Smokey the Bear perseveres to this day as one of the greatest environmental icons of American popular culture. Remember back when some fool you met at a party in the early 90’s was yammering on about Neil Young being the Godfather of Grunge? Or some other fool (or maybe the same one but this time rolling on ecstasy) in the late 90’s couldn’t stop talking about how Brian Eno was the pioneer of electronic music? Well when it comes to being influential, neither can hold a candle to Smokey the Bear, whose storied career in environmentalism began over 60 years ago - and that ain’t no foolin’!

Created by The Ad Council in 1944, Smokey the Bear stands at the center of the longest running public service campaign in the history of the United States. The furry cartoon character has been educating the young and old alike on forest fire prevention, conservation and environmentalism since the days of WWII in media including posters, magazines, radio spots PSAs, and in his own show, the intro to which can be seen below:

You can by learning more about Smokey the Bear’s creators, The Ad Council, a non-profit organization that has been crafting public service campaigns for the common good since 1942.

Wikipedia: Smokey Bear

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: History of Smokey Bear

Forest Service: Smokey Bear and Fire Prevention