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One of the illustrations, according to Godbey, depicts Smokey Bear as the “hero of the forest,” carrying animals out of a wildfire. Matt Moreau. Photo by Will Crooks
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Wildfires can burn millions of acres of land a year, so the Forest Service created Smokey to help spread the word on how to prevent fires. That means no playing with matches and always making sure your campfire is out when you’re done with it. In 1944, the creation of Smokey Bear was authorized by the Forest Service, and the first poster was created by artist Albert Staehle. The poster depicted a bear pouring a bucket of water on a campfire. The character soon became popular, and his image has since appeared on television ads, milk cartons, comic books, and more. At first Smokey’s slogan was, “Care will prevent 9 out of 10 fires.” But in 1947, his slogan changed to, “Remember, only you can prevent forest fires.” In 2001, his words were slightly modified, and “forest fires” became “wildfires.” Smokey’s image, which also includes a shovel, hasn’t changed much. Federal law places tight restrictions on how the iconic character can be used and what he can say.
05.12.2017 | GREENVILLE JOURNAL | 17 He is allowed to utter just one line: “Only you can prevent wildfires.” Moreau applied for a license through The Metis Group, which oversees licensing for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, last year. In the meantime, Godbey started brainstorming and drafting illustrations. He’s since produced five illustrations depicting aspects of Smokey. One illustration, for instance, depicts Smokey as a caretaker bandaging a smaller cub. Another depicts Smokey as a protector, carrying other animals out of a wildfire. “I waanted to respect the original fire prevention campaign,” said Godbey. “I didn’t want to cartwheel into this thing. It was a matter of research and digging into the history of the character and reading about him.” Moreau, who recently received the license, plans to incorporate Godbey’s illustrations on shirts, coffee mugs, hats, and posters. The collection will be sold through The Landmark Project, which is Dapper SMOKEY continued on PAGE 18
Corey Godbey. Photo by Will Crooks