Care Bears t-shirts
The Care Bears made their first appearance in 1981, as the artwork for a
line of greeting cards. After the huge success of the company's previous
creation, "Strawberry Shortcake", American Greetings introduced ten adorable
pastel-colored bears who each had their own distinct personality. These bears
represented every occasion deemed greeting-card worthy, with names like,
"Cheer Bear",
"Good Luck Bear", "Birthday Bear", "Grumpy Bear",
"Tenderheart Bear" and "Love-a-Lot Bear".
The cards became so widely popular that just two
years later the Care Bears started popping up in books, on shirts,
patches,-- and of course, as cute, cuddly toys. Kenner's 12-inch teddy
bears featured embroidered symbols on their bellies, soft plush fur, and
a distinctive heart "birthmark" on each bear's backside. The toys were
soon nicknamed "America's Teddy Bear", with over 40 million Care Bears
plush sold between 1983 and 1987.
In 1985, an animated series was launched. The cartoon
introduced everyone to "Care-a-Lot", the Care Bears home, which was a magical
place located on a cloud way up in the sky. In the Care-a-Lot castle, the bears
collaborated around a heart-shaped table (a play on Camelot and the "Knights of
the Round Table") plotting to help out a little boy or girl on Earth who was in
need of some care. On March 29th, 1985, the Care Bears hit the big
screen in their first animated film, The Care Bears Movie. The movie was
a hit, with actors such as Mickey Rooney and Georgia Engel lending their voices
for the characters of the story. Two more Care Bears movies followed, Care
Bears: A New Generation and Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland.
The Care Bears family continued to grow, with Share Bear,
Champ Bear, Secret Bear, and babies Hugs and Tugs joining the group. The Care
Bears even gained a resident grandmother, appropriately named "Grams". The Care
Bear Cousins, who lived in the Forest of Feeling, consisted of various other
animals such as a lion, an elephant, and a monkey.
Care Bears products eventually disappeared from public view in the 1990's, but
recently have made a huge comeback with the plush toys,
shirts, stickers, books,
hats, and other products back on the market. The Care Bears represent a
timeless sentiment of love and caring, which could be one reason why the idea
for the bears has been so successful.