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Corrected the spelling of Pee-wee's name to be consistent with the timeline of the spelling (prior to 1952 the small "w" was used.)
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Pee-wee Harris first appeared in 1915 as a supporting character in Fitzhugh’s series of novels about the Boy Scouts of "Troop 1, Bridgeboro, NJ". Though Pee-wee is small of stature and young of age, he is the quintessential [[Ranks_in_the_Boy_Scouts_of_America#First_Class|First Class]] Boy Scout— he is almost always wearing one of his many [[Uniform and insignia of the Boy Scouts of America|Scout uniforms]], and carries a [[compass]], a [[pocketknife]], a belt axe, and some food to appease his never-ending appetite. His fellow Scouts would say that "Pee-wee is not in the Boy Scouts, the Boy Scouts are in him."
Pee-wee Harris first appeared in 1915 as a supporting character in Fitzhugh’s series of novels about the Boy Scouts of "Troop 1, Bridgeboro, NJ". Though Pee-wee is small of stature and young of age, he is the quintessential [[Ranks_in_the_Boy_Scouts_of_America#First_Class|First Class]] Boy Scout— he is almost always wearing one of his many [[Uniform and insignia of the Boy Scouts of America|Scout uniforms]], and carries a [[compass]], a [[pocketknife]], a belt axe, and some food to appease his never-ending appetite. His fellow Scouts would say that "Pee-wee is not in the Boy Scouts, the Boy Scouts are in him."


His adventures were so numerous that in 1922 Pee-wee was given a [[book series]] of his own. The series revolves around him using Scouting skills such as [[Flag semaphore |signaling]] and [[tracking (hunting)|stalking]] to have adventures and solve mysteries.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=-A0XAAAAYAAJ&dq=pee-wee+harris&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=3-FfSrrlJ8fSlAffprzZCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5 Pee-Wee Harris by Percy Keese Fitzhugh],</ref> The hero of these stories usually gets himself into predicaments through his enthusiasm for the Scout way and his noble intentions. But Pee-wee is the kind of boy who always lands on his feet. He takes a situation that he manages to screw up with his zeal and, with his Scout knowledge and a huge dose of luck, always seems to come out on top. “''Even when he loses, he wins''”. The series also featured other Scouts from the "First Bridgeboro Troop" such as Tom Slade, Roy Blakeley, and Westy Martin, who also had their own series of books, the first two preceding the Pee-wee series and the last following it. The Pee-wee Harris book series ran until 1930.<ref>[http://www.bridgeboro.com/page6.html In 1941, 19 year old Edith Carr wrote a fan letter to Percy Keese Fitzhugh], Bridgeboro.com</ref>
His adventures were so numerous that in 1922 Pee-wee was given a [[book series]] of his own. The series revolves around him using Scouting skills such as [[Flag semaphore |signaling]] and [[tracking (hunting)|stalking]] to have adventures and solve mysteries.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=-A0XAAAAYAAJ&dq=pee-wee+harris&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=3-FfSrrlJ8fSlAffprzZCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5 Pee-Wee Harris by Percy Keese Fitzhugh],</ref> The hero of these stories usually gets himself into predicaments through his enthusiasm for the Scout way and his noble intentions. But Pee-wee is the kind of boy who always lands on his feet. He takes a situation that he manages to screw up with his zeal and, with his Scout knowledge and a huge dose of luck, always seems to come out on top. “''Even when he loses, he wins''”. The series also featured other Scouts from the "First Bridgeboro Troop" such as Tom Slade, Roy Blakeley, and Westy Martin, who each also had their own series of books, the first two preceding the Pee-wee series and the last following it. The Pee-wee Harris book series ran until 1930.<ref>[http://www.bridgeboro.com/page6.html In 1941, 19 year old Edith Carr wrote a fan letter to Percy Keese Fitzhugh], Bridgeboro.com</ref>


