Volume 1, Issue 1 of Ebony Jr! was published in May 1973 by
Johnson Publishing Company, the publishers of Ebony and Jet magazines. Described by
Google Books as “the largest ever children-focused publication for
African Americans,” Ebony Jr! was geared toward children ages 5 through
10. Single issues originally sold for 50
cents in 1973. By 1985, the last year of
publication, single copies were $1.
Ebony Jr!, designed to engage the younger set, included
short stories, such as “The Haunted Ship in Charleston Harbor”; recipes like “BakingPowder Biscuits”; and oodles of games and things to do. The publication kept little subscribers anticipating their next issue. Word Mystery is one game example that was a fun way to boost knowledge and vocabulary. However, the most popular feature in each issue of Ebony Jr! was the adventurous brother
and sister duo, Sunny and Honey.
In print, these siblings served as positive images for young readers and also further encouraged learning and literacy. Many young readers’ letters to Ebony Jr! confirm their delight for Sunny and Honey, whose articles and character illustrations improved with each issue.
Screen capture of the original Sunny and Honey characters |
In print, these siblings served as positive images for young readers and also further encouraged learning and literacy. Many young readers’ letters to Ebony Jr! confirm their delight for Sunny and Honey, whose articles and character illustrations improved with each issue.
Ebony Jr! Sunny and Honey cloth doll ad (screen captured from the December 1973 issue) |
By December of the debut
year, Ebony Jr!’s Sunny and Honey
characters were available by mail order as 18-inch, stuffed-cloth dolls wearing
colorful, painted-on clothing. The Honey
doll holds her very own brown baby doll. Sunny’s yellow shirt proudly advertises his Ebony Jr!
affiliation. Their original, 1973 cost was
$3.95 each as shown in the above screen captured image of a Sunny and Honey ad that
first appeared in the December 1973 issue of Ebony Jr!
Sunny and Honey dolls were advertised in several issues of Ebony Jr!
from December 1973 through April 1976. During
this same period, ads for the dolls also appeared in sporadic issues of Ebony and Jet magazines.
It is safe to assume that
since advertisements for the dolls in Ebony
Jr! ceased in 1976, that original quantities sold out that year. Research reveals the dolls made a comeback several
years later, as advertised in the May 20, 1991, issue of Jet, which featured Bill Cosby and the young Raven-Symone on the cover. At that time, the dolls were
only available through Ebony and Jet magazine as Ebony Jr! had ceased publication. The dolls' 1991 cost was $4.95 each plus $2 for postage.
Below are images of the
original Sunny and Honey cloth dolls provided by Ms. Carolyn
Armenta Davis – All Rights Reserved.
These rare Ebony Jr! Sunny and Honey dolls were acquired by Ms. Carolyn Armenta Davis* in approximately 1974 from Johnson Publishing Company
as promotional material when she co-produced the weekly Black Entertainment
Show, Tilmon Tempo that aired on
Chicago’s Channel 5, NBC-TV.
At present, Ms. Davis desires to find a new home for her dolls. Seriously interested parties are invited to
contact her directly regarding acquisition of these well-preserved, fine
examples of Ebony Jr! and Johnson
Publishing Company memorabilia. Davis
describes their condition as excellent without tears and with full color
cloth. Her email address is: carmentad@aol.com
.
While Ebony Jr! ceased publication in 1985 and
dolls of the Sunny and Honey characters last sold in 1991, the characters are a
mainstay. The more contemporary Sunny
and Honey can be seen at the Ebony Jr!
website: http://www.ebonyjr.com/ . I
had hoped to glean additional information about the characters and the dolls,
specifically how many were produced and the exact year beyond 1991 that selling ceased. Unfortunately, other than a few cover images
of past Ebony Jr! publications, the site
offers little in the way of information.
Other than Ms. Davis' dolls, I have never seen any others. This could mean few remain or those that do belong to owners not willing to part with them.
Other than Ms. Davis' dolls, I have never seen any others. This could mean few remain or those that do belong to owners not willing to part with them.
*Carolyn
Armenta Davis, an international lecturer, historian, and curator on
contemporary Black|African Diaspora architects, is also
an award-winning broadcast writer-producer; a non-profit and business advisor;
and a world traveler.
dbg
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These dolls are awfully cute, they look like comic book characters come to life. Also, I didn't expect to see the backs fully detailed too!
ReplyDeleteThey are indeed delightful rare gems indeed, Carmen! I hope they will find new homes where their appreciation and historical significance will continue.
ReplyDeletedbg
Hello from Spain: I like this collection of dolls. I had not seen before. I hope they find a new home. Keep in touch
ReplyDeleteThanks for the detailed history of these dolls. They are very charming!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a printed cloth doll before. I agree, they are rather charming.
ReplyDeleteI used to read Ebony Jr all the time and always looked forward to Honey and Sunny. Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteI also have a honey doll
ReplyDeleteI as well have a set of these dolls! Bidding starts now, And...go!
ReplyDelete