The Brownies: Difference between revisions

'''''The Brownies''''' is a series of publications by [[Canada|Canadian]] [[illustrator]] and [[author]] [[Palmer Cox]], based on names and elements from [[England|English]] traditional mythology and [[Scotland|Scottish]] stories told to Cox by his grandmother. Illustrations with verse aimed at children, ''The Brownies'' was published in magazines and books during the late 19th century and early 20th century. The Brownie characters became famous in their day, and atwere the peakfirst ofNorth theirAmerican popularitycomic werecharacters ato pioneeringbe name brand withininternationally [[merchandising|merchandised]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Wood |first=Carrie |date=2020 |editor-last=Overstreet |editor-first=Robert |title=[[The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide]] |edition=50 |publisher=[[Gemstone Publishing]] |page=325 |chapter=The Platinum Age: The American Comic Book 1883-1938|editor-link=Robert Overstreet |isbn=9781603602518}}</ref>

The first appearances of Brownie characters in a print publication took place in 1879, but not until the February, 1881 issue of ''[[Wide Awake magazine|Wide Awake]]'' magazine were the creatures printed in their final form.<ref name=toonopedia-brownies>{{Cite[http://www.toonopedia.com/brownies.htm web|last=Don Markstein's Toonopedia|title='The Brownies'' (1881)|] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. [https://archive.today/20240528073210/https://www.webcitation.org/6xQjN0pgn?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/brownies.htm}} Archived] from the original on February 22, 2018.</ref> The first proper story, ''The Brownies' Ride'', appeared in the February 1883 issue of the children's periodical ''[[St. Nicholas Magazine]]''.<ref name=fmbi>{{Cite web|last=Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon|title=The Brownies|url=http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/brownies/brownies.html}}</ref>

Published in 1899, ''The Brownies Abroad'' is considered the first ''Brownie'' [[comic strip]], though it was mostly a [[text comic]]. It didn't utilise [[speech balloons]] until the publication ''The Brownie Clown of Brownie Town'' of 1908.<ref name=fmbcs>{{Cite web|last=Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon|title=Brownies comic strips|url=http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/brownies/brownies_strip.html}}</ref> From 1903, ''The Brownies'' appeared as a newspaper [[Sunday strip]] for several years.<ref name=toonopedia-brownies/>

Beyond print publication, ''The Brownies'' was at least twice adapted to stage plays.<ref name=toonopedia-brownies/> With the rise in popularity of the Brownie characters, these were used in many venues of merchandising, such as games, blocks, cards, dolls, calendars, advertisements, package labels, mugs, plates, flags, soda pop, a slot machine, a bagatelle game and so forth. [[George Eastman]] applied the brand name in promotion of [[Kodak]]'s "[[Brownie (camera)|Brownie Camera]]", but Palmer Cox reportedly never received any money from Kodak for the commercial use of his work.<ref name=lambiek-cox>{{Cite web|last=Lambiek Comiclopedia|title=Palmer Cox|url=http://lambiek.net/artists/c/cox-palmer.htm}}</ref><ref name=WM>{{Cite web|last=Morgan|first=Wayne|title=Palmer Cox, the Brownie Craze, and the Brownie Camera|url=http://www.phsc.ca/Brownie2007.html}}</ref>

{{Eastman Kodak |state=collapsed}}

[[Category:LiteraryFictional characters introduced in 1879]]

[[Category:ChildrenCharacters in children's booksliterature]]

[[Category:ComicCanadian stripschildren's started in the 1900sbooks]]

[[Category:FairiesComic andstrips spritesstarted in popularthe culture1890s]]

[[Category:FictionalFairies fairiesin andpopular spritesculture]]

[[Category:EastmanFictional Kodak camerasfairies]]