Like many of the Scouts in Fitzhugh's novels, Pee-wee was based on a real person, in Pee-wee's case- one Al Gar Bloom, whose father ran a newsstand near Fitzhugh's studio in [[Hackensack, NJ]]. Al, himself a Scout, would regularly pester Mr. Fitzhugh to see the manuscripts before they were sent off to his publisher. When the Pee-wee Harris series began; Al was the natural choice as the Scout who would grace the cover of the first volume. Al lived in Hackensack for many years, eventually becoming a reporter for the ''[[Bergen Evening Record]]''. In an interview given in the 1970s, Al had this to say about PKF’s books: “Fitzhugh’s books&nbsp;– moral, humorous&nbsp;– were well suited to my generation just as the [[Rover Boys]], [[Horatio Alger]] and [[Oliver Optic]] were rigidly keyed to the moral tone and drive for material success of their respective eras.”
Like many of the Scouts in Fitzhugh's novels, Pee-wee was based on a real person, in Pee-wee's case- one Al Gar Bloom, whose father ran a newsstand near Fitzhugh's studio in [[Hackensack, NJ]]. Al, himself a Scout, would regularly pester Mr. Fitzhugh to see the manuscripts before they were sent off to his publisher. When the Pee-wee Harris series began; Al was the natural choice as the Scout who would grace the cover of the first volume. Al lived in Hackensack for many years, eventually becoming a reporter for the ''[[Bergen Evening Record]]''. In an interview given in the 1970s, Al had this to say about PKF’s books: “Fitzhugh’s books&nbsp;– moral, humorous&nbsp;– were well suited to my generation just as the [[Rover Boys]], [[Horatio Alger]] and [[Oliver Optic]] were rigidly keyed to the moral tone and drive for material success of their respective eras.”


13 Pee-Wee Harris books were published by [[Grosset & Dunlap]]:
13 Pee-wee Harris books were published by [[Grosset & Dunlap]]:


* ''Pee-Wee Harris'' (1922) <ref>{{gutenberg|no=9833|name=Pee-Wee Harris}}</ref>
* ''Pee-wee Harris'' (1922) <ref>{{gutenberg|no=9833|name=Pee-Wee Harris}}</ref>
* ''Pee-Wee Harris on the Trail'' (1922) <ref>{{gutenberg|no=15750|name=Pee-Wee Harris on the Trail}}</ref>
* ''Pee-wee Harris on the Trail'' (1922) <ref>{{gutenberg|no=15750|name=Pee-Wee Harris on the Trail}}</ref>
* ''Pee-Wee Harris in Camp'' (1922)
* ''Pee-wee Harris in Camp'' (1922)
* ''Pee-Wee Harris in Luck'' (1922)
* ''Pee-wee Harris in Luck'' (1922)
* ''Pee-Wee Harris Adrift'' (1922)<ref>{{gutenberg|no=17767|name=Pee-Wee Harris Adrift}}</ref>
* ''Pee-wee Harris Adrift'' (1922)<ref>{{gutenberg|no=17767|name=Pee-Wee Harris Adrift}}</ref>
* ''Pee-Wee Harris F.O.B. Bridgeboro'' (1923)
* ''Pee-wee Harris F.O.B. Bridgeboro'' (1923)
* ''Pee-Wee Harris: Fixer (1924)''
* ''Pee-wee Harris: Fixer (1924)''
* ''Pee-Wee Harris: As Good As His Word'' (1925)
* ''Pee-wee Harris: As Good As His Word'' (1925)
* ''Pee-Wee Harris: Mayor For A Day'' (1926); serialized in ''Boys' Life'' as Pee-Wee's Patrol
* ''Pee-wee Harris: Mayor For A Day'' (1926); serialized in ''Boys' Life'' as Pee-Wee's Patrol
* ''Pee-Wee Harris and the Sunken Treasure'' (1927)
* ''Pee-wee Harris and the Sunken Treasure'' (1927)
* ''Pee-Wee Harris on the Briny Deep'' (1928)
* ''Pee-wee Harris on the Briny Deep'' (1928)
* ''Pee-Wee Harris in Darkest Africa'' (1929)
* ''Pee-wee Harris in Darkest Africa'' (1929)
* ''Pee-Wee Harris Turns Detective'' (1930)
* ''Pee-wee Harris Turns Detective'' (1930)


