June 27, 2004

Don't Bogart that roach

Posted by pete at June 27, 2004 10:28 PM

Via Chuck, I see a Houston artifact of sorts could scuttle forth once more:

The giant neon cockroach glowed for 42 years and was a beacon for Southwest Freeway drivers. He glows no more.

Bubba, the 8-foot-tall, 16-foot-wide Holder's Pest Control roach, was taken down in April, but the sign could make a comeback.
...
In 1998, Holder's moved to a southwest Houston shopping center that would not allow the display of a mammoth insect, so Bubba stayed behind. He was eventually taken down, because of an ordinance that forbids a commercial sign when the company has left the premises. Bubba now spends his days in a Holder's warehouse.
...
But Holder's wants Bubba back in the spotlight, said Jen Boedecker, marketing coordinator at Copesan Services, a national alliance of pest control companies that includes Holder's.

A number of businesses, mostly restaurants, have tried to buy Bubba, but Copesan is interested only in leasing the sign as a form of advertising.

Here's Bubba (not sure of the guy's name in the foreground):

Houston has a pretty nice skyline, but outside that there's little of note to check out when navigating our extensive freeways. It'll be good to get one of our landmarks back, especially one so...representative of our city.

Or they could always put up a mosquito instead.