Herky on Parade Herky on Parade 20th Anniversary Bobblehead Series unveiled
This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, in conjunction with the University of Iowa and Think Iowa City, unveiled 25 officially licensed, limited-edition bobbleheads commemorating the 20th anniversary of Herky on Parade. The bobbleheads are replicas of the statues that are currently on display throughout the Iowa City area featuring University of Iowa’s beloved mascot Herky the Hawk, who celebrated his 75th birthday on September 1st, 2023. The special edition bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of the University of Iowa.
The series includes 25 bobbleheads replicas of the Herky on Parade statues and a Paint Your Own Herky Bobblehead that allows people to create their own unique Herky on Parade Bobblehead. The bobbleheads included in the series are 25 Years of Captain Kirk, Alumni Band Herky, Can’t Believe it’s Butter Herky, Cartoon Herky, Color Me Herky, Construction Herky, Dr. Grant Herky, Farm Strong Herky, From the Logo Herky, Game Day Herky, Golden Herky, Handcrafted Herky, Hayden Herky, Herk’s Anatomy, Herky in the Wildflowers, Herky’s Salute to Service, Iowa Prairie Proud, Just Herky, Lunch Lady Herky, Old Gold Herky, Paint Your Own Herky, Perspectives, Scout Herky, We Can Do It Iowa, Wrestler Herky, and Yoda.
Standing on a rectangular, gray, stone-like base, the Herky the Hawk bobblehead has his right fist up high, “ready to charge.” Each bobblehead is individually numbered to only 2,024 and is only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in November, are $40 each, plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. A set of all 26 is available for $1,000. Some of the proceeds benefit the University of Iowa and Think Iowa City.
Twenty years after the original parade, the third edition of Herky on Parade returned in May 2024. The wildly popular cooperative effort between the University of Iowa Department of Athletics, the Cities of Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Solon, and Tiffin, Think Iowa City, and Iowa City Area Sports Commission debuted in 2004 and was re-introduced in 2014. In honor of his 75th birthday, Herky made his appearance across Johnson County with 100 new 6-foot-tall statues for all to enjoy. The number of statues was boosted from the originally planned 75 due to an influx of designs and a demand for statues from sponsors.
In the largest public art project Iowa has ever produced, the Herky statues were painted by local and regional artists. They hit the streets for public display on Wednesday, May 1st. The statues will be taken down during the last week of August before FRYfest. Anyone can buy a Herky for $5,000 – although over 50 percent have already been spoken for. Statues not sold will go to auction, with proceeds going to the Iowa City and Clear Creek Amana community school districts in support of art education programs and camp costs for low-income students.
“It’s hard to believe that it has been 20 years since we first ‘took to the streets’ with Herky on Parade in 2004,” Think Iowa City president Josh Schamberger said in a statement. “In 2014, Herky, the mascot, got a new makeover, which we celebrated with the rollout of Herky on Parade 2.0. I recall several of us joking about how we’d be too old to do this again on a 20th anniversary. Well, here it is ten years later, and we’re energized and excited to do it all over again. It coincides perfectly with Herky’s 75th birthday celebration.”
Created by journalism instructor Dick Spencer and first drawn as a cartoon in 1948, Herky made his mascot debut at an Iowa football game in 1959. An immediate hit, Herky acquired his name in a statewide contest. John Franklin came up with the winning suggestion as a reference to Hercules. Since his first appearance, Herky has become a familiar figure at University of Iowa athletic events – home and away. He can also be seen at events throughout the Hawkeye State during the year, including the Iowa State Fair, parades, grand openings, charity events, and weddings. Herky has become a regular representative of Iowa athletics in national mascot competitions, advancing to the national finals in 2006 and 2008.
“We are excited to release these very special Herky on Parade bobbleheads that are replicas of the awesome statues that can be found throughout the Iowa City area,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Herky has been a staple at the University of Iowa for generations and is loved by Hawkeye fans, young and old. We know these bobbleheads will become collectibles that are passed down to future generations of Hawkeyes fans through the state of Iowa and beyond.”
