No, this isn't a poorly drawn caricature of Golduck. :p
This is a poorly drawn caricature of Fird ...and Fird is a fird. ^^
Whoever heard of a fird? Exactly! :D
Fird is the main character from the book 'Whoever Heard of a Fird' (1984) written by Othello Bach,
"Fird, part fish part bird, is looking for a herd of fird. So he sets out to find a herd of fird. Along the way, he meets many two-feature creatures--whimsical animals like shamels--part sheep, part camels, and bertles--part bear, part turtles"
Of course there was a toy line. :P
The aforementioned were *'Firffels': "Two-feature creatures" who "All come in plush and fully posable figures"
*a word I've yet been able to type without looking at it :P
HYPOTHETICALWATCHER: "Why does your fird have paws? It's supposed to have bird feet"
I couldn't really tell from my reference. Either way, my fird is part catfish, so...
HYPOTHETICALWATCHER: "So, in other words, Firffels fans didn't get a true 'fanart' from you after all?"
Silly watcher---there are no Firffels fans! :D ...are there? :0
Anyway,
'Firffels' embodied the same basic concept as Disney's 'Wuzzles', though the creators of 'Firffels' claim their license of the concept came first (the words 'The Original' were prominent on 'Firffels' packaging).
..But no one really knows for sure ('Firffels' and 'Wuzzles' debuted less than a year apart (...bear in mind it takes time to publish books, animate TV series and produce plushes)! D:
Of note, the 'Firffels' toys were licensed by Remco: a company known for "...licensing pre-existing concepts that could be presented as knock-offs of upcoming/current toy fads"
Yeah, I prefer the original Fird; I drew my version (in an original, if not uncreative, pose!) from a 1985 'Firffels' blister pack: https://sta.sh/0l2kpyv4d5s
Personally, I think the 'Wuzzles' were superior, designwise, to the 'Firffels'---the 'Firffels' don't blend their respective species well; the 'Firffels' characters look like someone's attempt at PhotoShopping bits of clip art together (esp. Elephonkey).
Pencil...
Speaking of not blending well, today's pencil is a real mix-up! D:
Notice the pencil claims to be an Eberhard Faber, yet also boasts the 'Eagle' brand name? Even more strange is the specificity: the pencil claims to be an Eberhard Faber 'American' (a pencil everyone in North America has used at some point), and an Eagle 'Recycled' (a pencil with a barrel made from recycled plastics).
Having examined the featured pencil, my guess is it is not made of wood. I cannot know for certain (I won't sharpen it), but there is no visible grain on its collar.
Anyway,
Eberhard Faber and Eagle were competing brands---they were not affiliated in any way. So how does this pencil exist?
Personally, I think it's fake. I showed it to our friend Bob Truby, who had this to say,
"Hey Marten. That's a strange one indeed. It's all part of the brand acquisition over the years.......maybe for a moment somebody comboed all those names up for a season I can only imagine. In the end they all become one...LOL. I don't know for sure if I've got one as I generally don't focus on that era. Probably 80's or 90's here in the US. I'll certainly look and try to get one myself. Thanks for dropping me a pencil...odd as it may appear"
In other words, Bob doesn't know. ^^
I have submitted an inquiry to the Faber-Castell website. Hopefully they'll respond (if I receive an answer, I'll include it in a future ACO description).
EDIT (04/14/2022): And I'll include it here, too. Faber-Castell told me to ask Sanford (ie, Papermate) ...so, I did. This was the reply I received,
"Hi, Marten. We are pleased to learn that you are interested in the history of the Eberhard Faber - Eagle Recycled Pencils. Newell Rubbermaid Office Products is the worldwide leader in writing instruments and art materials, offering more than 3,000 products marketed under some of the most recognizable brands. Sanford, Eberhard Faber, and Berol (Eagle Pencil Company) were all acquired by Newell Rubbermaid Company on February 14, 1992, October 18, 1994, and November 2, 1995, respectively. As a result of cross branding, the woodcases of the pencils were engraved with both brands."
