CURTISS CANDY COMIC CHARACTER STATUETTES PROTOTYPE ORIGINAL ART LOT.
Item Description
During the 1950s, the Curtiss Candy Company issued three-dimensional plastic statuettes for various comic characters through their Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Coconut Grove candy bars. Offered here is a lot of five pieces of mixed media prototype original art for the promotion. 18x27" onionskin paper sheet has large hand-lettered "Free! One Of These 3-Dimensional Natural Color Plastic Statuettes - Packed In Each Family Size Box Of Curtiss Butterfinger - Baby Ruth - Coconut Grove" w/rough images of the product packages (w/outline of statuette on front of each). Additional outlines appear at lower left, below nice image of Dick Tracy who has hand-lettered word balloon from his watch reading "Dick Tracy - Calling All Kids! 18 Of Us Comic Characters Are Waiting For You!" Art was for store sign. Horizontal and vertical fold lines at center w/two aged vertical strips from where the three sheets of onionskin were attached. Moderate corner wear. VG overall. Smaller 8.5x11" sheet features original art for "Shelf Strip Trim" sign, featuring two statuette outline and "Free! Famous Comics 3-Dimensional Full-Color Plastic Comic Statuettes In Curtiss Baby Ruth - Coconut Grove" hand-lettered text. Margins has staining from tape on back and upper left has paperclip stain. VG overall, but main art area remains clean and VF overall. Two sheets (8.25x10" and 7-7/8x11") feature lead and/or colored pencil original art for prototype floor displays featuring Dick Tracy in "Squad Car," displays featuring different ways to stock Curtiss candy bars and promote premium statuettes. One has Dick Tracy driving car, its back loaded w/candy boxes and surrounded by circular counter area w/images of statuettes around bottom of display while other show Tracy standing outside car, w/car's interior filled w/candy bars, a sign by Tracy having hand-lettered text about the promotion. Scattered staining and handling wear; one had been folded into quarters. VG/Fine overall. Last item is 11x17" mock-up of promotional book w/12 pages for this campaign. Front cover features pencil original art of Dick Tracy w/hand-lettered word balloon reading "Calling All Curtiss Candy Salesmen!" All text throughout book has been hand-lettered, cover reading "America's Top Comic Characters - - And 35,000,000 Youngsters Now Join The Curtiss Sales Force!" Book is primarily text, w/one page having outlines of 18 premium statuettes w/17 having names listed including - Smokey Stover, Pops, Shadow, Harold Teen, Smitty, Herby, Mr. Bailey, Chief, Orphan Annie, Sandy, Daddy Warbucks, Pat, Dick Tracy, Dick Tracy Jr., Sam Ketchum, Punjab and Asp. Other pages feature text reading "Kids Are Super-Salesmen! And They Love Comics.. And We've Reproduced The Comics In 3-Dimension - Full-Color Plastic! They Usually Get What They Ask Mom And Pop For.. And They'll Demand Curtiss Candy With The Big 5 Inch Statuettes" w/image of children pleading w/their parents. Other pages show the displays designs featured in this lot as well as images of Curtiss packages w/statuettes packaged within. Vertical fold at center w/some scattered dust soiling to front cover. Fine/VF overall. Interesting concept and insight into Curtiss marketing. An extensive and unique lot. From the archives of premium creators Sam & Gordon Gold and comes with LOA.
