Red Indian: “In America, sports team mascots, food companies and truck stop gift shops all trade on the use of stereotypes and cartoonish symbols of ‘Indians.’ Misconceptions and generalizations of North American Native peoples remain part of the culture, effectively obscuring the actual communities, who, by the way, are still alive and well. That’s when I decided to get my studio mascot, Clyde, involved. An enduring stereotype himself, Clyde was a willing representative to send to battle against the forces of misinformation and stereotyping. Though he seems a mere plastic toy, in my world his stature has grown to Godzilla like proportions as he looms over the horizon to face down the ‘fake news’ of colonialization narratives.”

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