As the characters would be seen from afar during most of the animation, I wanted something simple, and distinguishable - while still being able to add expressiveness in the movements.

To do this, I started with a simple chess-like piece, and slowly added elements, until I had a proper balance between the visual look, and the possibilities for animation.

This led me to a simple geometric construct with legs for a better walk/run cycle. Although, I did not add arms, as the characters did not need them to convey that they were holding objects - like the megaphone.