Suzanne Muldowney
{{Short description|American performance artist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Suzanne Muldowney
| image = Image:smuldowney.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Muldowney in her handmade Underdog costume
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|8|13}}
| birth_place = Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
| nationality = American
| other_names = Underdog, Underdog Lady
| occupation = Performance artist
| years_active = 1976–present
| known_for = Being a member of the Wack Pack on The Howard Stern Show
| notable_works =
}}
Suzanne Muldowney (born August 13, 1952{{Cite web|url=http://muldowneyville.tripod.com/profile.htm|title=Muldowneyville: Profile.|website=muldowneyville.tripod.com|access-date=2018-04-12}}), nicknamed Underdog Lady or simply Underdog, is a performance artist known for her appearances in parades in various cities throughout the year in her elaborate homemade costumes. She often dresses as the cartoon character Underdog. She came to national attention through her appearances on and calls to The Howard Stern Show to discuss and perform her dance interpretation of Underdog. There she was given the nickname "Underdog Lady", though she personally rejects this name and prefers to be referred to as simply "Underdog" when wearing the costume.
History
A longtime resident of Delran Township, New Jersey, Muldowney studied ballet as a child, and began performing interpretive dances of fictional characters in 1976.Staff. [https://archive.today/20130216160926/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courierpostonline/access/1848027741.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+17,+1999&author=&pub=Courier+Post&desc=Underdog+gives+woman+new+leash+on+life&pqatl=google "Underdog gives woman new leash on life"], Courier-Post, April 17, 1999. Accessed February 4, 2013. "Muldowney has spent more than a quarter century interpreting the cartoon canine hero in parades and conventions, even onstage at New York University.... A native of Maple Shade, she calls herself an improvisational or interpretive dancer." By 1980, she was appearing at costume contests at science fiction conventions. It was during this time that Muldowney started performing as the cartoon superhero Underdog.William H. Sokolic. "Underdog gives woman new leash on life". Courier Post. April 17, 1999. 2B. She has explained in an interview, "I try to do certain movements that simulate flight and heroism. I'll make like I'm flying by doing leaps and other things. I also will do some camel spins. Basically I do movements that best portray Underdog. I try to do him more refined and sophisticated than the original character was."Bob Cooney. "Big fat close-up". Philadelphia Daily News. October 1, 1999. 60.
In 1987, Muldowney began appearing in seasonal parades up and down the East Coast. Though her most famous dance interpretation is of Underdog, she has also portrayed Dracula, Catwoman, and Supergirl,Bernard Harris. "30th Loyalty Celebration features 115-unit parade and 4-day carnival". Lancaster New Era. April 24, 1998. d16.Rob Laymon. "Performance artist saves day for Underdog". The Press of Atlantic City. May 2, 1994. C1. along with self-created characters such as Shelley the South Jersey Shore Mermaid,Dave Caldwell. "Is It Summer Yet? Just Ask a Hermit Crab". New York Times. May 13, 2007. 7. Irish Cinderella, and Spectrum the Ghost King. She sews all her own costumes, which are known for their exacting detail and elaborate ornamentation. For example, the interior of her Underdog cape is lined with streaks of silver, representing the streaks of light trailing behind the animated Underdog.
Image: Suzanne Muldowney as Shelly the Mermaid.jpg. Muldowney is accompanied by Dan Gaspar, an employee of a local business, Air Circus Kite Shop.]]
Muldowney's earliest television appearances were on the public-access program Beyond Vaudeville. Her first appearance was in 1986 and she continued to appear on the show through 1996. She also appeared in live stage versions of the show at New York University (1986-1990), Stand Up New York (1991), and Caroline's Comedy Club (1992-1994). She also appeared on Oddville, MTV.
Muldowney made several appearances on Howard Stern's radio and television shows throughout the 1990s. A serious performer, she regrets her association with the program because of Stern's lewd jokes, and has called him her "nemesis".Scott Semet. "Area resident gets her time in the limelight in 'My Life'". The Press of Atlantic City. November 2, 2006. 34. In 2006, she appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!"'My Life as Underdog' documentary Saturday". The Press of Atlantic City. November 1, 2006. C3. to demonstrate a new form of dancing she called "figure jogging".
In 2006, the documentary My Life as an Underdog was released by director Boris Gavrilovic.
Muldowney has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.[https://web.archive.org/web/20061121134815/http://www.njstatefilmfestival.com/releases/2006.htm Super Heroes to Unite at 2006 NJ State Film Festival!] New Jersey State Film Festival. Retrieved on April 7, 2009.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://suzannemuldowney.com/ Muldowneyville website]
- {{IMDb name|id=1280533|name=Suzanne Muldowney}}
- {{IMDb title|id=0494769|title=My Life as an Underdog}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930165214/http://www.citypaper.com/bob/story.asp?id=9035 Baltimore City Paper article]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Muldowney, Suzanne}}
Category:20th-century American artists
Category:20th-century American women artists
Category:21st-century American artists
Category:21st-century American women artists
Category:American performance artists
Category:American women performance artists
Category:Artists from New Jersey
Category:People from Delran Township, New Jersey
Category:People from Maple Shade Township, New Jersey
Category:People with Asperger syndrome
Category:American autistic people