A full and rich history, narrative, and nostalgia were the driving powers towards choosing Pardoes, Efteling's beloved mascot. Pardoes, created in 1989, is greater than an image of a jester-like character, but rather a representation of the magic and wonder of the Efteling theme park. His development over the years into a park centerpiece qualifies him as an ideal subject for a 3D model database marrying cultural heritage and modern-day digital technology.
Pardoes' persona is one full of storytelling conventions, drawing upon the jester or trickster figure. Jesters in folk tradition entertain, irritate, and instruct, often using humor to flip the rules of society upside down. This mythic pattern can be found in Pardoes, whose growth in Efteling has followed in direct synchronicity with the park's growth as a fantasy and imagination world. His journey from raucous badness to symbol of the magic of the park is a representation of bigger ideas of development and transformation, and as such, he is a perfect character to bring into play using 3D computer modeling.
Aside from his story's importance, Pardoes also occupies a unique position in the hearts of Efteling guests, especially children who experienced the park when they were young. For many, Pardoes is an indispensable part of their childhood, a character that is synonymous with magical family outings, spellbinding tales, and memories that time cannot erase. Including him in our digital collection is one way of reuniting with past experiences and offering the generations to come a chance to feel the mascot's history in a tangible, engaging manner. Pardoes, in this case, is not just a character but an icon of nostalgia and transition between the past and present experiences.
A picture we took while we were on a field trip to the Efteling (for research of course)
Pardoes will be among the objects of the Toys with a Voice series, an overall program to preserve and study cultural icons through digital media. Like toys, which are used as symbolic surrogates to narrate cultural narratives, Pardoes' 3D print allows people to touch and engage with a piece of history. Through this project, Pardoes' evolution and additionally how narrative can overcome traditional methods by creating immersive, virtual worlds is explored. This enables users to interact more with his character, his role in the world of Efteling, and the narrative processes that bring him to life in new, meaningful ways.