TV Teddy
TV Teddy is somewhat of a mysterious mascot. I'm not sure if he was strictly a local creation or if he was a national character made available to TV repair service companies for a fee. But either way, the cuddly cub first appeared locally in the mid-1950s, and after representing at least two different companies, went into permanent hibernation in the early 1960s.
TV Teddy's first appearance in a phone book ad was in the 1954 Lorain phone book. The ad (shown above) for Lewis Radio & TV Service at 421 Colorado Avenue heralds the company as the 'Home of TV Teddy.' The bear is depicted in a loose, hand-drawn style, wearing a cap that says TV Ted, and spouting a little ad copy in rhyme: "No makeshift methods here have we... we're expertly trained on all T.V." The bear's name even appears in its own whimsical type format.
TV Teddy next appeared in a 1955 Lorain phone book ad for Cook Radio & TV Service at 411 Grand Street in Vermilion. This ad announced that the company was the "Vermilion Home of TV Teddy." The same illustration and type from the Lewis ad is used, along with similar ad copy about 'prompt service on all makes.' Strangely enough, the ad for Lewis Radio & Tv Service in the same book does not have TV Teddy. Was the bear on a loan-out that year?
In the 1956 Lorain and Elyria phone books, TV Teddy reappears in the Lewis Radio & TV Service ad in fine fashion. The Lewis ad shows a handsome illustration of the bear, now wearing a beanie with a TV antenna on top, emblazoned with his name. The ad for Cook Radio & TV is now bear-less.
From 1957 through 1959, TV Teddy continued to show up in the Lewis Radio & TV Service phone book ads. TV Teddy even appeared (in his rougher hand-drawn version) in a July 15, 1959 newspaper ad that saluted both the 125th anniversary of Lorain as well as the 10 years of service that the TV repair company provided to the community. The ad copy mentioned that the company hoped to serve the Lorain area in the years to come.
Then, in 1960 the company disappeared, apparently taking the cute cub with it. In 1961, a different company, Leonard's TV & Radio Sales and Service began advertising in the phone book with the same 421 Colorado Avenue address that previously was listed for Lewis. TV Teddy would not appear in any ads for Leonard's or any other company.
I've been unable to solve the mystery of the origin of TV Teddy. Was he a nationally licensed character? Or just the work of an unknown local artist? If anyone could tell me about the background of this bearly remembered advertising mascot, I would appreciate it!