In addition, these two stories are known to exist:
In addition, these two stories are known to exist:


* "Pee-Wee Harris Warrior Bold" (1930) - published as a serial in ''Boys' Life'' magazine
* "Pee-wee Harris Warrior Bold" (1930) - published as a serial in ''Boys' Life'' magazine
* "Pee-Wee's Gold Brick" - an unpublished manuscript
* "Pee-wee's Gold Brick" - an unpublished manuscript


Around 1935 Grosset & Dunlap sold the rights to the first two Pee-wee Harris books to Whitman Publishing. These books, along with 4 other Fitzhugh titles, were added to their extensive "2300" series of books for young adults. They remained in their catalog until the 1950s.
Around 1935 Grosset & Dunlap sold the rights to the first two Pee-wee Harris books to Whitman Publishing. These books, along with 4 other Fitzhugh titles, were added to their extensive "2300" series of books for young adults. They remained in their catalog until the 1950s.
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==Comics==
==Comics==
{{Expand section|date=December 2009}}
{{Expand section|date=December 2009}}
In 1952, Pee-wee made the transition to the comic strip, appearing in the "Pee Wee Harris" comic strip in ''[[Boys' Life]]'' (September issue). This project was begun by cartoonist Alfred B. Stenzel who was given the task of capturing the essence of Pee-wee’s character and applying it to short adventures that could be rendered on one page in eight or ten frames. The strip originally carried the byline
In 1952, Pee-wee made the transition to the comic strip, appearing in the "Pee Wee Harris" comic strip in ''[[Boys' Life]]'' (September issue). This is when his name was first spelled with the capital "W" and the hyphen was removed. This project was begun by cartoonist Alfred B. Stenzel who was given the task of capturing the essence of Pee-Wee’s character and applying it to short adventures that could be rendered on one page in eight or ten frames. The strip originally carried the byline
"by Percy K. Fitzhugh" even though Fitzhugh had passed in 1950. The comic strip originally followed story lines from the books. Over the years, it has been changed in both artistic style and story line. In the latest incarnations of the strip, Westy (a holdover from Fitzhugh's original stories), Sam, and Chubb <!--What's his last name?--> (comparative newcomers) appear in supporting roles. Responsibility for the strip has been handed down over the years and now rests with accomplished illustrator Mike Adair<ref>http://www.mikeadair.com/PWIntroPage.html</ref>.
"by Percy K. Fitzhugh" even though Fitzhugh had passed in 1950. The comic strip originally followed story lines from the books. Over the years, it has been changed in both artistic style and story line. In the latest incarnations of the strip, Westy (a holdover from Fitzhugh's original stories), Sam, and Chubb <!--What's his last name?--> (comparative newcomers) appear in supporting roles. Responsibility for the strip has been handed down over the years and now rests with accomplished illustrator Mike Adair<ref>http://www.mikeadair.com/PWIntroPage.html</ref>.


Revision as of 12:53, 7 January 2012

Pee-wee Harris
First appearance1915
Created byPercy Keese Fitzhugh
Portrayed byAl Gar Bloom
In-universe information
AliasWalter Harris
NicknamePee-wee
TitleFirst Class Scout
OccupationBoy Scout

Walter "Pee-wee" Harris, is a fictional Boy Scout who has appeared in several series of boy's books by Percy Keese Fitzhugh as well as in a long-running comic strip in the magazine Boys' Life. Originally spelled "Pee-wee", his name has occasionally been spelled "Pee-Wee" and is spelled "Pee Wee" in the Boy's Life comic strip.

Books

Pee-wee Harris first appeared in 1915 as a supporting character in Fitzhugh’s series of novels about the Boy Scouts of "Troop 1, Bridgeboro, NJ". Though Pee-wee is small of stature and young of age, he is the quintessential First Class Boy Scout— he is almost always wearing one of his many Scout uniforms, and carries a compass, a pocketknife, a belt axe, and some food to appease his never-ending appetite. His fellow Scouts would say that "Pee-wee is not in the Boy Scouts, the Boy Scouts are in him."

