There’s that one story or rumor (“stormor”?) about how Walt Disney came up with the look of Mickey Mouse.  Circles and ovals are the most visually-pleasing shapes, and their convexity reminds us of something that is wholesome, smooth, and friendly.

Ah, but you see, three ovals might read “mouse” but that’s really the entire extent of the shape’s message. For me, the design of the basic Mickey silhouette does not convey a sense of personality or action.

But aha! Japan gave us Pac-Man, who is a only mere fraction of a circle.  Bare-boned and simple, the Pac-Man shape speaks so much with so little; a yellow circle with a deprived sector as a mouth.  Freaking brilliant.  Pac-Man is just simply Pac-Man, neither human nor animal…but somehow, just by its design, we can get a glimpse of his personality without the context of the game.

It’s really no wonder that so many designers use Pac-Man as a source of inspiration.  Here’s a good list of awesome Pac-Man inspired design-y items.  Read it and weep (and maybe buy).

Pac-Man Potholder:

Goddammit, why did I never think of this before?  I’m not too crazy about the eyes but I love how the maze pattern inside also acts as friction grip.

from Vat 19 [$14.95]

Pac-Man Leather iPod Case:

Cute to use the Pac-Man body over the iPod controls… though I wonder if his mouth poses scrolling problems.

from Videogame Central  [$29.99]

Pac-Man Candy Tin:

So simple, so sleek.  Funnier if the candy inside were shaped like fruits from the game.

from Anime Castle  [$2.99]

Pac-Man Power Pellet Ring:

Okay, so the design doesn’t feature a whole Pac-Man but it definitely captured the feel of the hungry little guy.  I’ve seen a lot of this type of “tension setting” jewelry on etsy but never this clever!

from Etsy [$55]