Smokey Bear

Smokey Bear is the famous fire-prevention mascot bear who crossed from public awareness campaigns into comic books, starring in Archie publications where he promoted forest fire safety alongside various animal and human characters.

Few characters bridge the worlds of public service and sequential art quite like Smokey Bear, who made his comic book debut in Otto Feuer's Animal Antics #22 in 1949 — a Golden Age entry that planted this iconic figure firmly in the history of the medium. Over an remarkable span stretching all the way to 2010, Smokey found a home across a range of Archie publications, rubbing shoulders with beloved characters like Randy Van Ronson, Chubby Chuckles, and Gloria Grandbilt. With a key issue to his name and over six decades of appearances, this is one bear whose comic book footprint is well worth tracking down.