The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled four officially licensed, limited-edition Milwaukee Panthers Fight Song Bobbleheads and two Milwaukee Panthers Vintage Bobbleheads. The Fight Song Bobbleheads feature Pounce Panther, the mascot of the Milwaukee Panthers, in four different basketball jerseys and play the “UWM Fight Song” at the push of a button. The two Milwaukee Panthers Vintage Bobbleheads feature the Panthers’ vintage designs. The special edition bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of the Milwaukee Panthers.
The debut of the new bobbleheads comes as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is celebrating Pounce’s Sweet 16 Birthday. The Pounce mascot debuted in 2007 when Victor E. Panther was retired.
Standing on a base with PANTHERS across the front and a backing that includes the Milwaukee Panthers logo, the Pounce bobblehead is giving the number 1 sign. The bobblehead, which plays the “UWM Fight Song” at the push of a button, is available in four jersey colors – black, gray, gold, and white. There are also two versions of the first-ever Milwaukee Panthers vintage bobbleheads – one with a panther wearing a gold UWM sweater, and the other with a panther holding a gold UWM flag with its tail.
The Pounce bobbleheads, which are individually numbered to 2,023, cost $40 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order, while the Vintage bobbleheads, which are individually numbered to 1,000, cost $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. In stock and ready to ship, the bobbleheads are available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store and at the Museum. A selection of bobbleheads will also be available at the Team Store in the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was founded in 1956 when Wisconsin State College-Milwaukee merged with the University of Wisconsin-Extension’s Milwaukee division. First known as the Cardinals with a color scheme of red and white, UWM adopted the Panthers nickname in 1965 and changed the school colors to black and gold. In 1972, Victor E. Panther was introduced as the school’s costumed mascot. Victor E. Panther helped lead UWM’s jump to the NCAA Division I level in the early-1990s. The Panthers left the Mid-Continent Conference to join the Midwestern Collegiate Conference beginning with the 1994-95 academic year. The conference changed its name to the Horizon League on June 4, 2001.
After Victor E. Panther “graduated” from UWM following a 35-year collegiate career, Pounce Panther was introduced during an October Panther Madness event. A black panther with yellow accents on his paws, nails, eyebrows, ears and whiskers, Pounce made his official debut on Nov. 1, 2007, when UWM hosted UW-Parkside in an exhibition men’s basketball game at U.S. Cellular Arena. In October 2021, Pounce was the subject of the children’s book, “Hello, Pounce,” written by Donna Pasternak and Hope Longwell-Grice. The book depicts Pounce’s adventures as he moves around campus enjoying a variety of academic and social experiences highlighting life at UWM.
“As a proud UWM alum, it’s very exciting to unveil these Milwaukee Panthers bobbleheads in conjunction with Pounce’s 16th birthday celebration!” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “The one constant in the last 60 years of UWM Athletics has been the Panthers nickname and the school colors of black and gold. These bobbleheads are must-haves for all fans of the Panthers.”
“We’ve produced thousands of bobbleheads since founding the museum nearly 10 years ago, but these are among the most special to us given our connection to UWM. Our college bobbleheads are available from coast-to-coast, and the Milwaukee Panthers are our new favorites!” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and President Brad Novak said.