What's on this guy's shirt?

March 19, 2008 12:12 PM

Help me figure out what is on this guy's shirt

I saw someone today wearing a shirt with a figure on it that seemed familiar, but I can't place. The figure is a man, but just the outline, colored entirely green. He's wearing a hat, sort of like a boater, and he looks like he's running. It sort of resembles a board game token, something like this only flat, green and wearing a hat. Any ideas?

posted by Bulgaroktonos to sports, hobbies, & recreation (8 comments total)

I THINK it might be Life is Good. Their stuff has cute stick figures, being active.
posted by misha at 12:16 PM on March 19, 2008

is it this guy ?

From the description, it looks like a east-Berlin "green light for pedestrian" signal. it has nostalgia/icon status
posted by Baud at 12:23 PM on March 19, 2008

I have a t-shirt with the Berlin guy on it, so they certainly exist.
posted by nev at 12:33 PM on March 19, 2008

Thirding the Berlin traffic light guy, also called Der Ampelmann
posted by _dario at 12:38 PM on March 19, 2008

What Baud and _dario said, but with a bit of background:

It's the EAST germany traffic light guy. The communist section of Germany had green and red traffic light men who had hats on. They were thought to be more "worker friendly" and when the Germanys merged the East didn't want to give him up! So he's now become a symbol for the former communist East. Half of Berlin has the little workers with their hats on, and the other half has more "stick-figure" like traffic light men.
posted by Planet F at 12:44 PM on March 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

Yeah, that's definitely the guy. I've still got no idea where I've seen it before, but that's him. Thanks guys.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:59 PM on March 19, 2008

Followup to Planet F:

Der Ampelmann was the East German "Walk" signal. After reunification, there had been a plan to replace the figures with their Western counterparts. Because he had become such a cultural icon, many objected, and the current plan is to replace all the Western signals instead.

This is purely anecdotal, from my host mother last year.
posted by Picklegnome at 1:15 PM on March 19, 2008

As a further little followup, Ampelmann T-shirts are readily available in tourist shops in Berlin. I bought mine in one.
posted by sueinnyc at 2:43 PM on March 19, 2008