Did you know that Palmer Cox’s Brownies were the first comic characters in America to be used commercially in a major way? And with that distinction, the first comic character book, the first comic character games, the first die cut sign devoted to a comic character, the first time the word “land” was ever used in conjunction with a comic character (Brownieland was the word Cox used to refer to his art studio) and the first comic character cloth dolls can all be traced back to those magical, elf-like little men. Not only did the Brownies help define their own medium, but they also started a marketing bonanza that is as strong as ever over a century later. They helped pave the way for characters that would follow soon after, such as Buster Brown and the Yellow Kid, as well as characters that we know and love today.

It all began with Scottish folklore involving rather reclusive, nocturnal creatures, called Brownies, that could only be seen by those blessed with second sight. These creatures stayed with Canadian-born Palmer Cox throughout his childhood and young adulthood, and remained in his imagination when he moved to San Francisco and embarked upon his career as a writer and artist. Through his various travels and different jobs, Cox always remembered the Brownies – and finally decided to breathe new life into them through his work. Though he started drawing the spindly-legged sprites as early as 1879, it wasn’t until a February 1883 issue of the prestigious children’s periodical St. Nicholas that they really took off. The story, “The Brownie’s Ride,” was a terrific success – and Cox’s Brownie tales would continue to appear in the publication until 1914!

These Brownies were utterly different from their folkloric predecessors – and, in turn, entirely Cox’s own creation – thanks to the uninhibited creativity he used with them. He was also the first person to fully embrace their commercial use – a notion which was just beginning to gain popularity. See, interest in political illustration art had been rising throughout the latter half of the 1800s – but interest in comic character art didn’t really take off until Cox came along. So, with the Brownies’ popularity came plenty of merchandise that bore their image. Like so many other creators, Cox’s talent coincided perfectly with his being in the right place at the right time. Americans were just beginning to move from the farms to the cities, and more and more folks were coming over from Europe – meaning magazines were selling, entertainment was just beginning to flourish, and the timing for the Brownies was impeccable.

Now the Brownies, as we’ve mentioned, were magical, elf-like little men and it’s interesting to note that they were, in fact, all men. Pretty ironic, considering today we associate Brownies with the all-girls precursor to the Girl Scouts! Despite their being all male, however, they still encompassed an astonishing variety of personalities. Cox gave each Brownie either a country or an occupation to represent – and adorned them accordingly. One of his favorites was a Brownie called the Dude, a Dapper-Dan type of guy in a tuxedo with a top hat, monocle and cane to complete his debonair appearance. There were Brownies representing lands from China to Ireland to Scotland to Germany, as well as an American Indian and an Uncle Sam, and occupations from Policeman to Sailor to Soldier. By giving each character such a distinctive personality, Cox created an interest that practically everyone could identify with – thus broadening their audience and sealing their popularity. It was also interesting how all these different Brownies, from their assorted backgrounds, got along with each other so well – traveling around the world and making merry mischief as the best of pals.

Cox particularly liked making modern trends and ideas accessible to his audience through the Brownies – which is why, in their various adventures, they could be seen riding bicycles, traveling on tugboats and locomotives, looking through microscopes at scientific discoveries, and doing all sorts of other things that were not only interesting to children but relevant to the times. They even encountered their fair share of mishaps and calamities, making them realistic as well as magical. In fact, they even served as valuable lesson-teaching tools. All this, combined with Cox’s gorgeous drawings and witty, rhyming verse made these adventures utterly fascinating.

The first Brownie book to be published was 1887’s The Brownies, Their Book – which was a collection of fourteen Brownie stories that had appeared in St. Nicholas over the past few years. Another Brownie Book was published in 1890, followed by The Brownies at Home in 1893. The next several years saw the publications of The Brownies Around the World (1894), The Brownies Through the Union (1895), The Brownies Abroad (1899), The Brownies in the Philippines (1904), The Brownie Clown of Brownie Town (1908), The Brownies’ Latest Adventures (1910) and The Brownies’ Many More Nights (1913). There was also The Palmer Cox Brownie Primer, published in 1906.

Tons of merchandise resulted from the Brownies, including the first camera, the Kodak Brownie. Most of these treasures, however, especially the original first edition Brownie books, are very difficult to find today. Even Cox’s signature is an extremely rare find, as he usually printed his name on his art.

You can see the influence of the Brownies in characters all over – in fact, many characters that also emerged in the late 1800s to early 1900s, The Ting-Lings, The Pinkies, the Kewpie doll and The Teenie Weenies, for example, blatantly copied the large eyes and other distinguishing characteristics of the magical Brownies.

So, no matter who your favorite comic character is, and no matter what your favorite piece of comic character merchandise may be, remember that it all started with a bunch of fun-loving, merry little men called the Brownies.