Four Color Comics (1938) 1067

Welcome to National American Teddy Bear Day.

Apparently, there is a difference between National Teddy Bear Day and National America Teddy Bear Day.

Last year we celebrated National Teddy Bear Day on September 9. National American Teddy Bear Day is observed on November 14 on an annual basis.

Whatever the difference, we’re celebrating that furry bundle of security many of us snuggled with in our beds.

National American Teddy Bear Day doesn’t appear to have an author, nor an origin. The toy it commemorates does.

Four Color Comics (1938) 1067

Using a caricature of a bear drawn of President Theodore Roosevelt and a bear cub he refused to shoot, Morris Michtom created the first Teddy bear. It’s called a Teddy bear in honor of the president.

In 1907 composer John Walter Bratton wrote an instrumental piece entitled The Teddy Bears on Parade. Lyrics were added in 1932 by Jimmy Kennedy.

They have continued to thrive throughout the ages in such representations as Teddy Ruxpin, super Ted and Winnie the Pooh.

Our host for the day is the cuddly Yogi Bear who made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character on The Huckleberry Hound Show. He proved popular enough to earn his own animated show in 1961, The Yogi Bear Show, sponsored by Kellogg’s. Hokey Wolf replaced Hanna-Barbera’s rising star on Huckleberry Hound’s show.

Co-stars on Yogi’s show included Snagglepuss and Yankee Doodle.

Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear!, an animated musical comedy, was given a theatrical release in 1964.

Daws Butler voiced the picnic basket stealing bear from his inception through 1986. Butler died in 1988. Jeff Bergman and Billy West tag teamed as the sound of Yogi into the new millennium. Since then, Yogi has been given life through the vocal cords of Keith Scott, Dan Aykroyd, Lewis MacLeod, Dan Milano, Seth Green and Scott Innes.

Yogi really made it big in 1983 when his inflated likeness was added to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

As discerning readers, we’re more concerned Yogi appeared on the printed page a mere year after his small screen debut.

Dell Comics Four Color anthology series ran from 1938 to 1968 featuring a turnstile of recurring, licensed characters. Yogi graced the pages beginning in 1959 in issue 990.

Issue 990 featured Huckleberry Hound, but was based on his show, so it co-starred Yogi. The upcoming bear would also appear in issue 1054 as part of the Huckleberry Hound Winter Fun issue.

Yogi earned his own series with issue 1067, but would continue to make guest appearances in Four Color with issues 1104, Yogi Bear; 1162, Yogi Goes to College, 1162, Yogi Joins the Marines. These, along with issue 1067 are considered the first three issues of Yogi’s spin off book.

His appearances in issues 1271, Yogi Bear Birthday Party; 1310, Yogi and Huck Winter Sports and 1349, Yogi Bears Visits the U.N. are separate and part of the Four Color one shots.

Yogi’s solo series lasted six issues.

Gold Key Comics resumed publishing Yogi’s adventures in 1962, continuing Dell’s numbering and ending with issue 33 in 1970.

Charlton Comics published 35 issues between 1970 and 1977. Marvel Comics released nine issues in 1977.

Yogi’s publishing franchise lay dormant until Harvey Comics leased the license in 1992. They published 10 issues over the next two years.

Archie Comics used Yogi as part its anthology Hanna-Barbera All-Stars and Hanna-Barbera Presents comic book series.

The journeyman bear finally landed at DC Comics where he appeared in Cartoon Network Presents, Scooby-Doo! Team Up issue 35 and the Deathstroke/Yogi Bear Special.

No matter how you celebrate or who you snuggle with, enjoy the day and remember not to poke the bear.