Illustrator Matt Blease recently joined a tiny but illustrious team: creatives who have cared for Penguin Books’ lovable penguin mascot, Alan.
In 1935, 21-year-old artist Edward Young created Alan at the direction of Penguin publisher (and mascot namesake) Allen Lane. In 1946, none other than Jan Tschichold reshaped the character to give him cleaner appearance. In 2003, Pentagram designer Angus Hyland gave Alan a more “chipper” air by redesigning his posture and peak.
In 2026, for the publisher’s 90th anniversary, Blease broke Alan out of his familiar orange lozenge and let him run amok. The penguin is shown hiking, dancing, conversing, jumping, sliding, and even skateboarding. The goal was to expand the brand with whimsy and motion, while still maintaining the core identity.
From a Fast Company article: “The penguins needed to look like Penguin Random House’s iconic logo… but they couldn’t be the exact same bird. [Blease] imagined them as ‘part of the same family,’ sketching out penguins that might reasonably be ‘guests at Alan’s wedding.’”
