Bluey McBlue Face? Name Crayola's replacement for Dandelion
Or Sciencey McScience Face? The upcoming crayon was inspired by the first new blue pigment to be discovered in 200 years.
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The Dandelion crayon is probably still mad about it, but Crayola introduced its replacement on Friday, and wants to invite fans to help give it a name. (Bluey McBlue Face, anyone?)
The crayon company used National Crayon Day (March 31) to announce it was retiring the yellow crayon called Dandelion and that a blue crayon would eventually replace it in the classic 24-color box. On Friday, that blue was revealed, and it has a special history. It's based on a special blue pigment discovered in 2009 by scientists at Oregon State University -- the first new blue pigment found in 200 years.
The pigment has the un-melodious name of "YInMn" (pronounced yin-min), which comes from a mashup of the names of its elements: yttrium, indium and manganese oxides. Color that a mouthful, so Crayola is holding a contest to give it a (way) better name.
You can submit ideas until June 2, and the top five names will be put up for a vote on July 1, with a name announcement in September.
And don't feel too bad for Dandelion. Crayola is hawking his death tour for all it's worth, even selling a two-pound Dandelion crayon and an entire 64-count box of his regular-sized crayon.