Golden State Dairy (Part 1)

This happy little fella (and his just-as-happy little mule pal) was created by Al Wiseman in the late 1940's for The Golden State Dairy Products company. The tyke went by the aptly descriptive moniker of "The Little Prospector". So what was he prospectin' for? Why, he was prospectin' for only the best dairy products to be found in the vast and mighty state of California!

And find it, he did. Thanks to the kindly assistance of The Golden State Dairy Products company. But since the neighborhood Golden State milkman could deliver these products to the Little Prospector's home on a regular basis, did he really need to keep prospectin' for his dairy needs? Assuming he even had a home (and wasn't just a vagrant), I'd guess not.

Shortly after Al Wiseman left the Golden State Dairy universe for the higher profile (but no less anonymous) Dennis the Menace universe in 1952, The Little Prospector ads were sadly discontinued. Then in 1954, the company was acquired by Foremost Dairies Inc. who eventually retired the "Golden State Dairy" name in 1962.


So what became of The Little Prospector when the Golden State Dairies were discontinued? Did he have to start prospectin' for dairy products all over again? I couldn't say. But I pray that he's still out there somewhere, now a grizzled old coot prospector, searching valiantly for that perfect glass of milk. And you know what? I hope he finds it.

I'd like to thank Al's daughter, Jan Pisciotta, for sending me this ad (from the February, 1949 issue of Sunset Magazine) a while back. Jan is a talented artist and writer herself, so it must run in the family. Thanks Jan!

Jan wrote:
"Here's a tearsheet for Golden State Milk Co. He created this character before he worked on D.T.M. and they really wanted him to develop it. He dropped it for Dennis.
-Jan"



Golden State Dairy Posts:
Part 1/Part 2/Part 3/Part 4/Part 5/Part 6/Part 7/Part 8