HuskerfaninOkieland
Heisman Trophy Winner
Linky-Dinky-Doo
The story behind NU's Lil' Red has now been told
By KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
Friday, Oct 10, 2008 - 12:53:09 am CDT
All Nebraska fans know Herbie Husker and his 8-foot-tall sidekick Lil’ Red.
Herbie was born in 1974 when Lubbock, Texas, cartoonist Dirk West drew the cover for the Cotton Bowl. Nebraska assistant athletic director Don Bryant said he wanted a mascot to look like the drawing.
That marked the demise of Harry Husker, who supplanted Mr. Cornhead in 1964, who took over for short-lived Huskie Husker, who supplanted Corn Cob Man Head, who first appeared in 1942.
Paul Rea was vexed that not much was known about Lil’ Red.
About all we knew was that Lil’ Red, a brainstorm of former NU assistant athletic director Barb Hibner, was inspired by the Omaha Lancer.
The Husker bubble boy, powered by a student and a small blower, proved to be a favorite of kids and adult fans everywhere.
“I wanted to tell why a 4-year-old boy, with his ‘N’ hat on sideways, wearing coveralls, was the mascot for Nebraska,” said Rea, author of the book “Legend of Lil’ Red.”
Before Rea’s creation, not much was known about Lil’ Red. We knew Lil’ Red could make his head disappear into his body and that he could bounce on his head, deflate and inflate on a whim.
Former Nebraska athletic director Bill Byrne was so taken with Lil’ Red, he conspired to hide the body of Herbie Husker in 1994. Husker Nation was in an uproar at the perceived injustice. Herbie survived and now plays second fiddle to Lil’ Red.
But Rea, a local bankruptcy attorney, figured the biggest little Husker needed some deep background.
Thus “Legend of Lil’ Red,” conceived, written and produced by Rea, and illustrated by Nathan Voss, was born.
“I wanted something fun, interesting and something that tells a story,” said Rea, who has put his own money into publishing a book that will probably fill more than a few Christmas stockings this year.
Rea was coaxed into doing the book by friends, relatives and a burning desire to tell a story of a little farm boy who finally gets to a Nebraska game and learns about “Not the victory, but the game.”
“The hardest part, besides putting my savings on the line, was reciting the book to the university and getting the idea approved,” Rea said. “I was pretty nervous.”
Giving birth to the story and pursuing the year-long project, Rea focused on keeping a reverential tone for his favorite mascot of his favorite team.
Rea grew up in Ralston, earned a degree in photojournalism at Kansas, his J.D. at Nebraska and served in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Voss grew up in Lincoln and now lives in Omaha.
“This is a project of love and admiration,” Rea said. “After years of listening to Lyell Bremser on the radio, I was a sophomore when I went to my first game.
“The Huskers grabbed my heart. It meant so much to me and all the people around me.
“I wanted to give Lil’ Red some heart and meaning, too.”
“The Legend of Lil’ Red,” published by Mascot Publishing, has 64 pages and available at most local bookstores for $16.95.
Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.
