Jiggs - 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
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In 1933, during the depths of the Great Depression, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. teamed up with Einson-Freeman Co. to launch The Comic Club — a mail-in promotion that turned chewing gum wrappers into the ultimate kid prize: a free mask of your favorite comic-strip hero.
This mask features Jiggs, the eternally exasperated husband from George McManus’s legendary strip “Bringing Up Father.” With his cigar clenched in his teeth and that mischievous smirk, Jiggs embodied the everyday man trying to stay classy in a world gone fancy — a perfect symbol for 1930s America.
Printed by Einson-Freeman Co. of Long Island City, NY, these masks were never sold in stores and only obtainable by sending gum wrappers and a few cents postage to Wrigley’s “Comic Club.”
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Character: Jiggs (Bringing Up Father)
Year: 1933
Maker: Einson-Freeman Co. for Wrigley’s
License: King Features Syndicate (clearly printed on reverse)
Material: Lithographed heavy card with original paper strap reinforcements
Dimensions: Approx. 9½ inches tall
Condition: Displays excellent color with light surface wear, age toning, and a few period repairs on back. Copyright mark intact and visible.
(Newspaper ad shown for historical reference only — not included in sale.)
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Rarity & Known Survivors
The 1933 Comic Club masks included around 18 different characters, among them Popeye, Barney Google, Krazy Kat, Tillie the Toiler, Jiggs, Hans, Fritz, and others. Few examples survived due to their fragile paper construction and short promotional window.
Estimated surviving examples (2025 collector consensus):
Character Est. Surviving Examples Rarity Tier
Popeye < 30
Barney Google 25–35
Krazy Kat 30–40
Jiggs 40–50
Tillie / Hans / Fritz / Others 50–80
While not the rarest of the group, Jiggs is one of the most recognizable and display-friendly characters, especially with his top hat and cigar — often used in promotional imagery for the entire campaign.
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This Jiggs mask represents the intersection of American humor, advertising, and early character licensing. He’s part of the same rare Wrigley’s premium series as Popeye and Barney Google, but his comic pedigree stretches back to 1913 — making him one of the longest-running strip icons of the 20th century.
Few relics of this series survive today, and even fewer retain readable King Features markings like this one.