Children's Movie Star/Comic Strip Pens

[Univer]

Hi All,

 

For some unaccountable reason, I've become curious about vintage children's fountain pens featuring depictions of {a} real-life heroes (sports figures, movie stars, etc.) or {b} fictional radio/movie/comic-strip characters.

 

In the first group, I know of Babe Ruth, Roy Rogers and Shirley Temple pens. In the second, I know of Mickey Mouse pens (several different models, if memory serves) and a Popeye/Olive Oyl pen.

 

Most of the specimens I've encountered have been from third-tier U.S. makers (Wearever, Epenco, Inkograph, etc.), but I believe I've seen Shirley Temple pens made by European companies, and I'm aware, of course, of the Aurora Topolino.

 

Does anyone know of other real-life celebrities or fictional characters that were commemorated in this way? Were there Superman pens or Dick Tracy pens or Little Orphan Annie pens (to transcribe the secret messages decrypted with those decoder pins)?

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

[antoniosz]

Oh, I have seen many such pens in supermarkets and bookstores in France. Never bought one though

[Univer]

Hi Antonios,

 

Thank you - I hadn't even considered modern variations on this theme. I suppose the recent Waterman "Lara Croft" pen would qualify.

 

My working assumption is that if it made sense to put Mickey Mouse or Popeye (who was hugely popular way back when) on an inexpensive pen, one would expect to find many other popular kid-favorite characters and celebrities so used. And it's not as if the creators of, say, Little Orphan Annie were squeamish about outlicensing. But with the exception of the specific personalities mentioned, I haven't run across such figures memorialized in celluloid.

 

I'm not looking to build a collection...the last thing I need is another collecting "theme." Just idly wondering.

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

 

 

[Mr.Rene]

Greetings!

I have seen some Jackie Coogan pens...

Best Regards,

Rene.

[antoniosz]

links to photos

 

http://www.sitedesmarques.com/affiliation/...me-diddl_GD.jpg

http://www.sitedesmarques.com/affiliation/zanox/images/king-jouet/41/3991790588-stylo-plume-diddl_GD.jpg

 

http://s.plurielles.fr/mmdia/i/48/1/2360481_1350.jpg

http://s.plurielles.fr/mmdia/i/48/1/2360481_1350.jpg

 

http://i2.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/fb/fd/95b7_1.JPG (it is an FP)

http://i2.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/fb/fd/95b7_1.JPG

 

http://www.ma-papeterie.com/img_produit/M/23754_1.jpg

http://www.ma-papeterie.com/img_produit/M/23754_1.jpg

 

http://moonball.fr.free.fr/photos/plume2.jpg

http://moonball.fr.free.fr/photos/plume2.jpg

 

 

Not directly relevant but yes there is a Crayola fountain pen

http://pan.fotovista.com/dev/7/3/00006337/500_00006337.jpg

 

http://www.happygoodies.com/boutique/image...ume-pucca_1.jpg

http://www.happygoodies.com/boutique/images_produits/stylo-plume-pucca_1.jpg

 

http://www.achat-yonne.com/uploads/yonne/P..._1238483399.jpg

http://www.achat-yonne.com/uploads/yonne/Produit/45/imp_photo_3730_1238483399.jpg

 

 

Edited April 16, 2009 by antoniosz

[pen2paper]

Hi All,

 

For some unaccountable reason, I've become curious about vintage children's fountain pens featuring depictions of {a} real-life heroes (sports figures, movie stars, etc.) or {b} fictional radio/movie/comic-strip characters.

 

In the first group, I know of Babe Ruth, Roy Rogers and Shirley Temple pens. In the second, I know of Mickey Mouse pens (several different models, if memory serves) and a Popeye/Olive Oyl pen.

 

Most of the specimens I've encountered have been from third-tier U.S. makers (Wearever, Epenco, Inkograph, etc.), but I believe I've seen Shirley Temple pens made by European companies, and I'm aware, of course, of the Aurora Topolino.

 

Does anyone know of other real-life celebrities or fictional characters that were commemorated in this way? Were there Superman pens or Dick Tracy pens or Little Orphan Annie pens (to transcribe the secret messages decrypted with those decoder pins)?

 

Cheers,

Jon

ooh..palpatations..Jackie Coogan, Shirley Temple, any possibilty of a Baby Peggy Montgomery pen???

Have other collectibles of these child stars.. would dearly love to see/find pen examples of these esp. !!!

p2p

[Univer]

Hi,

 

Antonios, thank you for the marvelous images. I obviously need to revisit my uncritical habit of thinking of these as vintage-only products. It's fascinating to me that these are still being made - as fountain pens, that is. Gel pens, ballpoints...I would expect to see those. Fountain pens, not so much.

 

Rene, thank you for reminding me of the Jackie Coogan pen(s). Your post stirred a dim memory of seeing one of these, too. That's another vintage model to add to the list!

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

[Mr.Rene]

Dear Jon,

You're welcome!

Regards,

Rene.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b363/realestilograficas/JackieCooganTeanager1930.jpg

[zabo]

...and I'm aware, of course, of the Aurora Topolino.

