From the Jolly Green Giant to bumbling Cap'n Crunch, advertising characters are as much a part of twentieth-century America as the familiar products they symbolize. Culled from one of the world's most extensive collections of promotional product icons, What a Character! presents a nostalgic assortment of advertising figures, including some of the most popular characters ever created. Lively, full-color photographs and an informative text offer an entertaining look at the remarkable history and enduring design of these pop culture icons, with their timeless appeal for consumers of all ages.

What a Character!: 20th Century American Advertising Icons

Dotz, Warren

Morton, Jim

Lund, John William

Business & Money

Chronicle Books LLC.

Lists current prices for collectibles featuring advertising characters such as the California raisins, Ronald McDonald, Cap'n Crunch, Reddy Kilowatt, Mr. Peanut, and Speedy Alka-Seltzer

Advertising Character Collectibles: An Identification & Value Guide

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Antiques & Collectibles

Collector+books

With all the zany vibrancy of a Bollywood musical, the colorful matchbox labels of LIGHT OF INDIA present a fascinating confluence of popular culture and a sophisticated graphic arts tradition that stretches back for centuries. Populated with pouncing Bengal tigers, regal jungle elephants, and Hindu gods and goddesses, these miniature masterpieces are worlds unto themselves, skillfully illustrated with a naive yet irresistible charm. This delightful art book is sure to fire the imagination of all who wish to study, preserve, and celebrate India's more humble, but no less brilliant, visual arts heritage. A dazzling collection of more than 300 vintage matchbox labels from India, dating from the turn of the century through the 1950s. Includes a discussion of Hindu iconography, recurring visual themes and symbols, and the cultural and historical significance of matchbox art. A great resource for graphic artists and designers, collectors of paper ephemera or advertising art, and students of Indian culture. Gift edition slipcase includes a textured novelty "striker strip" along the spine.Reviews"Masterpieces pop up where you least expect them, as revealed in Light of India."-East Bay Express

Light of India: A Conflagration of Indian Matchbox Art

Arts & Photography

Ten Speed Press+

More than 450 American ad characters, industry icons, and product personalities hailing from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s pack the pages of this vibrant, vintage collection. The postwar economic boom launched a generation of charming, cheeky, and relentlessly cheerful critters and characters that found their way into our homes--and our hearts--in print, on television, and on packaging. Some took detours that reflected the times (Elsie the Cow was sent into outer space in 1958). Some were fashion victims who survived (remember hippy Hush Puppies, circa 1969?). And some are no longer with us (the Frito Bandito was finally brought to justice in 1971). These endearingly offbeat characters are as fresh and entertaining today as they were creatively inspired in decades past.

Ad Boy: Vintage Advertising with Character

Graphic Design

Cat Food for Thought is a one-of-a-kind gallery of cat food label art coupled with purring quotes and clever words of wisdom. Containing a selection culled from thousands of labels, this book showcases rarities that will stoke the interests of designers, cat lovers, and pop culture fanatics alike. When it comes to cat food, Americans are most familiar with a few iconic brands, such as 9Lives and Friskies. But in the 1950s to 1970s, there were scores of companies competing the feline cuisine market through colorful label art and bold logotypes that enticed pet owners with promises of nutritious meals and meaty morsels for their furry friends. Cat Food for Thought is a colorful, quirky, one-of-a-kind gallery of cat food label art, which showcases rare and visually engaging examples culled from the authors’ extensive archives. These labels bring to life the joys of caring for our pets and remind us why we love these curious creatures. Filled with exceptional commercial artwork, select quotes, and carefully curated words of wisdom, this book is the perfect gift for designers, cat lovers, and pop culture fanatics alike. © 2013 All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Cat Food for Thought: Pet Food Label Art, Wit & Wisdom

Insight Editions

Dog Food for Thought is a one-of-a-kind gallery of canine pet food label art coupled with tail-wagging quotes and literary words of wisdom. Containing a selection culled from thousands of labels, this book showcases rarities that will stoke the interests of designers, pet lovers, and pop culture fanatics alike. When it comes to dog food, Americans are most familiar with a few iconic brands. But in the 1950s to the 70s, there were scores of companies competing for the canine cuisine market through colorful label art and bold logotypes that enticed pet owners with promises of nutritious meals and meaty morsels for their furry best friends. Dog Food for Thought is a colorful, quirky, one-of-a-kind gallery of pet food label art that showcases rare and visually engaging examples culled from the authors’ extensive archives. It’s been argued that we live in a dog’s world; these labels bring to life the joys of caring for, feeding, and walking our pets and remind us why we call the canine “man’s best friend.” Filled with exceptional commercial artwork, select quotes, and carefully curated words of wisdom, this book is the perfect gift for designers, dog lovers, and pop culture fanatics alike. © 2013 All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Dog Food for Thought: Pet Food Label Art, Wit & Wisdom

Meet Mr. Product! Meet Chiquita, Tony the Tiger, Elsie the Cow, and hundreds more well-known and not-so-well-known personalities in this colorful celebration of the history and art of advertising characters. We share our dinner table with them and trust them with our cars and children, and whether we realize it or not, we’ve been listening to their counsel for generations. With smiling faces and helpful slogans, the Jolly Green Giant, natty Mr. Peanut, the cute little Morton Salt Umbrella Girl, and countless other advertising characters have long helped us navigate the grocery aisles and choose our products. Here in Meet Mr. Product readers find a vibrantly colorful tribute to these pop culture icons. Offering up fascinating tidbits on hundreds of "spokes-characters," this colorful compendium profiles the organization of the characters, their evolution, and most interesting trivia. (Did you know Elsie the Cow is married to Elmer of household glue fame?) Famous faces and a host of recently discovered characters fill Meet Mr. Product's pages to bursting, taking us on a tour of advertising’s most charismatic creations.

Meet Mr. Product, Vol. 1: The Graphic Art of the Advertising Character

More Mr. Product! Meet the newest, hippest, grooviest characters of the ’60s, ’70s, and beyond. Introducing Cap’n Crunch, Goofy Grape, Chokey the Smog Dog, and hundreds of well-known and not-so-well-known personalities of the pop art era. In More Mr. Product, readers meet advertising characters of the 1960s, ’70s, and beyond, completing the story so artfully introduced in Meet Mr. Product. This vibrant, colorful tribute to pop culture treats readers to icons such as Cap’n Crunch, Goofy Grape, and Chokey the Smog Dog, as well as hundreds of rare and little-known characters that surprise even the most avid collectors of advertising ephemera. Citing more than 30 significant historical events and their influence on design, this clever compendium of commercial art profiles the origins of the characters in popular culture. It also offers fascinating insights on the evolution of commercial design. Far-out faces and a host of expertly curated characters fill More Mr. Product’s pages, making this the ultimate trove for designers, illustrators, and pop culture fanatics alike.

Mr. Product, Vol 2: The Graphic Art of Advertising's Magnificent Mascots 1960-1985

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Books by Dotz, Warren