What a Character! 20th Century American Advertising Icons

What a Character! takes readers through the colorful world of 20th century American advertising icons. This digital PDF edition presents Warren Dotz and Jim Morton’s illustrated history of the fictional personalities that sold everything from cereal to cough drops. It is available as an instant download after purchase.

The book pairs a lively narrative with John William Lund’s photographs of packaging and advertising artifacts. It explores how these characters reflected changing tastes, technologies, and artistic movements across the century.

Book Overview

What a Character! is a 1996 Chronicle Books publication by Warren Dotz and Jim Morton, with photography by John William Lund. The volume examines American advertising from the late nineteenth century through the television era, focusing on the commercial characters that became cultural touchstones.

Organized in modified historical form, the book groups characters by type and era. It covers human figures, animal mascots, literal characters, and television personalities such as Speedy Alka-Seltzer. The authors also show how European art movements influenced advertising design.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• Profiles of famous human characters like the Quaker Oats Man, Aunt Jemima, Orville Redenbacher, and Colonel Sanders.
• Early animal and literal figures common in packaging before national advertising took hold.
• Connections between twentieth-century art movements and commercial design.
• Television-era advertising personalities and their role in building brand identity.
• Photographs of prized packaging and advertising collectibles.
• A rarity guide for collectors seeking original advertising artifacts.

Why This Book Matters

Advertising characters are part of American visual history. This book documents their evolution from simple packaging figures to complex television personalities, showing how commercial art mirrored larger social and cultural changes.

The authors describe the book as being as much about twentieth-century America as it is about advertising. It helps readers understand how stereotypes, symbolism, and marketing shaped public memory.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital download, so there is no physical shipping. Access is available immediately after purchase.

The PDF can be read on compatible Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and other PDF reading apps. The digital file is intended for on-screen reading.

FAQ

How do I get the book after purchasing? You can download it instantly after checkout.

Will a physical copy be shipped? No. This is a digital download only.

What devices are supported? The PDF works with popular tablets, phones, computers, and Kindle apps.

Download What a Character! today and explore the personalities behind a century of American advertising.