Robert Boudwin: The Original Clutch the Bear Mascot's Life Beyond the Costume

The Life of Clutch the Bear

• 🐻 Robert Boudwin was the Houston Rockets mascot, Clutch the Bear, for 21 years, from 1995 to 2016.
• 💡 He created the character three months after the Rockets' second championship in 1995.
• 🎭 The most missed aspect of being a mascot was making people laugh and performing conceived, directed, and produced bits for 18,000 people.
• 😩 The least missed aspect was dealing with management.

Beyond the Mascot Role

• 📚 Boudwin has released a new book detailing his life experiences.
• 📖 The book, subtitled "The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: Mascots, Marathons, Mayhem, Twins, Transplants, and Tattoos," covers six key areas of his life.
• ❓ Common questions that annoyed him included "What's your real job?" and requests for free merchandise or autographs.

The Origin of Clutch

• 🌟 The decision to have a bear mascot was made by owner Les Alexander.
• 🧸 Boudwin believed a teddy bear is a universally loved symbol, which he then developed into the character of Clutch.
• 🎨 He was responsible for the design, naming, and persona of Clutch the Bear.

New Book and Availability

• ✍️ Boudwin's new book was released in December.
• 🌐 The book is available on mascotauthor.com or clutchthebear.com.
• 📺 The full interview segment, "The Drive," will be available on KHOU 11 Plus.