The Crichton Leprechaun (known alternatively as the Mobile
Leprechaun) is a leprechaun purported to have been sighted in March
2006 by the residents of the Crichton neighborhood in Mobile,
Alabama.[1] The Crichton Leprechaun rose to international
prominence after a news story on the creature was aired by the
local NBC affiliate, WPMI-TV.[2] The news story soon spread to
internet video sites such as YouTube.com and Google Video,
eventually reaching an audience of over 6.8 million people
worldwide.[3] After the phenomenon hit the web, fans ran away with
the idea, prompting the creation of sites dedicated to the Mobile
Leprechaun "Where Da Gold At" and "Where The Gold At".[4][5]
The WPMI-TV news story featured an amateur sketch of the creature
drawn by Nina Thomas-Brown.[6] Upon realizing the sudden fame of
their story, WPMI-TV conducted an auction for the sketch on eBay
for charity, which garnered $1100.[6] The sketch was purchased by
Tye Miksis of New York City and the money raised was donated to the
American Cancer Society's Relay For Life.[6]