We frequently get asked about the name “Pippin”, and why we’ve chosen it for our products. We thought it would be fun to see if the moniker has been also adapted in other fields of use — this is what we found:
Peregrin “Pippin” Took: Born in the Third Age 2990 (or 1390 in Shire Reckoning) he went on to become a Knight of Gondor. Way more than you need to know about him can be found at this link.
Steve Peregrin “Pippin” Took: This Hobbit-loving hippie was a founding member (with Marc Bolan) of Tyrannosaurus Rex, which subsequently morphed into the British glam-band T. Rex. Also a member of the cult band Pink Fairies, his drug-addled life was cut short at age 31 after allegedly inhaling a cocktail cherry. You can check out some of his songs here.
Blue Pippin guitar: A solid-body electric guitar from Specimen Products, a Chicago-based instrument maker founded by sculptor Ian Schneller. The Blue Pippin features an attractive deep-blue finish, and they also make a very cool-looking axe named the Pale Blue Pippin. Seems like a great opportunity for co-promotion — any hard-rocking geneticists out there?
Zippin Pippin: Built in 1912 in Memphis, this is one of the oldest wooden roller coasters still in operation and is reported to have been Elvis Presley’s favorite amusement ride. The Zippin Pippin was salvaged and successfully relocated to Green Bay, WI, in 2010. This effort undoubtedly restored some karmic balance to an occasionally cruel world.
The Zippin Pippin before being given a second life.
Apple Bandai Pippin: Launched in 1996, the Bonzai Pippin was Apple’s foray into the videogame market. The product, a venture between Apple and toy-manufacturer Bandai, was supposed to be an inexpensive console for gaming and networking. Instead, it was a total flop. (Apparently this did not forever taint the company as a failure.) Apple stock was trading at about $22/share in 1996, in case you were wondering.
Cincinnati Pippins: In 1912, the Cincinnati Pippins were a baseball team that belonged to a league that survived for only one month. The Pippins won 12 games and lost 10, placing them ahead of the Chicago Green Sox.
Pippin the musical: Written by Stephen Schwartz, originally directed by Bob Fosse, and Ben Vereen won a Tony award. The piece is based on the eldest son of Charlemagne (circa 767-811), Pippin the Hunchback, without the hunchback or any historical basis — but with great tunes.
Then there’s Pippin the Invincible, the pug. A loyal companion of our esteemed CSO, Dr.Chris Boles. Other than the fact that Chris developed the Pippin Prep, there is little connection, other than coincidence, between these two Pippins…
If you come across any other neat uses of “Pippin,” let us know!