SCOTT SHAW! SATURDAYS…
By SCOTT SHAW!
Smokey Bear was created in 1944 by the U. S. Forest Service, the Advertising Council, and the National Association of State Foresters. The intention was to use the character to educate the public about unplanned, human-caused wildfires. With so many experienced firefighters serving in the U.S. military during World War II, posters of Smokey were used to teach citizens how to prevent fires.
He was designed by Forest Service artist Harry Rossoll, with his name based on a memorable New York City firefighter named “”Smokey” Joe Martin. Smokey’s original slogan was kinda clumsy: “Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires,” but in 1947, it became the familiar, “Remember… Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.”
There was also a real “Smokey Bear,” a five-pound, three-month-old black bear cub who was found in the spring of 1950. He’d climbed a tree to escape a blaze, which burned his paws and hind legs. He was a favorite at Washington’s National Zoo for 26 years.
So, what’s with the “the,” Smokey Bear? You can blame songwriters Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins for creating their “Smokey the Bear” song in 1952. They said it was added to keep the rhythm of the song, which was sung by Eddy Arnold. In 1955, Western Publishing ran with “the,” beginning with a Smokey the Bear Little Golden Book, followed by more stories, coloring books, activity books… and comic books!
The first-ever Smokey Bear comic was this giveaway with a pulp cover, “A True Story of Our Forests by Smokey, The Forest Fire Preventing Bear”:
Forest Fire, Commercial Comics Inc., 1950. Cover by Rudy Wendelin.
Here’s Western’s 1960 Smokey the Bear giveaway with a slick cover, reprinted in 1964 and 1969:
The True Story of Smokey the Bear, Western Publishing Co. Inc., 1960. Cover artist undetermined.
For sale on the comic racks, Dell’s “Smokey the Bear” annual issues started out as simple fun for the kiddos, such as these two issues:
Four Color #754, November 1956, Dell. Cover artist undetermined.
Four Color #818, June 1957, Dell. Cover artist undetermined.
Suddenly, in 1958, this cover of the latest Smokey the Bear issue of Four Color looked more like a “men’s sweat” magazine with unusually good art on its cover. Where else are you gonna see a hero fighting off a wolf pack attack?
Four Color #932, August 1958, Dell. Cover art by Morris Gollub.
And the next issue featuring Smokey got even more Oddball, with our hairy hero fighting a pyromaniac bear on a rolling log! (Reminds me of Jay Ward’s Dudley Do-right episode, “Stokey the Bear,” introducing a network-censored arsonist bear!)
Four Color #1016, August-October 1959, Dell. Cover art by Gollub.
The following issues are melodramatic stories, with Smokey attempting to rescue a bear in a boat during a terrible storm…
Four Color #1119, August-October 1960, Dell. Cover by Gollub.
… and Smokey facing another bear who’s wielding a rifle!
Four Color #1214, September-November 1961, Dell. Cover art by Gollub.
When Dell’s provider of material, Western Publishing, left Dell to form Gold Key, it took Smokey along with the new publication. And speaking of Gold Key, I wonder what would happen if li’l Woodsy Owl was attacked by a wolf pack? He’s also a carnivore, y’know!
Woodsy Owl #1, November 1973, Gold Key. Cover art by Al Hubbard
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Want more ODDBALL COMICS? Come back next week!
And get this: Scott’s involved in a new, unauthorized documentary about San Diego Comic-Con! Click here for the scoop.
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MORE
— ODDBALL COMICS: Archie’s 1950s COSMO THE MERRY MARTIAN. Click here.
— ODDBALL COMICS: Archie’s TALES CALCULATED TO DRIVE YOU BATS. Click here.
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For over half a century, SCOTT SHAW! has been a pro cartoonist/writer/designer of comic books, animation, advertising and toys. He is also a historian of all forms of cartooning. Scott has worked on many underground comix and mainstream comic books, including Simpsons Comics (Bongo); Weird Tales of the Ramones (Rhino); and his co-creation with Roy Thomas, Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew! (DC). Scott also worked on numerous animated series, including producing/directing John Candy’s Camp Candy (NBC/DIC/Saban) and Martin Short’s The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley. As senior art director for the Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency, Scott worked on dozens of commercials for Post Pebbles cereals with the Flintstones. He also designed a line of Hanna-Barbera action figures for McFarlane Toys. Scott was one of the comics fans who organized the first San Diego Comic-Con.
Need funny cartoons for any and all media? Scott does commissions! Email him at shawcartoons@gmail.com.
November 8, 2025
I grew up in the Washington DC area and saw Smokey at the National Zoo on several occasions. As a kid, I also wrote the US Forest Service and got an Smokey Bear photo and a toy Forest Ranger badge.