Chesty Bond

Chesty Bond is a long-lived fictional cartoon character and trademark for the Australian clothing company Bonds. Originally created in 1938 as part of a merchandising campaign to sell men's underwear (and the singlet in particular), Chesty Bond is recognised by many Australians as a popular national icon.

The Chesty Bond logo

Advertising

The character was a co-creation of cartoonist Syd Miller[1][2][3] and Ted Maloney,[4] the Bond's account executive at advertising agency, J. Walter Thomkpson.[5][6] Devised in 1938, Chesty Bond only made periodic appearances along with another Bond's comic strip, Aussie History,[5] until it was decided in 1940 to make the strip a regular feature.[5] Beginning in March 1940, Chesty Bond was featured three times each week in Sydney's Sun newspaper,[5][6] (every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday)[7] and by 1942 it had been extended initially to four days, and then to five days a week.[8][9][6] Later the four days scheme was re-established.[10] When Miller joined the Herald and Weekly Times in 1945[6] the strip was taken over by Francis 'Will' Mahoney, who continued to draw it until 1950.[5][6] The strip was then handled by Virgil Reilly before being passed on to Cee Linaker, followed by John Santry[11] until it was retired in 1964.[5][6] Chesty Bond was one of the most successful daily advertising strip running for over 20 years.

Chesty, with his characteristically powerful jutting jaw and impressive physique, became a superhero when he pulled on his trusty Chesty Bond Athletic vest.[5] As a result of the successful campaign, Chesty Bond became the archetypal Australian hero synonymous with Australian masculinity and an icon recognised Australia-wide. Chesty Bond also wears Bonds Boxer shorts, known for their comfortable fit. In 1951 North Sydney and Manly-Warringah rugby league player Max Whitehead was selected to be the human model for the Chesty Bonds character, though a prosthetic chin was fitted for his photo shoots to make it a little more jutting.[12]

Acquisition

In 2009, Pacific Brands, the owner of Bonds, announced seven manufacturing site closures and job cuts totalling 1,850[13] and that the manufacture of all Bonds products will now be in China.[14]

References
  1. "How Chesty Bond was born". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 29 December 1982. p. 6. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  2. Kerr, Joan (2007). "Sydney Leon Miller". Design and Art Australia. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  3. "Syd Miller". Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  4. McGregor, Richard (16 December 1982). "150 million singlets sold - Chesty Bonds says: that's expansion". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 9. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  5. John Ryan (1979). Panel By Panel: an Illustrated History of Australian Comics. Cassell. pp. 18–24. ISBN 0-7269-7376-9.
  6. Foyle, Lindsay (Autumn 2009). "Testy Chesty Noodled by Bonds Move". Inkspot. Australian Cartoonist's Association. p. 6. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  7. Miller, Syd (19 March 1940). "CHESTY BOND — Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday". The Sun (Sydney) (9425). New South Wales, Australia. p. 22 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 11 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. Miller, Syd (27 April 1942). "CHESTY BOND AND HIS BOND'S ATHLETIC--EVERY MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY". The Sun (Sydney) (10080). New South Wales, Australia. p. 6 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 11 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. Miller, Syd (7 September 1942). "CHESTY BOND Monday to Friday". The Sun (Sydney) (10, 194). New South Wales, Australia. p. 6 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 11 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. Santry, John (27 March 1951). "CHESTY BOND Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday". The Sun (Sydney) (12, 841). New South Wales, Australia. p. 19 (LAST RACE). Retrieved 12 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. Kerr, Joan (2007). "Terence John Santry". Design and Art Australia. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  12. "Chesty Bond was a gentle giant". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 May 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  13. Pacific Brands Half Year Results - Presentation Briefing Slides 25 Feb 2009 Archived 26 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, accessed July 11, 2011.
  14. Pacific Brands Chairman's Address to Shareholders 20 Oct 2009 Archived 26 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, accessed July 11, 2011
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