Tag: 1996 Atlanta Olympics

In the vintage clothing world, there’s a moment when one day you’ll find your childhood wardrobe on sales hangers. About five years ago, CC Indivero and Mike Huddleston of GVG Events started seeing clothes that they wore as kids in the summer of 1996. “At first, I laughed, like they think what I wore when I was 11 is cool, but now, it’s everywhere.”

Like Atlanta’s unlikely journey to host the 1996 Centennial Olympics, for The Games in Black and White filmmakers George Hirthler and Bob Judson, the path to make the new documentary—premiering at the 49th annual Atlanta Film Festival Saturday, April 26 at the Rialto Theatre for the Arts—was equally long and complicated.

I was told by many friends not to get involved in this because there was no way we could possibly win. This was a global entity. It would be like kicking a giant in the toe. That response mystified me. I said, "I didn’t know we chose our battles according to the ones we knew we could win."

Atlanta's soccer scene has evolved over 50 years, starting with Braves executive Dick Cecil lobbying for professional soccer in the city.

Architectural models of Olympic venues. A lacquered flower bouquet like those presented to gold medalists. Licensed Olympic merchandise, from dolls and key chains to motor oil and wine. Oh, and pins—lots and lots of pins.

We recently took a trip to the Izzy archives, where we found memorabilia that in some cases was as strange than the mascot itself.

John Ryan settled on a character that was neither human nor animal. It resembled a blue tear, with hands sprouting three fingers and a thumb, lightning eyebrows, and a big, sheepish grin.