The folks at Crayola have conjured up a few strange colors that Mother Nature never dreamed of, but maybe wished she had. Atomic Tangerine and Laser Lemon are both bight fluorescents with a twist of citrus. Not to be left out of this strange fruit salad of colors, Vivid Tangerine and Electric Lime were added in the early 1990s.
Fruit is not the only source of color inspiration. Dinnertime delights such as Asparagus and Macaroni and Cheese also find their place in the crayon box. If you take the wrapper off an Asparagus crayon, it actually looks like a miniature stalk of Asparagus. And that crazy, vibrant orange was once only found in mac-and-cheese powder packets now lives in a crayon.
Inch Worm, a bright caterpillar-green, was added in 2004. Flamingos lend their iconic color scheme to Flamingo Pink. Aquatic mammals like the beaver and manatee also have dedicated colors right in the crayon box, no trip to the zoo necessary.
While it may not seem strange to name colors after the places they appear in nature, Crayola looks beyond the everyday, and seeks out extraordinary colors for its palates. Colors like Purple Mountain's Majesty evoke a sense of pride and wonder, and never satisfied with basic black, Crayola created Outer Space. Even shadows have their own color, in a strange, simple twist, it is called Shadow.
Some crazy colors just do not want to be categorized. Mauvelous fits into this category to a tee. Part pink, part peach, part sunset and totally wonderful, this color lives up to its name.