The Smokey Bear Show

Did You Know?

• The show was based on stories from Dell Comics' Smokey the Bear comic books, which included tales about Communist spy bears and weasels plotting to sell photos of a baby bird being fed to a bobcat.
• Gold Key Comics published a tie-in Smokey Bear comic book series quarterly from February 1970 to March 1973, featuring a coyote deputy named Clem.
• Rankin/Bass previously produced a stop-motion special for NBC in 1966, The Ballad of Smokey the Bear, using their 'Animagic' technique.

Opening

The theme song, written by Jules Bass and Maury Laws, recounts Smokey's origin: rescued as a cub from a New Mexico forest fire by a ranger, named Smokey, and brought to Washington, D.C. He becomes a ranger, dons a ranger hat and shovel, and travels through the city in a parade before heading to the woods. This mirrors the true story of a bear cub saved from the May 1950 Capitan Gap Fire by Ranger Ray Bell, later becoming the living symbol at the National Zoo.

Description

Each episode contains three cartoons, with the middle one titled 'Smokey Bear's Album' featuring Smokey as a cub. Smokey lives in the forest with neighbors including Floyd the fox, Benny the hare, Bessie Boar, Hiram the snake, Mayor Owl, Freddy Fume the skunk, cousin Griz, and Gabby the cougar. He teaches fire safety and conservation, using the catchphrase 'care will prevent 9 out of 10 Forest fires'.

Smokey's impact

The Smokey Bear Show helped connect the U.S. Forest Service's campaign with youth, contributing to Smokey Bear's cultural role as a symbol for wildfire prevention. The show educated children about wildlife conservation during a time of growing awareness of such issues. However, the long-term wildfire suppression it promoted led to the accumulation of flammable fuel, making modern forest fires more intense and destructive.