Barney Google - Wrigley's "Comic Club" King Features Syndicate - Einson Freeman Co. Mask (1933)
Made by Einson-Freeman Co. • Licensed by King Features Syndicate
Issued for Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Chewing Gum Promotion
---
Back when kids could buy happiness for a penny, Wrigley’s Chewing Gum decided to turn bubble-blowing into a national event. Their 1933 “Comic Club” promotion offered free paper masks of the most popular comic-strip heroes—just mail in a few gum wrappers and wait for the magic to arrive in your mailbox.
Printed by Einson-Freeman Co. of Long Island City, NY, these masks were vivid, funny, and fragile—intended to last an afternoon, not a century. This survivor features Barney Google, the cigar-chomping optimist of King Features fame, whose name inspired the phrase “goo-goo eyes” and later the title of the search engine we all pretend doesn’t spy on us.
---
Character: Barney Google
Year: 1933
Maker: Einson-Freeman Co. (for Wrigley’s)
License: King Features Syndicate (clearly printed on reverse)
Material: Lithographed heavy card with original paper reinforcements and strap tabs
Dimensions: Approx. 9½ inches tall
Condition: Excellent display appeal with bright color, mild surface wear, light creasing, and age patina. Copyright mark visible on back.
(The vintage newspaper ad shown is included here only for historical reference and is not part of the listing.)
---
Rarity & Known Survivors
The 1933 Wrigley’s Comic Club series included about 18 characters total, distributed only through Wrigley’s mail-in gum wrapper offer. Most were trashed after a few parades and Halloween parties, making complete or marked examples scarce.
Current collector census estimates the following survival counts:
Character Est. Surviving Examples Rarity Tier
Barney Google Approx. 25–35 known
Popeye <30
Krazy Kat 30–40
Jiggs / Maggie 40–50
Others (Tillie, Hans, Fritz, Bimbo, etc.) 50–80
The Barney Google mask remains one of the three flagship characters of the set and frequently serves as the poster child for the entire promotion—featured prominently in original ads.
---
This mask represents the earliest wave of American character licensing—where comic strips, advertising, and childhood merged into one gum-scented fantasy. Nearly 100 years later, few examples survive, and Barney Google stands as one of the campaign’s defining faces—complete with his signature cigar and top hat charm.