Buster Brown is a comic strip character created in 1902 by Richard Felton Outcault which is known for his association with the Brown Shoe Company. (The name "Buster" came either directly or indirectly from the popularity of Buster Keaton, then a child-star of vaudeville.) This mischievous young boy was loosely based on a boy near Outcault's home in Flushing, New York. Buster Brown, his sister Mary Jane, and his dog Tige were well known to the American public in the early 20th century. Tige is thought to be the first talking pet to appear in American comics, and, like that of many of his successors, his speech goes unnoticed by adults. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Richard Felton Outcault (January 14, 1863-September 25, 1928) was an American comic strip scriptwriter, sketcher and painter. ... Brown Shoe Company is a footwear company that owns a variety of popular footwear brands in the United States and Canada. ... Joseph Frank Keaton Jr. ... Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ... Flushing is a section of the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. ... Mary Jane shoes are a variety of shoe usually worn by adolescents. ...

The comic strip began in the New York Herald on May 4, 1902. Outcault left for William Randolph Hearst's employ in 1906, and after a court battle, Outcault continued his strip, now nameless, in Hearst papers, while the Herald continued their own version of Buster Brown with other artists. The latter lasted until 1911 or so, and the former until at least 1921. The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835 and 1924. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper magnate, born in San Francisco, California. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

A series of live-action short subjects were produced in the mid-to-late 1920s by the Stern Bros. Pete the Pup (who played Tige) and director Gus Meins were both later associated with the popular Our Gang (Little Rascals) comedies. In film and video, live action refers to works that are acted out by flesh-and-blood actors, as opposed to animation. ... A short film (also short or short subject) is a motion picture that is shorter than the average feature film. ... Sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America and in Australia as the Roaring Twenties . In Europe it is sometimes refered to as the Golden Twenties. ... Pete the Pup was a famous dog actor, most popular for his work in Hal Roachs Our Gang comedies (later known as The Little Rascals) during the 1920s and 1930s. ... Gus Meins (March 6, 1893 - August 1, 1940) was a German-American film director. ... A poster for the 1931 Our Gang comedy Love Business featuring depictions of (from left to right): Pete the Pup, Jackie Cooper, and Norman Chubby Chaney. ...

Buster Brown's association with shoes began with John Bush, a sales executive with the Brown Shoe Co.  He persuaded his company to purchase rights to the Buster Brown name, and the brand was introduced to the public at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The logo is still used on Brown shoes today. Entrance to Creation Exhibit on the Pike Map of the St. ...

Midgets were hired by the Brown Shoe Co. to play Buster in tours around the United States. These midgets, who were each accompanied by a dog, performed in department stores, theaters, and shoe stores from 1904 until 1930. In the 19th century, midget was a medical term referring to an extremely short but normally-proportioned person (e. ... 1904 (MCMIV) is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

External links

• The Life and Times of Buster Brown
• Toonopedia entry