Harold Bell

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Harold Bell (born October 5, 1919 in Union City , New Jersey , † December 4, 2009 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American marketing and merchandising agent who worked for Disney , among others . He was best known as one of the inventors of the environmental icon Woodsy Owl .

life and work

Woodsy Owl , illustration by Rudy Wendelin

Beginnings

Harold Bell was born in Union City , New Jersey , in 1919, one of three sons to David and Hilda Rosenthal Belsky . His father worked as a sticker . After serving in the Navy during World War II , he moved to Los Angeles . In Los Angeles, Bell first worked as a marketing expert for Disney . In 1957 he founded his own company, which took over the marketing of well-known cartoons and film characters such as Dick Tracy , The Lone Ranger and Mr. Magoo .

Woodsy Owl

On the set of the television series Lassie , Bell met the forest rangers Chuck Williams and Glenn Klovar and Betty Hite. The four of them created the character Woodsy Owl for the United States Forest Service , with the motto “Give a hoot! Don't pollute “should bring generations of children closer to the sustainable use of nature. Before agreeing on the owl , the use of a raccoon or an elk was discussed . Bell had previously produced several public service announcements for Smokey Bear . Another USFS employee, Rudy Wendelin (1910-2000), known for his Smokey Bear illustrations, finally put the finishing touches to the figure.

Harold Bell died of kidney failure on December 4, 2009 with his family . He left a wife and three sons.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Dennis Hevesi: Harold Bell, a Creator of Woodsy Owl, Is Dead at 90. New York Times , December 12, 2009, accessed July 18, 2016 .
  2. ↑ Jamie Lewis: Remembering Harold Bell, Creator of Woodsy Owl. Forest History Society, December 15, 2009, accessed July 18, 2016 .
  3. ↑ Passings: Harold Bell - Creator of Woodsy Owl. Los Angeles Times , December 17, 2009, accessed July 18, 2016 .
personal data
SURNAME Bell, Harold
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American marketing and merchandising agent
DATE OF BIRTH October 5, 1919
PLACE OF BIRTH Union City , New Jersey
DATE OF DEATH 4th December 2009
Place of death Los Angeles , California