Murph. Image courtesy of Hasbro

Meet Murph! You know the type of zombie which is a human completely taken over by a cordyceps-like fungus? Murph is like that, but the pathology is Morgellons. Murph could star in one of those unsettling animated videos that attaches the latest advances in computer graphics and material science to human models as an exercise in goreless yet skin-raking body horror.

Anyway, Murph is Nerf's first and so far only mascot.

Today, the toy brand unveiled Murph, an anthropomorphic character made entirely out of Nerf darts.

"We wanted to introduce a mascot that represents this ageless, unbridled fun that lives in all of us and creates a physical embodiment of that feeling you get when you play with Nerf," said Adam Kleinman, svp and gm of Nerf at parent company Hasbro. Kleinman noted the marketing push around Murph, who he described as a playful spirit and gifted athlete, is based on internal research showing parents desire to create moments of active play they experienced as kids with their own children.

I love it so much, but "Mascot announced at 5 p.m. on Friday" doesn't seem very auspicious.

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