ZOOperstars!
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Dominic Latkovski, Brennan Latkovski |
| Headquarters | Louisville, Kentucky , United States |
| Products | Inflatable mascot performances, sports entertainment |
ZOOperstars! is a mobile inflatable entertainment ensemble originating from Louisville, Kentucky, created by Dominic and Brennan Latkovski in 1998. This group blends humor, acrobatic feats, stunts, and choreographed dance routines to captivate spectators. Its title is inspired by animal-themed athlete puns like Shark McGwire and Ken Giraffey Jr. The performance includes more than 40 similarly pun-named characters and ranks among the most active acts in sports entertainment. They are particularly recognized for their "Eat It" routine, which features an inflatable clam that "consumes" opposing players while Weird Al Yankovic's "Eat It" plays. A significant milestone was achieving a Top 20 placement on NBC's America's Got Talent in 2008.
History
Dominic Latkovski started his career as Billy Bird, the mascot for the Triple-A Louisville Redbirds, in 1990, with his brother Brennan portraying rival characters during sketches. After promoting the Billy Bird persona at the 1992 MLB Trade Show, disagreements over contracts prompted the brothers to develop a new character named BirdZerk!, a brightly colored bird. Drawing inspiration from inflatable mascots such as University of Nebraska's Lil' Red, they integrated inflatables into their performances, introducing Harry Canary based on their father's recommendation.
In 1998, following failed efforts to include Harry Canary within BirdZerk!, the Latkovski siblings founded ZOOperstars!, an entirely inflatable mascot troupe featuring pun-inspired athlete names. The act premiered at the MLB Trade Show that winter and quickly gained traction with figures like Harry Canary, Ken Giraffey Jr., Shark McGwire, and Cow Ripken Jr. Since its inception, ZOOperstars! has entertained audiences for over 200 sports franchises worldwide and has appeared multiple times on America's Got Talent.