Remember the classic screensaver, “Who Let the Dawgs Out?” that became such a huge success last year? For creator and producer Brenda Thornton, the success does not stop there. Thornton has put together a series of Bully screensavers, in which Bully will go through every month of the year in a collection called “Bully For All Seasons.”
Just a few of the ideas include last year’s “Here Comes Santa Bully,” Bully waving a flag to the “Star Spangled Banner” and Bully graduating at the Hump in May.
Thornton, who graduated from MSU in 1978, worked with 1999 MSU graduate Stephanie Martin, who is a graphic artist in Atlanta. Together, they formulated the Bully screensaver series. Martin animated Bully, along with Jackie Sherrill, to “Who Let the Dawgs Out.”
Thornton and Martin were soon working on another project, a holiday screensaver for Mississippi State’s song.
“Stephanie (Martin) did such an incredible job on ‘Santa Bully’ that we were convinced she could do anything,” Thornton said.
Thornton first came up with the Santa Bully idea while on a trip to Birmingham with her boyfriend. The two of them were trying to find the real lyrics to “Here Comes Santa Claus,” when they found “Here Comes Santa Bully.”
Thornton had first hoped to work with an Mississippi State University grad student in designing the “Who Let the Dawgs Out?” screensaver but was unable to find one. So, she went to a company called Screamingly Different, located in Oklahoma.
“Whenever possible,” said Thornton, “I like to keep things in the MSU family.”
While the screensaver was being sold during Christmas last year, some stores refused to sell the MSU screensaver in fear that Ole Miss customers would not like the idea. Thus, Thornton and Martin reluctantly created a screensaver for rival Ole Miss.
Since then, Martin has been involved in the creation of screensavers for many other universities, such as the University of Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Tennessee and Louisiana State University.
Thornton plans to design screensavers for other SEC schools if this year’s sales do well at the present schools.Thornton also has a place called The Bully Store dedicated completely to Bully and the spirit of MSU.
“The Bully Store is much like a traditional ‘bricks & mortar’ store, except there are no lines, no waiting, and no hassles. Making a purchase could not be easier. We accept credit cards, phone or mail orders,” says Thornton. “If
we don’t have it, we’ll try and find it or make it for you. We have many one-of-a-kind requests.”
Thornton says she tries her best to find people what they want, whether it be at another store or in stock.
Thornton comments, “It is a great feeling to know that you are providing alumni that can’t get back to campus with a product that they can enjoy every day.”
Along with the “Bully For All Seasons” screensavers, Thornton is also involved in a project called “Iron Dawgs.” This past summer Thornton approached Van Acker Productions, who produced ‘Here Comes Santa Bully’, about writing and recording a song called ‘Iron Dawgs’.
The MSU Iron Dawgs poster was Thornton’s inspiration, and she hoped that the
song would be played during football season. This project includes 4 new songs, with Van Acker singing ‘Iron Dawgs’, Lisa Palmer singing ‘Egg Bowl Blues’, Marc Ransier singing ‘Here Comes Santa Bully’, and an instrumental
song called ‘Say, I Believe.’
“While this might not be the football season that we all had hoped that it would be,” says Thornton, ” I hope the ‘Iron Dawgs’ will become a classic just as ‘Bulldog Blitz’ and ‘The Dawg Pound Rock.'” Thornton adds, “I hope
that all Bulldog fans will realize that Iron Dawgs wasn’t written just about football, but about the spirit of MSU fans.”
Anyone who would like to hear clips of ‘Iron Dawgs’ and ‘Egg Bowl Blues’ can click on the ‘Iron Dawg CD’. Click on “Bully For All Seasons” to hear ‘Here Comes Santa Bully.”
“The Bully Store is much like a traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ store, except there are no lines, no waiting and no hassles. Making a purchase could not be easier. We accept credit cards, phone or mail orders,” Thornton said.
“If we don’t have it, we’ll try and find it or make it for you. We have many one-of-a-kind requests.”
Thornton said she tries her best to find people what they want, whether it is at another store or in stock.
Thornton commented, “It is a great feeling to know that you are providing alumni that can’t get back to campus with a product that they can enjoy every day.”Along with the “Bully For All Seasons” screensavers, Thornton is also involved in a project called “Iron Dawgs.” This past summer, Thornton approached Van Acker Productions, who produced “Here Comes Santa Bully,” about writing and recording a song called “Iron Dawgs.”
The MSU Iron Dawgs poster was Thornton’s inspiration, and she hoped that the song would be played during football season. This project includes four new songs, with Michael Van Acker singing “Iron Dawgs,” Lisa Palmer singing “Egg Bowl Blues,” Marc Ransier singing “Here Comes Santa Bully” and an instrumental song called “Say, I Believe.”
“While this might not be the football season that we all had hoped that it would be,” Thornton said, “I hope the ‘Iron Dawgs’ will become a classic just as ‘Bulldog Blitz’ and ‘The Dawg Pound Rock.’ I hope that all Bulldog fans will realize that ‘Iron Dawgs’ wasn’t written just about football, but about the spirit of MSU fans.”
Anyone who would like to hear clips of “Iron Dawgs” and “Egg Bowl Blues” can click on the Iron Dawg CD. Click on “Bully For All Seasons” to hear “Here Comes Santa Bully.