Figure 1.--

Buster Brown, the comic strip, first appeared in color in 1902. Buster and his dog, Tige, remained a popular comic and soon became even more famous as the emblem for a shoe company, a textile firm, and other companies. The strip was discontinued in 1920. But Buster Brown did not disappear. He became an American advertising icon. Buster was not the first comic character to be used in advertising, but he surely was the most important in the early days of advertising. Having owned the rights to Buster Brown, Outcault became an immensely wealthy man. He sold the right to merchandize an amazing diversity of products using the Buster Brown image. The most lucrative was the shoe compamy, but there were many other products. He is of course best known for shoes, but was used to advertize much more including stocking supporters, breasd, newspaoers, clubs, and much more. The Buster Brown characters are still used by Brown Shoe Company, Buster Brown Apparel, Inc., and Gateway Hosiery.There were many ways that Buster was used in advertising. One popular way was stick pins which were given out to childrens whose parents bought shoes and stocking supporters.

Comic Strip

Buster Brown, the comic strip, first appeared in color in 1902. Buster and his dog, Tige, remained a popular comic until 1920 when it was discontinued. Although now known mostly as a coroprate symbol for a shoe company, Buster Brown was the best known boy character in 20th-Century America. He was also the subject of popular films. Buster was a charmingly mischievous boy, always carefully dressed and with nangs and long blond hair. He was often accompanied by his sister, Mary Jane, as well as his faithful bulldog--Tige. His antics while sometimes naughty were never meam-spirited and always ended with a little motal homily to have a moral influence on the youthful readers of the Sundau comics. Buster gave his name to his trade-mark bangs, collar, and suit. Curiously Mary Jane gave her name to the strap shoes, although both Buster and Mary Jane wore them.

R.F. Outcault

R.F. Outcault's The Yellow Kid was enormously popular in America at the turn of the century. In 1895 at the same time that Outcault's first panels were being published, the newspapers were experimenting with four color inks. Quite a bit of experimentation is required to get proper colors and when an engraver for the World wanted to try a new yellow he chose to spot it in the coming Sunday's paper on the "kid's" frock, and the kid became known as "the Yellow Kid". Tired of the legal difficulties and looking for new avenues, Outcault left the Journal in 1901 and created for the New York Herald a forgotten strip called "Poor Li'l Mose" before finally creating the eternally famous "Buster Brown". Buster Brown the comic strip, first appeared in color in 1902. Buster and his dog, Tige, remained a popular comic and soon became even more famous as the emblem for a shoe company, a textile firm, and others. Hearst would lure him back to the Journal and he would remain there until 1920 when he discontinued the strip to concentrate his efforts on painting.

Advetising Icon

R.F. Outcault wanted to be an artist, but he was in fact a marketing genius. Buster was not the first comic character to be used in advertising, but he surely was the most important in the early days od adveryising. Having owned the rights to Buster Brown, Outcault became an immensely wealthy man. He sold the right to merchandize an amazing diversity of products using the Buster Brown image. Many companies were licensed go use the Buster Brown character. He became an American advertising icon. Buster became a famous as the emblem for a shoe company. Here he sold shoes, hosiery, and long stockings. The strip was discontinued in 1920. But Buster Brown did not disappear.

Shoe Company

Buster Brown was a popular comic strip character in the early 20th century. It was shoes that became the best known use of the Buster Brown character for marketing. Beginning at the World's Fair in 1904, Buster Brown became a household name in children's footwear. John A. Bush, a sales executive with Brown Shoe Company, came up with the idea that Buster Brown would be a perfect symbol for the compny's line of children's shoes. Brown Shoe Company was named for the company's founder George Warren Brown and not Buster. Bush persuaded the company to purchase the rights to the name from Outcault. The company then introduced Buster Brown Shoes to the public in 1904 during the St. Louis World's Fair. Bush went on to become president of the firm in 1915 and Chairman of the Board in 1948. Bush promoted the brand with national print, radio, outdoor, and eventually television advertising. The company eventually came out with a line of sturdy oxfords for boys. They named the strap shoes that both Buster and Mary Jane wore as "Mary Janes". I am not sure just when they did this. The name stuck with the public and Mary Janes became an American term for strap shoes and a staple in any well-dressed little girl's wardrobe. Today, Buster Brown remains one of the most recognized children's footwear brands, and is featured at mid-tier and department stores across the United States. It was not just Buster Brown shoes that were sold, but related products like socks and stocking supporters. Buster Brown shoes were produced by Frank Maynard. A recent introduction of a new logo and related promotional programs continue Buster Brown's reputation as one of the most famous brands of children's footwear in the United States.

Other Products

The most lucrative licensing contract was the shoe compamy, but there were many other products. He is of course best known for shoes, but was used to advertise much more including stocking supporters, bread, newspaoers, clubs, and much more. The Buster Brown characters are still used by Brown Shoe Company, Buster Brown Apparel, Inc., and Gateway Hosiery.

Methods

There were many ways that Buster was used in advertising. One popular way was stick pins which were given out to childrens whose parents bought items. There were an a huge variety of these pins, mostly celluloid badges. They of course had an image of Buster along with a company name and or motto. An interesting website provides us a collection of stick pins. The most common are for shoes and hose supporters.