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 29^th, 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.