Crayola Weeds out Dandelion

After 27 years of colorful service, Crayola gave Dandelion an early retirement this spring. It’s not a first. Old color weeding, existing color renaming and new color offerings have all occurred regularly since the introduction of Crayola Crayons.

Edwin Binney of Binney and Smith, along with his wife Alice, developed wax crayons in 1903 dubbing them Crayola from “craie,” French for chalk, and “ola” for oily. A complete product line was launched in 1905 with boxes of crayons ranging from an original pack of eight colors up to 30. By 1998, the variety of boxed crayon colors grew to 120.

Color weeding has varied from silent severance to formal retirement. Some original color offerings simply disappeared. Official color retirement began in 1990 with the phasing out of eight old colors replaced by Dandelion and seven others. 2003 saw the departure of four oldster colors giving way to four newbie colors for Crayola’s 100th birthday.

Over time, several Crayola colors have been renamed. Prussian Blue experienced Cold War concerns in 1958 and was renamed Midnight Blue. Coinciding with the civil rights movement in 1962, Peach became the new politically correct moniker for Flesh. In 1999, Indian Red, originally named after a pigment in India, was modified to Chestnut to address teachers’ concerns about a reference to American Indian skin tones.

Dandelion’s retirement has elevated Crayola’s color changes to a new level. The formal announcement, made on National Crayon Day, March 31, 2017, was leaked early via social media with an animated video featuring “Dan D.” exiting from his 24-count box of crayon mates heading off to the adventures of retirement.

And Dandelion’s replacement color? The intrigue continues. We know only the hue family; it’s a blue. More details are promised this month with an opportunity for Crayola fans to name the new blue this summer.

For those distraught over Dandelion’s departure, check for old stock on store shelves while supplies last. Still blue? Try Crayola Color Escapes, adult coloring kits with pencils and markers, to keep calm and color on.