UNIVERSAL CITY : Crayola Unveils 16 New Shades

Crayola Inc. unveiled 16 new shades for its crayons Tuesday that for the first time in the company’s 90-year history were chosen not by company color experts, but by crayon users.

Timber wolf, Tumbleweed, Razzmatazz and Robin’s egg blue were among the winners taken from nearly 2 million suggestions received for the new shades.

“These are not your father’s crayons,” Crayola spokesman Brad Drexler said in a prepared statement. “They are a new generation of crayon colors, many of which have a social conscience and call attention to issues that are important to crayon users young and old.”

The new line was launched at Universal Studios to celebrate the crayon-maker’s 90th birthday.

Company officials said some of the new hues, including Pacific Blue, Tropical Rain Forest and Purple Mountain’s Majesty, were chosen to reflect a growing interest in the environment. Other tones, such as Tickle Me Pink and Billy Crystal, are not quite so serious.

Officials said two of the new colors--Granny Smith Apple and Asparagus--already have met with the approval of parents for keeping children’s minds on fruits and vegetables.