Before Smokey Came Along, the US Forest Service used caricatures of Adolf Hitler and Hideki Tōjō on their posters
There was a real live bear cub named Smokey Bear that was caught in a wildfire in 1950 in New Mexico.
Bambi had a brief stint as the mascot of the US Forest Service.
Smokey Bear hosted a long running radio show where he discussed the dangers of forest fires with celebrities from the '50s and '60s.
Here he is talking to crooner Bing Crosby.