I somehow missed this the first time around, but a discussion on the Barbelith Underground about the Grant Morrison-conceived Great Ten mentioned the Five Friendlies, the official mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

"Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, the Five Friendlies also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals--the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow--and the Olympic Flame."

I am alternatively transfixed and terrified by these little bastards. And am I the only one to get a definite Apocamon vibe off these critters?