By Lauren Muthler

On September 24, Bellefonte graphic artist Brian Allen did his best to try to avoid social media.

The mascot that he designed for the Philadelphia Flyers — Gritty — had just been unleashed on the world, and the Flyers organization warned Allen that the initial reaction might not be all that great.

But as hard as he tried, Allen could not completely block out the giant tidal wave that washed over all corners of the internet when the orange, fuzzy monster with wild googly eyes and a beer gut first shimmied and shook his way onto the stage in front of a room full of screaming children at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. (Click here to read more)

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