It's a face that only a mother could love. Or so one would think. But since his first public appearance in 1926, the monstrous marionette Zozobra has been a cultural icon in his hometown , his popularity verging on rock-star status. People zealously collect his image, he fuels the imagination of countless artists and all eagerly anticipate his yearly return like children waiting for Santa Claus.

In fact, artist Robb Rael, who dreams of someday following in the footsteps of an uncle, Albert Sonny Jaramillo, and designing the official Zozobra poster, compared Old Gloomy to that jolly old elf. "It's kind of like Santa Claus. When you're a little kid, he's like the most terrifying guy in the world. But then when you get your present, it's like, hey, he's not so bad."

Perhaps it's Old Man Gloom's willingness to go up in flames year after year, carrying all our worries with him, that makes him so endearing. His face is never the same twice, for it reflects our communal concerns. In 1943, Zozobra even changed his name. He became Hirohitlmus, a caricature of Hirohito, Hitler and Mussolini all rolled into one.

The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Downtown Kiwanis Foundation sponsor Will Shuster's Zozobra to raise money for college scholarships and nonprofits that benefit children. They sell T-shirts, posters, earrings and other memorabilia, like this year's Zozobra Bobblehead, a Zozobra license plate and a Zozobra button with light-up eyes. Volunteers see first-hand how passionate people are about Zozobra. "We often have people stopping by our booth to show us T-shirts from the '70s or '80s they're wearing." said Ray Valdez, event producer and official builder of Zozobra.

Valdez has been involved with Zozobra for 18 years, and he's been collecting longer than that. His treasures include an oil painting given to him by artist Matthew Horowitz, (designer of many Zozobra T-shirts) Zozobra's eyeballs (they drop out when he burns) and the torches of Chip Lilienthal, the third Fire Dancer. "The maquette from one of the 1960s builders is probably my most precious possession," said Valdez. The Kiwanis' Club and the New Mexico Museum of Art each have a maquette in their collections.

Zozobra's popularity was confirmed in 2007 when the Kiwanis sponsored a contest called "Where is Will Shuster's Zozobra?"

"We discovered Zozobra everywhere, from a hand-embroidered art piece in the lobby of Wood Gormley Elementary School to posters in various restaurants," said Valdez.

Perhaps the most spectacular piece on public display is a mural by Will Shuster, the marionette's creator. The piece captures the event, with Zozobra towering over the Fire Dancer, flames in the foreground and fireworks in the night sky. Tesuque's El Nido Restaurant owned this piece for many years. It now belongs to the New Mexico Museum of Art and hangs at the State Capitol (on Paseo de Peralta and the Old Santa Fe Trail.)

The Plaza Restaurant, La Fonda Hotel (both on the Plaza) and La Choza Restaurant (905 Alarid) all display rare posters, and Tomasita's Restaurant (500 S. Guadalupe) boasts an original painting of the monster.

Mucho Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe (1711 Llano), owned by siblings Nathan and Shannon Curenton, has "the most definitive definite collection of Zozobra posters," according to Valdez. Several are rare prints, like one of only two artist proofs for an Andy Warhol-style T-shirt designed by Horowitz and Valdez and a Frederico Vigil poster, one of only three that Valdez is aware of. The Vigil original (which hangs in the boardroom of Barraclough & Associates) has two nude figures in the foreground, which had to be clothed for the Kiwanis poster. The poster also has images both front and back. Curenton hopes to acquire a second print so she can display both sides.

Shannon Curenton, who has been a Zozobra volunteer for many years, has strong feelings about the event. "It's about community. Zozobra is part of the cultural foundation of Santa Fe. Not a lot of cities have something that they can actually say represents them and only them." When the restaurant moves into a larger space next door she plans to dedicate one wall Zozobra.

It is not surprising that Zozobra has captured the imagination of so many artists, especially those like Rael who grew up in Santa Fe. "We used to make our own little Zozobras in elementary school. We'd put these shish kabob sticks together in a cross and wrap tissue around it. And then, of course, we'd take them outside and burn them. We weren't supposed to, but that's what we did. And then we'd come back and get to make another one when the teacher asked, 'Where's your Zozobra?' " said Rael.

Rael is drawn to paint Zozobra again and again. One of his funniest images has a character in the foreground he calls "an Old West Tagger," an outlaw with spray cans Instead of pistols ready tag Zozobra and the Scottish Rite Temple.

Zozobra has even entered Rael's subconscious. He was completely unaware a recent image called Saint Anger looked like a female Zozobra until it was pointed out to him. "It wasn't meant to be. I was just trying to express anger in some form." But Rael was not surprised. "There are certain things that have always stuck with me in my drawing and Zozobra's one of them. He's been with me since I was a child. And I hope he never goes away because it's just a great image. It's a great celebration."

Eight-year-old Darean Lopez, with the help of his father, artist Arthur Lopez, and his 6-year-old brother, Jeremy, is an avid collector. Arthur met his wife Bernadette at one of his annual Fiesta parties, and Darean was born during Fiesta a year later.

"So ever since Darean was little, we've taken him to see Zozobra. And it was kind of a joke. Zozobra was burning, and we'd say, 'This is your big birthday party, and all these people came out for your birthday,' and 'There's your big birthday cake, go blow him out,' " said Lopez.

Darean started collecting Zozobra T-shirts, hats and posters. He made drawings and sculptures, then went a step further, "commissioning" a Zozobra carving from his dad. "From that time on, anything we could find that deals with Zozobra we'd either purchase or trade for with other artists. We started building up a nice Zozobra collection," said Lopez.

Lopez has traded for Zozobras by Arlene Cisneros Sena, Jim Vogel and Rob Rael. There's a colcha embroidery piece by Monica Sosaya Halford, a Raku-fired Zozobra by Gary Meyers, a straw appliqué one by Craig Martin Moya, and more on the way. Darean's collection includes rummage sale finds like posters and a large papier mâché Zozobra head.

For collectors and artists alike, keeping the culture alive is what it's all about.

"Zozobra still has that same distinct feeling of Santa Fe, something that almost belongs to you. Maybe it's nostalgia from my own childhood, (with our family it was a big event), but I'd like to still be able to give that to my kids, so they also have that nostalgic feeling," said Lopez.