Skeeter (The Monkey) - Wheaties Cereal mask (1940s-50s) - backside

This vibrant “Skeeter the Monkey” mask is one of the more playful and animated characters produced on the back panels of Wheaties cereal boxes in the late 1940s–1950s. With its oversized orange face, wide grin, and bold graphic lines, Skeeter brought a lively jungle energy to the breakfast table—perfect for children to cut out, wear, and play along with.

Like all Wheaties premium masks, it was part of a larger character set meant to encourage kids to collect them all. Because these masks were usually cut out, taped, worn, and discarded, finding intact examples—especially with bright color and clean backing—has become increasingly rare.

This piece embodies the golden age of cereal-box promotions, when manufacturers competed fiercely for children’s imaginations with colorful advertising premiums. Skeeter captures the lighthearted, exoticized “jungle adventure” theme popular in mid-century America.

📏 Measures: 11.5 x 9 inches
📅 Date: 1940s–1950s
🎨 Origin: Wheaties cereal backside premium