His adventures were so numerous that in 1922 Pee-wee was given a book series of his own. The series revolves around him using Scouting skills such as signaling and stalking to have adventures and solve mysteries.[1] The hero of these stories usually gets himself into predicaments through his enthusiasm for the Scout way and his noble intentions. But Pee-wee is the kind of boy who always lands on his feet. He takes a situation that he manages to screw up with his zeal and, with his Scout knowledge and a huge dose of luck, always seems to come out on top. “Even when he loses, he wins”. The series also featured other Scouts from the "First Bridgeboro Troop" such as Tom Slade, Roy Blakeley, and Westy Martin, who each also had their own series of books, the first two preceding the Pee-wee series and the last following it. The Pee-wee Harris book series ran until 1930.[2]

Like many of the Scouts in Fitzhugh's novels, Pee-wee was based on a real person, in Pee-wee's case- one Al Gar Bloom, whose father ran a newsstand near Fitzhugh's studio in Hackensack, NJ. Al, himself a Scout, would regularly pester Mr. Fitzhugh to see the manuscripts before they were sent off to his publisher. When the Pee-wee Harris series began; Al was the natural choice as the Scout who would grace the cover of the first volume. Al lived in Hackensack for many years, eventually becoming a reporter for the Bergen Evening Record. In an interview given in the 1970s, Al had this to say about PKF’s books: “Fitzhugh’s books – moral, humorous – were well suited to my generation just as the Rover Boys, Horatio Alger and Oliver Optic were rigidly keyed to the moral tone and drive for material success of their respective eras.”

13 Pee-wee Harris books were published by Grosset & Dunlap:

  • Pee-wee Harris (1922) [3]
  • Pee-wee Harris on the Trail (1922) [4]
  • Pee-wee Harris in Camp (1922)
  • Pee-wee Harris in Luck (1922)
  • Pee-wee Harris Adrift (1922)[5]
  • Pee-wee Harris F.O.B. Bridgeboro (1923)
  • Pee-wee Harris: Fixer (1924)
  • Pee-wee Harris: As Good As His Word (1925)
  • Pee-wee Harris: Mayor For A Day (1926); serialized in Boys' Life as Pee-Wee's Patrol
  • Pee-wee Harris and the Sunken Treasure (1927)
  • Pee-wee Harris on the Briny Deep (1928)
  • Pee-wee Harris in Darkest Africa (1929)
  • Pee-wee Harris Turns Detective (1930)

In addition, these two stories are known to exist:

  • "Pee-wee Harris Warrior Bold" (1930) - published as a serial in Boys' Life magazine
  • "Pee-wee's Gold Brick" - an unpublished manuscript

Around 1935 Grosset & Dunlap sold the rights to the first two Pee-wee Harris books to Whitman Publishing. These books, along with 4 other Fitzhugh titles, were added to their extensive "2300" series of books for young adults. They remained in their catalog until the 1950s.

An abridged audio book of the seminal novel was published in December 2009.

Comics

In 1952, Pee-wee made the transition to the comic strip, appearing in the "Pee Wee Harris" comic strip in Boys' Life (September issue). This is when his name was first spelled with the capital "W" and the hyphen was removed. This project was begun by cartoonist Alfred B. Stenzel who was given the task of capturing the essence of Pee-Wee’s character and applying it to short adventures that could be rendered on one page in eight or ten frames. The strip originally carried the byline "by Percy K. Fitzhugh" even though Fitzhugh had passed in 1950. The comic strip originally followed story lines from the books. Over the years, it has been changed in both artistic style and story line. In the latest incarnations of the strip, Westy (a holdover from Fitzhugh's original stories), Sam, and Chubb (comparative newcomers) appear in supporting roles. Responsibility for the strip has been handed down over the years and now rests with accomplished illustrator Mike Adair[6].

References

  1. ^ Pee-Wee Harris by Percy Keese Fitzhugh,
  2. ^ In 1941, 19 year old Edith Carr wrote a fan letter to Percy Keese Fitzhugh, Bridgeboro.com
  3. ^
    • Pee-Wee Harris at Project Gutenberg
  4. ^
  5. ^
  6. ^ http://www.mikeadair.com/PWIntroPage.html
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