Western Exterminator
Phoenix, AZ Photo courtesy Rob Svirskas
The Western Exterminator Little Man has been pointing his finger at unwanted pests since 1931. Wearing a tuxedo, top hat, and dark glasses, he politely hides an enormous mallet behind his back while confronting a hungry rodent holding a knife and fork. Apparently dinner has been canceled.
Artist Vaughn Kaufman created the character for a Yellow Pages advertisement. He was originally given the name Kernel Kleenup, but that never quite caught on. Customers simply knew him as the Little Man or the Little Man with the Big Hammer.
Western Exterminator Little Man" logo was created in 1931. Though he was originally
named "Kernel Kleenup", the name never stuck.
Western Exterminator
AZ Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan
Western Exterminator expanded into Phoenix in 1971, and a large promotional figure reportedly appeared at its facility around 1974. These photos show both the Phoenix sign and a trailer-mounted Little Man that could be towed around town. Nothing attracts attention to a pest-control company quite like a stern fellow carrying a hammer several times larger than the pests.
The mascot became even more famous in 1984 when Van Halen adopted him for its massive 1984 concert tour. The Little Man appeared on tour shirts and other merchandise, giving the exterminator an unexpected second career in rock and roll.
Western Exterminator
Phoenix, AZ Photo courtesy Rob Svirskas
Western Exterminator used similar statues and signs throughout California, Arizona, and Nevada. Some became familiar roadside landmarks, including the Little Man once located in Long Beach.
UPDATE: According to the owner, the business
moved to Phoenix in 1971, and they erected the statue sign in about 1974. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillan for info. 04-05
UPDATE: Western Exterminator remains in business in the Phoenix area, and the Little Man continues to appear in company branding. The current whereabouts of the vintage Phoenix statue and trailer-mounted figure remain uncertain. 09-26
Harbie
Bisbee, AZ Photo courtesy Ann Berkery
Here's a real roadside find. Yes, it's Harbie,
located in the Shady Dell RV Park in Bisbee, AZ. The Shady Dell is a park
wherein the "motel rooms" are refurbished trailers from the
50s, a converted bus, & a propped up cabin cruiser. Lo & Behold
, there in front of the yacht, stands a Harbie, kind of faded but bravely
holding up to cold, dry desert winds. Many thanks to Ann Berkeryfor info.
Harbie fits right in among the vintage trailers, tiki carvings, converted bus, and other mid-century odds and ends scattered around the Shady Dell.
UPDATE: Harbie remains on the grounds of the Shady Dell Vintage Trailer Court, still keeping watch near the El Rey yacht. 09-26
Painted Desert Indian Center
Off the I-40 Holbrook, AZ Photo courtesy Tony Craig
Cruising Interstate 40 near the Painted Desert, watch for the colorful dinosaur pointing travelers toward fossils and petrified wood. The prehistoric pitchman stands outside the Painted Desert Indian Center, where roadside advertising does not get much harder to resist. 11-10
The dinosaur originally stood at the nearby International Dinosaur Park. When that attraction closed in 2007, the Indian Center rescued several of its oversized creatures and moved them down the road.
UPDATE: The Painted Desert Indian Center remains open near Holbrook, and its colorful dinosaurs continue attracting motorists from Interstate 40. 09-26
Western Exterminator
Western Exterminator
Western Exterminator
Painted Desert Indian Center
