Lakeside Smokey the Bear bendie

Smokey the Bear. It's hard to believe this guy didn't have a TV show or something when you look at all the merchandise that's been produced with his image over the years. I guess it just goes to show how far a character can go towards promoting a public service message. Forest fires? Not for me.



This little gem was produced by Lakeside in 1967. I'm sure not many people will care about seeing this toy but it was a favorite of mine as a little squirt in the very early 70s. He's a classic bendie; about 6 inches tall, rubber over wire armature, down-and-dirty paint scheme, funny little holes on the back, etc. I seem to remember owning a few of these bendie Smokeys as they would get lost or break from time to time. My strongest memory of this bendie involves a hardware store in Aberdeen, South Dakota and a barrel. This particular hardware store was literally selling these, loose, out of a barrel. It was a "barrel of fun" (boo) getting to dig through, what seemed like, hundreds and hundreds of bendie Smokeys.

I think there was also a carded version that came with a shovel. Don't quote me on that, though.

Anyone else remember this guy?