Hey, Kids Remember Yogi Bear?
Everyone enjoys an origin story, luckily everyone has an origin story. This is another one of Hanna-Babera’s wonderful characters that made waking up early on a Saturday morning a joy. I wanna say that in the early 80s there was a Yogi bear show during the week Monday thru Friday in syndication.
Believe it or not Yogi Bear did not start out with his own show. Yogi started out in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. This is weird because I always liked Yogi alot more than Huckle Berry Hound. Yogi is just more funny.
Based on The Hilarious Comedy of Art Carney
In 1955 there was a television show called the Honeymooners, starring Jackie Gleeson as Ralph Cramden and Art Carney as Ed Norton. We can see the impression of this hilarious comedy with the antics of Barney Rubble.
Look at Yogi’s hat and look at Ed Noton’s hat they are identical. Even the way Yogi moves his arms and legs is very Ed Norton. The similarities to the Honeymooners end there.
If We Hop In The Way Back Machine
Saturday Morning and weekdays before and after school were the only times kids could watch cartoons. IT was normally an event because if you missed them you missed them. Don’t get me wrong we still had to sit through some reruns, especially in the summertime. It was literally painful especially when the next school day rolled around and that 1 episode that was missed is all anyone is talking about.
Yogi Bear Had 10 Television Shows
Not only that but Yogi has made many guest appearances and cameos on shows like Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones. Okay no surprise there because they are made by the same company. Yogi also made a guest appearance on Cartoon Networks The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy in 2 different episodes.
From 1961 to Current Yogi Has Been A Star
This simple talking brown bear that loves other people's food packaged in baskets, has been the star of his own show for about 6 decades, with many actors voicing him but the person that was Yogi Bear’s voice for the longest Daws Butler from 1958-1988. Wow 30 years now that is a person that loved his job.
Now with HBOMAX you can see Yogi Bear’s most Current show Jellystone 2021 to current.
Guess What?!
Yogi Bear also had his own comic book. Back in December of 1959 Dell Comics published The Four Color #1067 Yogi Bear, since then 6 different comic book publishing companies have sold Yogi Bear titles.
Merchandising?!
I never noticed this before maybe because I have never really researched and compared these shows before. All of the Hanna-Barbera properties had a TV show some in syndication and some new Saturday morning shows. They all had comic books, toys, and clothing lines. This is no surprise, this combo is as old as television maybe older.
I have never thought of my childhood treasures as big business before.
Thank you all for your time 😃
