“Me – Worry?”

This 1914 poster is copyright by Stuff and Wilson. Who Wilson was is something of a mystery, but Stuff is Harry S. Stuff. Peter Blecha in his 2016 article entitled Stuff, Harry S. (1869-1938), in History Link, outlines the pre-Mad history of what would become Alfred E. Neuman.

Blecha writes that:

Of all Stuff's graphic design works, the one that that he is best remembered for was a poster he called “The Eternal Optimist.” On June 24, 1914, a federal Register of Copyright was granted to “Stuff and Wilson” for this illustration of what would later be described as a “picture of a boy with a broad, vacant smile revealing a missing tooth, and large outstanding ears and uncombed hair, which make him appear half-witted. The words ‘Me — Worry?’ appear directly underneath the illustration” (Federal Supplement, 494).