Mascots & Merch
Note
Merch items featuring these mascots and other designs are available in the FAWM Bandcamp store: https://fawm.bandcamp.com.
Helga the Duck
Helga is a duck, first introduced by fawmer @karan in 2009.
In her original incarnation, Helga was a rubber duck, holding a heart with the circa-2009 FAWM.ORG logo painted on it. @karan offered to mail the duck as a gift to the next fawmer to donate $100 or more to FAWM. To everyone's surprise, that fawmer (can anyone remember?) photographed the duck all over their hometown before offering her up again to the next donor, and the process repeated.
Over the years, the rubber duck has traveled all over the world and made appearances at multiple Fawmstock gatherings. To the best of our knowledge, she currently resides with fawmer @dragondreams in the UK.
Helga's likeness has continued to evolve in FAWM website illustrations and merch items, as well as a stuffed animal.
Sloan the Sloth
Sloan made his debut in FAWM 2024 as a companion to Helga.
He represents slothcore, a music genre invented by fawmer @candle in FAWM 2022. Generally ambient in nature. It is defined as
"Very slow (like 20-40 bpm), dirty & with long pauses to simulate naps. Perfect music for that overworked college/university student in your life."
The genre has spawned several fawmer-orgainized compilation albums, with proceeds going to sloth conservation projects in Costa Rica.