'Naughty Pete'.
Charles Henry Forbell was an early 20th century American cartoonist and advertising artist. He is best known for 'Naughty Pete' (1913), a short-lived comic strip notable for its inventive coloring and lay-outs. Forbell additionally designed advertisements for Mr. Peanut and Campbell Soup, including the soup label's mascots Happy and Peawee.
Early life and career
Charles Henry Forbell was born in 1884 in Brooklyn, New York, as the oldest of four children. His father Charles was a letter carrier. After graduating from the Pratt Institute, he joined the art staff of the New York World, one of the papers owned by Joseph Pulitzer. Around 1910, lasting until the 1930s, he also began contributing cartoons to magazines like Life and Judge, including cartoon series like 'In Ye Goode Old Days' (in Life), 'In Ancient Times' and 'Ancient Sources of Modern Inventions' (both in Judge), which were mostly medieval satires of the doings of knights in armor. For Associated Newspapers, Forbell created a couple of short-lived syndicated comic features, such as 'Inquisitive Willie' (11 September 1911 until 7 January 1912), 'Oh! Why Did I Do It? (29 December 1911 until 9 July 1912) and 'Tomorrow' (18 September 1911 until 22 January 1912).
Naughty Pete
Forbell's most notable work in the relatively new comics medium was 'Naughty Pete', which ran in the New York Herald from 10 August until 7 December 1913. Although consisting of only 18 Sunday episodes, this feature is considered Forbell's masterpiece, because of its original coloring and inventive panel lay-outs. In 2011, the complete run of the comic was featured in the compendium 'Forgotten Fantasy - Sunday Comics 1900-1915', edited by Peter Maresca for Sunday Press Books.
'Naughty Pete'.
Later newspaper comics
Among Forbell's later comic strips are features starring so-called flapper girls. Between 6 April andl 17 October 1925, the United Publishers Corporation News Service syndicated his strip 'Soosie the Shopper', which he made with a gag writer known only as Floherty (possibly John J. Floherty, Jr.). In 1929, he returned to the newspapers with 'Cuddles, An American Flapper At King Arthur's Court' through Kay Features (1929) and Bell Syndicate (1929-1933).
'Soosie the Shopper'.
Advertising comics
Apart from doing newspaper comics, Charles Forbell did commercial art work, spending the last thirty years of his life working for the Rogers Peet Company, producing artwork heading the newspaper advertisements of that concern. One of Forbell's most prominent productions was 'Mr Peanut', the Planters Peanut Symbol which is known around the world. Although he did not create the peanut man with hat and monocle - apparently, some youngster submitted the idea to the company - Forbell was asked to do the designs for the advertisements. For a pea soup company, he designed two little elves, called Happy and Peawee, who are shown cutting a pea in half to make the famous soup. These figures were displayed in all restaurants owned by the company. For many years, Forbell was cartoonist for the Aetna Casualty and Surety Company of Hartford, Connecticut, and contributed drawings to the advertisements sent out by the Central Savings Bank of New York.
Death and legacy
A few months prior to his death in 1946, Charles Forbell suffered a stroke, which left him without the use of his right hand. He died at age 61 at his home in New York City's Bayside district. Charles Forbell's comics have been named an influence on Peter & Maria Hoey.
'Ancient Sources of Modern Inventions' by Charles Forbell, published in 1929 in Judge magazine.
The entire run of Naughty Pete on GoComics.com
Charles Forbell's Ink Slinger profile on the Stripper's Guide