How do you go from an idea to reality? It takes first the idea, and then it takes a lot of other folks who believe in your idea and see the possibilities. Maybe even more than you first envisioned.

Almost 4 years ago I had an idea to get involved with summer reading programs and what better platform than Smokey. So out came my colored pencils and an oversized artist’s pad of paper. There have been many different formats of Smokey’s story over the years, from Smokey’s Story of The Forest to the Smokey Comic Book to recorded readings of Smokey’s Story to CD/VHS versions. I wanted to have something that could be easily taken to or used in smaller settings that would be very eye-catching to keep a child’s attention. As well as the story to accompany the drawings. That could be read to the children as they were looking at the drawings. The idea of a “Big Book” came to mind as I had seen one used in this way but for a different message.

Now I am no artist by a long shot but I used my 2^nd grade art ability and sketched out about a dozen or so drawings that could be used to tell Smokey’s story and on the back sides wrote out the story in a way that the reader had enough info but then also allowing for an extended “story” based on each drawing. I used this homemade Smokey’s Story Big Book once and it was well received so I thought I would try and get support from someone who could take it and “produce it”. I thought who might be able to help.

One of the first folks I thought about was my old boss from his time as the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Fire Chief, who had since went over to the “other side”(USFS). Lew Southard, I thought if he could not help he would at least give me a honest evaluation of my idea and point me in the right direction. He thought the idea had some merit and handed it off to Iris L. Vélez and the National Symbols folks for evaluation. Well I thought it had fallen into some deep dark hole as I had not heard anything for a long time afterwards. Then about 2 or so years ago I got a call from Iris letting me know they selected the idea to develop further. This was really good news but again it went into that deep dark space, or so at least I thought! 

On a side note, but somewhat related, in May of 2007 I got a call from Gwen Beavans (Francis Marion and Sumter NF) who was taking a Prevention Team to Jamaica under USAID and the USFS and was asked to be part of the team. While there I was tasked to come up with a children’s “tool” to address their fire challenges. Again the idea of a big book story came to mind. I wrote up the story “Oh No a Bush Fire” and another team member (Jimmye Turner, Umatilla NF)) illustrated it. This was well received by the Jamaican Educational folks and they actually produced it after several local edits and alterations. This was just one of several products the team developed which were ultimately used to help reduce their human caused bush fires. (Gwen also gave her time and expertise in the development of the new Smokey Story Big Book project.) I thought that if I had someone like Jimmye who could have illustrated the Smokey Story it would have had a better chance.

Little did I know then that Iris had been in the process of contracting with an artist to illustrate the book.

The rest is history as they say. The Symbols folks took an idea from its conception and developed what all hope will become a revitalization of the prevention effort targeting the very young. Also several other products were being developed using the new Smokey artwork of Joe Kulka targeting older kids and adults as well. It is pretty cool when an idea becomes reality. There are so many folks who without their direct or indirect involvement the Smokey Bear Story / La historia del Oso Smokey would have only remained an idea and I would like to thank them all.

Because of the generosity of the US Forest Service thousands of educators have received a free copy of Smokeys Big Book and a whole new generation of boys and girls are becomming Smokey's Friend and promising to Always Be Careful.