I was the first mascot for the Sacramento Kings. Long before there was Slamson I was there as KC Gull, a Seagull designed by the same guy who created the famous San Diego Chicken costume.

Just out of high school, I was ecstatic to earn 15 bucks an hour prancing around in costume. I’ve always considered myself an actor, but I’ve also always been extremely shy. Running around anonymously in a full-body costume was the perfect way to get my acting fill. I wasn’t allowed to talk, and I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone that it was me. Without doubt it created some of the best work-related memories of my life. Along with Kings games, I danced at the Sacramento Jazz Festival and worked parades, parties and countless Sacramento-area events. I sweated at outdoor

events in sweltering heat. Who am I kidding? I sweated at every event, even cool, air-conditioned venues. The costume was several layers of clothing on top of a 1 inch layer of foam. It weighed probably 25 pounds. It didn’t breathe, and sometimes I couldn’t either.

KC was officially owned by KCTC a local AM radio station–soft music that feels good. As a promotional gimmick it was hugely successful for both the radio station and the PR firm that hired me. I was told that I was chosen for the job because I could juggle and ride a unicycle. Perhaps there was a bit of nepotism involved: The PR firm was McClelland and McNally, my father’s business for more than 15 years.

There was never a shortage of stories to tell after a costumed gig. There was the time my “bird keeper,” Vi McNally and I made an impromptu appearance at the Sacramento State Hornets stadium just before a football game. In short time I was tackled face down in the mud. Vi could do nothing but stand by and watch.

I worked many parades, both at Christmas and St. Patrick’s day. At Shanleys Bar and Grill after a night-time parade gig I was hit on by a drunken reveler so hard that I had to break one of the only rules of the costume and speak to him in my own voice. The look on his face when he found out I was a guy was priceless. I had shaved legs at the time because I was a cyclist and it was common for people to think I was a female. It was one of the only times I actually spoke in costume. The other was at the Jazz Festival in Old Sacramento. As we made our way from one venue to another, I ran across an old high school friend, Mark Jackson. I was entertaining the crowd, dancing and going crazy. Whenever I came close to Mark I yelled out his name through the costumes furry beak. He had no idea who I was and I messed with him for hours, only telling him it was me years later.

St. Pat’s parade winners, Andrew Harris, ? , Steve as KC Gull, Trista Tisnado, Jon Okamoto, Tom McClelland and Vincent Gee[/caption]The Jazz Festival grew so large that they had other venues outside of Old Sacramento. I spent nearly an hour at an outdoor venue in front of a local bank in nearly 100 degree weather. A hundred degrees outside means 110 in the costume, and here I was dancing and working the crowd. A true actor knows how to suffer for his craft, but I remember feeling like I was going to pass out several times. Vi kept me hydrated and in the end I survived to tell the story.

It was the job of the bird keeper to keep me safe. That might mean safe from drunken bar-goers or even 5 year old kids. The kids were the worst. In many of my first gigs I handed out small refrigerator magnets to everyone at the event. At Fairytale Town I was so bombarded by kids climbing up my legs and trying to wrestle the magnets away from me that Vi could barely do her job. I panicked and looked through the costumes’ screened-in eyes for some respite from my keeper and all I saw was the same panicked look on her face. They pulled on my wings, stepped on my over-sized shoes, and those who were tall enough pulled on the head or tried to pry the beak open to see who was inside.

Shanleys Bar and Grill entered into the St. Patrick’s parade in 1985. With only a day to practice we put together a rag tag team of participants complete with chef’s hats, mustache glasses and a sloppy marching routine behind Shanley’s antique fire engine. Oh, and there was a seagull. We won first place.