The Cincinnati Baseball Historical Review No. 5: From Pinocchio to Cincy Natty
Former Disney Cartoonist Gave Personality To The Cincinnati Post & Times-Star Version Of Mr. Redlegs.
In early 1962, cartoonist Walt Kelly happened upon the art of Mr. Redlegs in The Cincinnati Post & Times Star. Intrigued, he began to have some fun with the popular mustached, old-timey, oversized baseball head logo. Kelly, a former Disney artist in the 1930s and early 1940s (Donald Duck, Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Dumbo) and creator of the popular Pogo cartoon series, decided that ole Mr. Redlegs needed a personality. He started doodling and before he knew it, he had ten sketches, each with a different mood and pose.
“He looked so cold and inanimate. I just had to liven him up, give him character and humor,” Kelly said at the time.
Kelly shared his sketches with the newspaper and they loved it. They loved it so much in fact that they decided to hold a contest to name the new Mr. Redleg (affectionally called Wille Redleg in the newsroom). On April 9, 1962, the paper announced the contest. The winner would receive a $200 cash prize.
On May 16, 1962, the newspaper announced that three winners had chosen the name “Cincy Natty” and they would each split the $200 prize.
Kelly’s caricature was so popular that the Post/Times-Star gave away window decals of Cincy Natty in his “Charge!” pose. Even area knothole teams also were given permission to use the artwork.
From 1962 and throughout the 1965 season, Kelly drew 21 different poses of Cincy Natty. Depending on what the Reds did, the paper would incorporate an appropriate image with the game story. If they won, you’d sometimes see a “cigar smoking, bragging pose”. If they lost, you might find a “ball bouncing off the head pose”.
The commonly seen “Charge” Cincy Natty logo also appeared on billboards and advertisements across the city. Kelly was inspired to draw this character based upon the new tradition brought on by Crosley Field organist Ronnie Dale (look for a future post in TQCHR on Mr. Dale), who would play the now famous six note bugle anthem to inspire the crowd to yell “Charge.”
For reasons unknown, the paper stopped using the Cincy Natty character regularly after the 1965 season.
We need to resurrect Cincy Natty!
Great! Didn’t know of the Walt Kelly part in the evolution of Mr Redlegs.