Cold-air Inflatables on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
A tube man, also known as a skydancer, air dancer, inflatable man and originally called the Noodle Guy, is an inflatable
A tube man, also known as a skydancer, air dancer, inflatable man and originally called the Noodle Guy, is an inflatable stick figure
Stick Figure is an American reggae and dub band founded in 2005. The group has released eight full-length albums and one instrumental album (Prince Fatty Presents), all of which were written and produced by frontman and self-taught multi-instr ...
comprising sections of fabric tubing attached to a fan. As the fan blows air through it, the tubing moves in a dynamic dancing or flailing motion. Tube men are typically used to advertise retail business premises to passing motorists, but have also found use within agricultural industries.
History
Peter Minshall
Peter Minshall (born 16 July 1941) is a Trinidadian carnival artist (described colloquially in Trinidad and Tobago as a "mas-man"). He has been the artistic director for the opening ceremonies of three Olympic Games: Barcelona (1992), Atlanta ...
, an artist from Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
, came up with the concept, and it was developed by a team that included Israeli artist Doron Gazit
Doron Gazit with his art installation, Red Line Project.
Doron Gazit (; born 1953) is an Israeli environmental artist, activist and industrial designer recognized for his large-scale outdoor environmental art installations.
Gazit studied indu ...
and Arieh Dranger, for the 1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
. Minshall originally called his invention the "Tall Boy". Gazit eventually patented the concept of an inflatable, dancing human-shaped balloon, and licensed the patent to various companies that manufacture and sell the devices.
Some in the agricultural industry have used tube men in their fields as alternatives to scarecrows.
References in pop culture
A notable reference in pop culture comes fromAl Harrington
Albert Harrington (born February 17, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. Selected with the 25th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, Harrington played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Indiana ...
, a recurring character on the sitcom ''Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...
'', who is owner, president, and CEO of "Al Harrington's Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm-Flailing Tubeman Emporium and Warehouse".
In the 2022 film '' Nope'', the protagonists used tube men as a method for detecting the presence of an alien.
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
wrestler Bayley decorated her entrance with tube men, called Bayley Buddies, while in her "hugger" character. In October 2019 she destroyed the Bayley Buddies before revealing a new look.
See also
*List of inflatable manufactured goods
This is a non-comprehensive list of inflatable manufactured goods, as no such list could ever completely contain all items that regularly change. An inflatable is an object that can typically be inflated with a gas, including air, hydrogen, heliu ...
References
{{reflist Balloons Advertising by medium