The New England Patriots play the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night in Week 13 at Gillette Stadium. The team is bringing back its iconic helmets and logo with Patriot Pat for the game.

Pat Patriot is the official mascot of the New England Patriots and is still used today as a backup logo for all Patriots branding and for retro-themed merchandise. Phil Bissell, a cartoonist for the Worcester Telegram-Evening Gazette, created the logo Pat in 1960. The team uses a Flying Elvis as their current logo which they took up in 1993.

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Who is Phil Bissell, the cartoonist?

Charles Phil Bissell is a well-known cartoonist known for his skill as an illustrator. Bissell was born in 1926 in Worcester, Massachusetts.

 He earned $25 per day in 1960 while working for the Boston Globe. Boston Patriots Jerry Nason, after speaking with Bissell, gave him the task of designing the team’s logo.

This logo served the team from their second season in 1961 until 1992, before in 1993, the team abandoned Pat for its current “Flying Elvis” logo.

Billy Sullivan, who owned the Patriots from 1960 to 1988 paid $100 to Bissell for the use of his illustration.

He goes by the nickname “Pat’s Pa,” which also serves as the title of the book Bissell wrote about the beginnings of Pat Patriot.

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Patriot Pat in the Super Bowl:

In ten of the eleven Super Bowls the New England Patriots have participated in, Pat has served as the team’s live mascot: Super Bowls XXXI, XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII, XLVI, XLIX, LI, LII, and LIII.

Live game mascot Pat alternates between the Patriots’ home uniform—the navy blue jersey, number 1, with navy blue pants—and the away uniform—the white jersey, number 1, with navy blue bottoms. Depending on the team’s attire for the game he is attending, Pat will wear whichever uniform is appropriate.