The Colorful Story Behind Crayola Limited Release Retired Crayon Colors

Here's the inside story we've eagerly been waiting to learn more about. Crayola fans throughout the world have struggled with a hue of a different color since the most unexpected retirement of quite a few colorful fan faves have gone noticeably missing. Adapting to creative lives without a few shades of fun has challenged us (and eight beloved colors)  to think outside of the box—literally. Retirement life means so different changes for different people (and Crayola colors). Not everyone chooses to stop working completely during retirement, this can become an ideal time for reinvention and personal growth. Crayola may decide that the time has come to retire certain colors to keep their creative innovation fresh, relevant, and trendy while also introducing new colors and creative inspiration. Retiring shades allows creative space to explore fresh, vibrant colors, however, welcoming back retired Crayola colors is indeed cause for celebration. Surprising the Crayola community with The Most Colourful Reunion EVER in celebration of International Colour Day, eight treasured Crayola Colors were welcomed back! Let's explore the colorful story behind Crayola Limited Release Retired Crayon Colors—Dandelion, Mulberry, Blizzard Blue, Raw Umber, Lemon Yellow, Orange Red, Violet Blue, and Magic Mint.

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The Colorful Story Behind Crayola Limited Release Retired Crayon Colors

"As a first in the history of Crayola, we could not be more excited to bring back this beloved Limited Edition color collection that will give kids even more opportunities to colorfully put their imagination into action," says Victoria Lozano, Chief Marketing Officer. "Color has such a personal connection for kids of all ages. It plays a pivotal role in inspiring creativity, which is an integral catalyst for educational, emotional, and cognitive growth. At Crayola, we celebrate the enduring value of childhood creativity to help kids reach their full potential, and we look forward to seeing the Limited Edition colors inspire even more creative moments for our fans."

Meet Crayola Retired Colors

Dandelion "Dan D" (Retired 2017) Ambassador of Creativity

Dandelion, lovingly nicknamed "Dan D," was never going to do retirement the normal way. In fact, he's more active than ever, traveling the globe. Over the past 8 years, he's been to every continent immersing himself in the creativity of other cultures. He's made new friends, tried new foods, and seen unbelievable sights. He never once considered a comeback until one day while searching online for a good craft activity, he came across a host of videos on social media pleading for him to return. The videos were so creative and so heartfelt that he realized his job as a crayon wasn't over. He saw that the world was full of new ways to be creative, and he wanted to spearhead the movement. It was at that moment he vowed to reunite some of his fellow retired colors to help spark creativity all over the world. When he's not visiting his fellow retired crayons and being creative, he's serving as an ambassador for Crayola's Campaign for Creativity.

Blizzard Blue "Blizz" (Retired 2003)

"Blizz," short for Blizzard Blue, left our Crayola boxes in the early 2000s. Don't mistake his frosty color for a cold disposition. Since retiring, he's been doing stand up comedy and teaching kids improv classes. Blizz always kept a journal with him to jot down his thoughts, joke ideas, and short stories. After a while, Blizz realized he had enough material for a memoir. So, he got writing. However, Blizz was so popular, he had trouble finding a quiet place to write without distractions, so he moved to a little camp in Antarctica, where he's been chillin' and writing to this day. Turns out snow, ice and arctic winds can be catalysts for creativity, especially when he's not warming up on one of his many visits to Australia to visit "Angie." Who would have thought?

Magic Mint "Magic" (Retired 2003)

The illustrious Magic Mint - you can call him "Magic" by the way, retired in the late 1990s. Immediately after, he traveled to Cairo to visit ancient Egyptian landmarks. But, what really stunned him were the incredible vistas he encountered during his travels through Africa. Whether perched atop a sand dune, sitting on the banks of the Nile, or resting beside a lighthouse, he would spend hours sketching and painting everything he saw. Sometimes children would join him, and he'd give them tips on their art techniques. Magic's work has been displayed in galleries across the world, but he insists that any proceeds he gets from his creations go to support local children's art and education programs.

Mulberry "Mully" (Retired 2003)

Mulberry or "Mully" was always the life of the party. But after his retirement in the early 2000s, he embarked on a journey of self discovery across Asia. His travels took him to palaces, towers, gardens, temples and many more iconic sites. On one silent meditation retreat, he had the idea to use his creativity to promote wellness all over the world. Now he's the proud owner of his own yoga center where he offers free training to kids and their families. He's also a big fan of self-care. Ask him about his herbal tea recipes. They're outrageously good.

Orange Red "Angie" (Retired 1990)

Orange Red, aka "Angie," always helped artists express their inner fire. After retiring in the early 2000s, she was able to explore her own creative spark through athletics. She's rappelled down the Sydney Opera House, traveled all over Oceania climbing volcanoes, mastered several martial arts, and done every extreme sport she possibly could. Now you can find her in Cairns, Australia which is known as the "Extreme Sports Capital of Australia," where she's been leading adventure tours and helping people embrace their creativity through athletics and sports to this day.

Violet Blue "Viola" (Retired 1990)

Violet Blue, aka "Viola," hung up her crayon wrapper in the late 90s, and soon after picked up for South America to pursue a musical career. Viola was naturally gifted at the viola and began teaching lessons to share her passion. But when she went with a friend to a local music festival in Rio de Janeiro, everything changed. She became obsessed with electronic dance music and has been dazzling audiences with her incredible performances and infectious beats ever since. Her turn towards EDM has helped her embrace technology as a tool to enhance and express her creativity. When she isn't bumping rockin' tunes on stage and hanging out with her BFF "Lemmy" during one of her numerous visits, she teaches coding classes to her fellow musicians.

Lemon Yellow "Lemmy" (Retired 1990)

Lemon Yellow, or "Lemmy," was born to dance. She allows her creativity to flow through the movement of her body. So when she retired in the early 2000s, she auditioned to be on a TV dance competition. When she didn't get a spot on the show, she decided to travel across North America, learning new dances everywhere she stopped. She got so good that she started posting her dances on social media where she amassed a huge following. Now she's a popular digital content creator, blogger and professional dancer. When she's not live streaming or visiting her BFF "Viola" in Rio, she's teaching kids how to safely express their creativity through dance.

Raw Umber "Bri" (Retired 1990)

Raw Umber, or as her friends call her, "Bri," retired in the early 1990s to get in touch with her roots in the Umbria region of Italy, her namesake. It was there where she found her passion for creating yummy treats. What started with an apprenticeship in a traditional Italian kitchen turned into a culinary excursion across the European continent. She traveled from country to country, learning baking and cooking techniques, immersing herself in traditions, all while filling tummies and hearts everywhere she went. Currently, she's back in Umbria running a pastry school for kids where she's able to pass on her love of expressing creativity through delicious baking.

That's the colorful story behind Crayola Limited Edition Retired Crayon Colors! Crayola creatives are able to collect this Limited Release Set 8 Count Box of Retired Crayola Crayons featuring Dandelion, Mulberry, Blizzard Blue, Raw Umber, Lemon Yellow, Orange Red, Violet Blue, and Magic Mint for a limited time at Amazon and online.

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