There is also the Aurora Biancaneve (Snow White) from 1939, with the clip shaped in the form of one of the 7 dwarfs, Mammolo (Bashful), his beard being the clip itself.

I wish I had one to show!

[pen2paper]

Greetings!

I have seen some Jackie Coogan pens...

Best Regards,

Rene.

Please forgive the serious necro-post, but while searching elsewhere for Jackie Coogan Deluxe Fountain Pen made by Wyvern Fountain Pen Company, London, England, This thread came up again.

 

Does anyone have a photo. or advertisement of the Jackie Coogan pen? It should be black hard rubber, with his name, (not sure if this is in the rubber cap/body, or on the clip, and/or body like Shirley Temple-Wherever), in a box with photo or likeness of Coogan in "The Kid".

[philm]

I have a Jackie Cooper Fountain Pen, if you are interested in seeing photos. Not the Coogan, however. The "Cooper" is a cheap piston fill and comes in a nice box, c 1930s.

 

Phil

[pen2paper]

I have a Jackie Cooper Fountain Pen, if you are interested in seeing photos. Not the Coogan, however. The "Cooper" is a cheap piston fill and comes in a nice box, c 1930s.

 

Phil

Thanks for responding Phil. Thrilled actually. Your (invaluable resource + > ) website is the First place I looked to find theJackie Coogan. I knew you had a Shirley T, and your back stories are always great reads and study.

 

I would love to see the Jackie Cooper.

To my knowledge there weren't (crossover study) Cooper garment buttons. I use the Pre-Coogan Law vegetable ivory with his molded head-shot, and the Post-Law off-shore (Czech/London), manufacture Shirley Temple glass/Catalin/Bakelite in history presentations. (as in Osborn's "All About Buttons"). My Shirley T pencil is the yellow with gold tinsel. Placing all of these objects together in display makes a nice historical snapshot.

[philm]

Thanks for responding Phil. Thrilled actually. Your (invaluable resource + > ) website is the First place I looked to find theJackie Coogan. I knew you had a Shirley T, and your back stories are always great reads and study.

 

I would love to see the Jackie Cooper.

 

Ok, here is the Jackie Cooper (movie actor) pen. Apologies for the poor condition. Still sitting on my workbench awaiting a bit of clean up and work. I will post about it after that is done and some further research is done on its origins. The Minnesota address makes it a bit more interesting to me. As for other pens in this category, there are many more if you open it up to ball points.

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/munsonhsr/Jackie%20Cooper%20Pens/3b8669ff-8f4b-459b-8367-dccf242a080c_zpsyr6tzgfa.jpg

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/munsonhsr/Jackie%20Cooper%20Pens/d529f832-01e7-4fe7-8331-41706d09704b_zpsts0jc0ee.jpg

 

Phil

[pen2paper]

Thanks Phil! Yes, quick check turns up nothing on the P Hart, MN company. No time today to look in old trade journals. The guarantee covers ALL styles, but maybe early wishful advertising? I did see another example, exactly like yours above, but per the photo possibly not quite as good condition.

 

Interesting seeing where these objects take us back in history.

I'm curious whether P Hart was independent of both Hollywood, and J. Cooper. Coogan's Law ('39) was CA based, though a few other states followed. Took quite a legal machine to Own one's self.

[Frankrowles]

Here’s a Jackie Coogan School Pen I just picked up in a mixed lot at auction. It has an American Smoothline nib, I don’t know if the nib is original. The previous owner kept Coogan’s obituary, published in The Telegraph from 1984.

 

Bernard

[inkstainedruth]

I don't have anything like that, but I do have and have seen a number of cartoon-themed pens.  Parker has done a number of designs for the Vector model -- there's a whole line of Vectors with Looney Toon characters (I got a friend of mine one of the Tasmanian devil ones because she, well, needed it  and now I'm sorry I didn't also get one for me).  And more recently, I've seen some Vectors with characters from the "Shrek" movies: Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots (I saw that third one and just HAD to have it , and if I ever find out that they did a Fiona pen I'd want that as well).

And a couple of years ago someone here did a PiF that was done as a game/contest (captioning a photo of his dog).  The main prize was a cheap Chinese pen, but the runner-up was an Inoxcrom "Tin-Tin" pen.  I wanted to with the Inoxcrom because I have a friend who is half Spanish and is the person who gave me my second Pelikan -- an M200 with the Bayer logo (she got it on Freecycle, and had no idea that it was probably a $100 US pen...).  Plus, she is a HUGE fan of the Tin-Tin comics; I got her a bottle of Skrip Blue to go with it.  The pen is probably lost in her house, but she was ecstatic to get it.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[pen2paper]

4 hours ago, Frankrowles said:

Here’s a Jackie Coogan School Pen I just picked up in a mixed lot at auction. It has an American Smoothline nib, I don’t know if the nib is original. The previous owner kept Coogan’s obituary, published in The Telegraph from 1984.

 

Bernard

Thanks for sharing with us. Touching it included the obituary too. “Baby Peggy”,  Diana Carey who has passed since my earlier post wrote an early Hollywood history Coogan biography.