Cannupa Hanska Luger revealed on Instagram that he collaborated with the filmmakers of the horror film *Him*, directed by Justin Tipping and produced by Jordan Peele, to create a sports mascot named “Tinsel Larry.” The mascot appears in the film as the symbol of the fictional San Antonio Saviors team. Luger worked with lead costume designer Dominique Dawson to evolve the character from “Conquistador Larry” into a “razzle-dazzle rose gold glitter monster” that incorporates Indigenous references. The film follows a rising football player who joins his idol at an isolated training compound, where violent events explore the relationship between football, violence, and fame for Black athletes.
This collaboration matters because Luger intentionally used the mascot to critique the racist history of sports mascots that have distorted and commodified Indigenous identities. By creating the mascot within the language of horror cinema, Luger frames the project as an act of reclamation—turning a symbol of erasure into a vessel that exposes that erasure. The article connects Luger’s work to ongoing controversies over Indigenous sports mascots, noting the retirement of Chief Wahoo and the Washington Redskins name, while highlighting that the Atlanta Braves retain their branding with MLB approval. Luger’s broader practice, which imagines Indigenous futures through film and costume, gives this intervention deeper resonance in contemporary art and cultural discourse.