How to find your Bob.
The hunt for Bob was a project unto itself, one we dedicated many hours to. Eventually we tracked him down in Alaska.
Backstory
When we first started Booyant we googled around for some "briney" images to use on the site. We were mostly looking for some little graphics or scraps of inspiration. We had no idea that we would stumble upon a handsome visage that embodies the very ethos of Booyant. We were smitten the first time we gazed into his distant, piercing eyes. Unfortunately, Bob's origins were not immediately apparant, and tracking down his creator proved elusive.
After months of dead ends and heartbreak, we decided to commission the creation of a new Bob. Jeff set to work trying to harness Bob's impossibly Mona Lisa-esque stare. Here's a small sampling of the results:
Attempts to recreate Bob
The Breakthrough
The new Bob was a passable facsimile. We were all set to deploy him on the new site redesign when out of the blue we received the following email:
Devin Lucas, MSCenters for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthThe drawings in the publication you referred to came from Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA). I believe AMSEA got the drawings from Alaska Sea Grant College Program (ASGCP). I think your best bet would be to contact Jerry Dzugan at AMSEA, who may be able to refer you to their contact person at ASGCP where the art originated.
This was a breakthrough indeed! But before we even had a chance to respond, the director of the AMSEA contacted us:
Jerry Dzugan director@amsea.orgWe will talk about this and get back to you. Meanwhile you should know that ownership of this graphic is to AMSEA not CDC. CDC just used our graphic for their publication and the NIOSH branch of CDC is on our Board of Directors, but any thanks for its use goes to AMSEA.
AMSEA is the accronym of the Alaska Marine Safety Education Assn. We are a 501 C3 private non profit that since 1985 has been developing marine safety education and training rsources that include publications, video production, train the trainer training, safety training workshop for mariners around Alaska and the U.S. and much more. You can find out more at www.amsea.org our website.
We will see what we need to do to accommodate your use of "Bob". But it is to AMSEA that Bob's image
This was truly heartening and after some discussion we were granted permission to use Bob. Incredibly, the folks at AMSEA were not only accomodating, they seemed to really understand the spell cast by this singular figure.
Jerry Dzugan director@amsea.orgAnything a few Alaskans can do to help the morale of a bunch of geeky web guys from Boston is fine by us. I am in the SW desert now but returning to Sitka next week and will contact Vern for you and put you in touch with him and let him supply you with any info you want on himself.
Meanwhile I will let you know of our publications we have in the works on Bob.
- "The Book of Bob" (one of the lost chapters of the Apocrypha).
- "My Secret Life with Ted Williams" by "Bob"
- "Bob's Boating with the Boys Boating Safety Book" subtitled "How to use illiteration to further boating safety education".
We also have a Bob doll mascot we use in training that I bought at a Target in Englewood, CO. years ago that has been to McMurdo station, Antarctica besides annual visits to Colorado and Arizona. I may be able to send photos next week with Bob sized PFD, backpack and all.
I'll get back to you for final OK on the copyright in the bubble idea which initially sounds fine with me.
Nice to virtually meet you. Now back to work with me!
Bob used by permission
Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation, based in Sitka, Alaska, dedicated to reducing injury and death in the marine and fresh water environment through education and training. AMSEA has three main areas of focus: train-the-trainer courses along with books and video development to support marine safety trainers; training for mariners, including commercial fishermen; and training for all ages who boat for recreation and subsistence. AlthoughAMSEA's focus is Alaska, AMSEA-trained marine safety instructors also live and provide safety training in 31 other states and abroad. Learn more about AMSEA at www.amsea.org
