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His name is Coaster, a green dragon whose look has been “refreshed” for the first time in two decades in order to appeal to kids throughout the county.
Coaster was created by Vincent Lovallo, Harrison native and Art Director at Archie Comic Publications in Pelham. Lovallo says his fond memories of visiting Playland each summer served as the source of his inspiration when creating the fictional character.
“When I first started working on Coaster, I tried to channel my inner child and think back to all the things I loved when I was growing up. I thought about Disney, my favorite Nickelodeon cartoons, the mascots that I loved on the back of my cereal boxes,” said Lovallo. “But I really wanted to make sure he was a friendly, approachable dragon that appealed to kids because having a friendly face attached to Playland was very important to me.”
Lovallo says he first mocked up three different dragons before finalizing the perfect “Coaster.”
Coaster is just one initiative of Westchester County’s ongoing plan to revitalize Playland Park during the 2019 season, officials say. The new mascot will be promoted with a social media campaign #HeyCoaster, and children are encouraged to take a photo with the cartoon and post it online.
“I hope Coaster’s new look will bring joy and excitement to kids all over Westchester County,” said Lovallo, “just as Playland has done for me all these years.”
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