The pink hat she made for Anderson elevated Supersonic's status. "She reminds me of a cartoon character herself," Iris Cole-Hayworth, who used to hang out with Supersonic, told Insider. Celebrities, musicians, Hollywood players - no one could resist Supersonic's bubbly personality, big smile, and striking good looks. That's how she began building her Rolodex of influential people. "I was this girl that anybody who came to New York - rock star, anybody - everybody called me to know what was going on," Supersonic said. At 23 she started her own denim line, I.B.I.V., then shifted to hats after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology at 27.ĭrawn to New York City's nightlife, Supersonic became a fixture in the club scene through the 1990s. In her early 20s, Supersonic devoured Tony Robbins' self-help books, which gave her the confidence to follow her entrepreneurial dreams. According to Supersonic, there was a 10-year period in which her dad never lost a case. Underneath was a URL: Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island, she said her dogged work ethic came from her father, Jerome Silberstein, a renowned medical-malpractice trial attorney. Behind them, the banner unfurled, revealing a 5-foot-tall furry rodent with big buck teeth and a fluffy tail. On June 11, 1999, Supersonic and her body-painting models headed to Jones Beach, on the outskirts of Long Island, for a backstage gig at K-Rock radio's annual Dysfunctional Family Picnic concert.Īs the headliner Limp Bizkit closed out the night with the group's chart-topping rendition of George Michael's "Faith," Supersonic's body-painted models took the stage. She had a friend create an initial concept sketch for the character, which she emblazoned on a banner. On June 1, 1999, less than a month after her encounter in the park, she hired a lawyer and filed an intent-to-use trademark application for Sqrat. In addition to her line of feathered hats, she put on events with female models clad in nothing but body paint and did publicity for parties thrown for stars, including Howard Stern and Wyclef Jean.īut Sqrat was different, she said. "I've got the next Mickey Mouse."Īt the time, Supersonic was involved in several unconventional ventures that gained her entry to the world of celebrity. Her mind began to race: an animated character, part rat and part squirrel, whose wacky adventures would entertain and delight children. Instantly, Supersonic realized she might be onto something, she said. "God gives gifts," Supersonic told Insider in her thick Long Island accent during a phone call last month. She's heading back to court once again to fight for her dream. Now, Disney+ is set to release "Ice Age: Scrat Tales," a series starring the character - but Supersonic said she wasn't seeing a dime of the profits. In 2020, it appeared she'd finally won when the studio behind "Ice Age" dropped its challenge to the trademark for "Sqrat" with a Q - which meant she had the exclusive right to sell merchandise with the Sqrat branding. Since the early 2000s, Supersonic, 54, has battled in court and held attention-grabbing protests to prove she came up with one of the most recognizable animated characters of the past two decades. She's spent more than 20 years trying to prove the makers of the "Ice Age" movies stole the idea for the character from her. One key difference: In the movies, it's spelled "Scrat," with a C. If that name brings back memories of the lovable, acorn-obsessed rodent from the "Ice Age" franchise, you're not alone. It often indicates a user profile.Īs her hat made headlines across the globe, Supersonic was diligently crafting the idea for which she thought she'd be remembered: an animated half-squirrel, half-rat character called Sqrat. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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