How the Gorlok was born
90 Years of Webster
By: Michelle Oyola
Issue date: 5/4/06 Section: News
DeVasto said many entries were typical of the time period. Some designs resembled the album cover of Meat Loaf's "Bat Out of Hell." There were many dragon submissions and even a hanging mobile.
However, one entry stood out. It had no description and no entry name. It was a black and white photo of a man with a mustache in a furry costume. He was smoking a cigar and holding a hand pump spray can. Two burly horns rose out of the costume's head, and the beast had a bit of a pudge on his belly. DeVasto said the entry stood out for the committee because it was unique.
The photo was declared the winner, but no one came forward. The committee decided to plunge ahead anyway and gave the photo to a graphic artist. The artist came up with a variety of drawings. One drawing included the hand pump spray can that appeared in the photo, but students kept making jokes about it.
"People kept discussing what was in the spray can," DeVasto said. It was dropped from the Gorlok's image shortly after.
Other pictures were of the Gorlok playing different sports. Many of these images can still be seen around campus today. The most common one is the "letter sweater pose" image, which is used on Gorlok memorabilia.
The Gorlok looked similar to how it does today in these drawings, except its face was more round and it had a mustache to match the photo. The mustache was dropped in the 1990s, and the face slimmed down over time.
"It's a Gorlok!"
The Webster mascot now had a name and an image, and a press conference was held. The now-defunct St. Louis Globe Democrat, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and various television stations attended. The images of the Gorlok were revealed at the event, and the Gorlok was soon known by all of St. Louis.
The Post-Dispatch ran one of the images, along with the headline "It's a Gorlok!"
Despite all of the publicity, the submitter of the photo still hadn't come forward. It wasn't until the spring of 1986 that the mystery was solved. A student named Larry Underwood was at tryouts for baseball, talking to one of the coaches, when the secret slipped -- he had submitted the photo.
However, one entry stood out. It had no description and no entry name. It was a black and white photo of a man with a mustache in a furry costume. He was smoking a cigar and holding a hand pump spray can. Two burly horns rose out of the costume's head, and the beast had a bit of a pudge on his belly. DeVasto said the entry stood out for the committee because it was unique.
The photo was declared the winner, but no one came forward. The committee decided to plunge ahead anyway and gave the photo to a graphic artist. The artist came up with a variety of drawings. One drawing included the hand pump spray can that appeared in the photo, but students kept making jokes about it.
"People kept discussing what was in the spray can," DeVasto said. It was dropped from the Gorlok's image shortly after.
Other pictures were of the Gorlok playing different sports. Many of these images can still be seen around campus today. The most common one is the "letter sweater pose" image, which is used on Gorlok memorabilia.
The Gorlok looked similar to how it does today in these drawings, except its face was more round and it had a mustache to match the photo. The mustache was dropped in the 1990s, and the face slimmed down over time.
"It's a Gorlok!"
The Webster mascot now had a name and an image, and a press conference was held. The now-defunct St. Louis Globe Democrat, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and various television stations attended. The images of the Gorlok were revealed at the event, and the Gorlok was soon known by all of St. Louis.
The Post-Dispatch ran one of the images, along with the headline "It's a Gorlok!"
Despite all of the publicity, the submitter of the photo still hadn't come forward. It wasn't until the spring of 1986 that the mystery was solved. A student named Larry Underwood was at tryouts for baseball, talking to one of the coaches, when the secret slipped -- he had submitted the photo.
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