The artwork of Mister Cartoon can be seen pretty much everywhere — tattooed on celebrities, exhibited in art galleries, airbrushed on cars, painted on public walls and printed on team jerseys.
Still, the 60-year-old San Pedro native, whose real name is Mark Machado, didn’t expect to see his work covering the faces of some Dodgers players as they celebrated the team’s World Series berth in the clubhouse Sunday night.
“At first I thought I was seeing things, then I was like man that’s crazy,” Cartoon told The Times on Monday in an email. “I was watching live with my family and started to get a gang of calls and texts right when it was going down.”
The Chicano artist probably wasn’t the only person who thought he was seeing things. Millions of viewers likely weren’t expecting to see men in Dodgers-themed clown masks taking part in the wild, champagne- and beer-soaked festivities following the team’s National League Championship Series-clinching 10-5 win over the New York Mets.
But that’s how some players — including relief pitchers Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol — chose to mark the occasion. And Cartoon couldn’t be more thrilled, following the launch of his MLB clown mask collection earlier this month.
“A few of the fellas in the bullpen reached out during the series,” Cartoon said. “They had seen the mask on social media and loved it, so my team sent a bunch over. I had no idea they would end up part of the celebration!”
Selling for $95 each, the masks come with a removable strap for wearing and a wall mount for displaying. They are officially licensed by Major League Baseball and are available featuring the logo and colors for 21 of the league’s 30 teams, including a pinstripe pattern for the Dodgers’ World Series opponent, the New York Yankees.
The overall look is signature Mister Cartoon.
“The design is inspired by the icon I put in almost all my art, ‘the Clown,’ which I have been drawing since [I was] a kid,” Cartoon said. “Really inspired by many aspects of my life and culture, from the Soul music era of the ’60s, when ‘The Tears of a Clown’ aired on the radio and classic Chevrolet Impalas were brand new. I wanted to create a piece of art you can wear, hang and collect.”
The first time many people saw Cartoon’s mask design was after Game 6 of the NLCS, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was addressing his team in the clubhouse. Standing among the players — and in clear view of the Fox Sports cameras — was a shirtless, heavily tattooed clown, holding a champagne bottle in each hand.
That turned out to be Banda, who gave up one run and one hit, struck out two and walked one during 1 1/3 innings during the Dodgers’ 10-5 win. Asked if he had inked any of Banda’s tattoos, Cartoon responded: “I did not. He has clean work, but he needs to save some space for me.”
The Dodgers are back in the World Series for the first time since winning it in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. Instead of the protective masks that were ubiquitous during that period, perhaps clown masks will be the accessory of choice this time around.
Cartoon said the exposure has definitely been good for business.
“It’s been wild since last night, with overwhelming support,” he said. “People have been ordering and collecting.”
But, Cartoon added, it means much more than dollars and cents to him.
“I have been a Dodger fan my whole life,” he said. “This project was years in the making to get it to this point. And for it to launch right as the Dodgers make it into the World Series and have the players that fight so hard every day for the sport and the fans make it a part of the celebration, it’s a real honor, an amazing feeling for me, the art, the culture and my family.”