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.”
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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.
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