Monday, October 8, 2012

Oliver the Owl

Cougar Growl, 04/17/1970














In response to the upcoming Earth Day commemoration on April 22, 1970, Alex Jay drew an editorial cartoon, featuring Oliver the Owl, and wrote the slogan, “Give a hoot. Don’t pollute!”; the cartoon was published in the April 17 Cougar Growl. Around the same time in the Los Angeles area, three men, Glen Kovar, Chuck Williams and Harold Bell created Woodsy Owl and the same slogan for the United States Forest Service. Their story appeared in Forest History Today, Spring 2012. The Woodsy Owl campaign was launched in September 1971.














Shortly after the campaign began, Michael R. Adams told the Casa Grande Dispatch about Oliver and Woodsy. The newspaper reprinted the Cougar Growl cartoon on September 27, 1971.

Casa Grande Dispatch, 09/27/1971





















The Forest Service campaign included poster contests, films, stories, t-shirts, comic books and more. An updated Woodsy Owl and slogan is at the United States Department of Agriculture website.

1973 comic book





















Ad in Newsweek, 08/25/1975

1 comment:

  1. I remember this well...I still think they stole the idea from you.

    ReplyDelete