Squander Bug facts for kids
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The Squander Bug was a famous character from World War II. It was created in Britain to help people understand why they shouldn't waste money. This character was part of a big effort to encourage saving during the war. The British National Savings Committee wanted people to save their money to help pay for the war.
The Squander Bug was first drawn by an artist named Phillip Boydell. He designed it for newspaper and magazine ads. Soon, other artists used the character in posters and cartoons too. It's special because we have many records of how this character was created, from the first drawings to the final ads.
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What Was the Squander Bug?
During World War II, prices for everyday items were going up. This is called inflation. Many goods were also hard to find, or scarce. The British government worried that people were spending too much money on these expensive, hard-to-find items. They believed it would be better if people saved their money. These savings could then be used to help pay for the war.
The National Savings Committee wanted a fun way to show people that wasting money was a bad idea. They didn't want to just give boring warnings. They needed something that would make people laugh at wasteful spending.
How the Squander Bug Was Created
To solve this problem, Phillip Boydell drew six different pictures. These pictures showed a small, imp-like creature. He first called it the 'Money Grub'. This creature could 'push, pull, scratch, bite, and steal' money. The committee liked his idea almost exactly as he drew it. They only changed the name to the 'Squander Bug'.
The Squander Bug was a new way to get people's attention. Instead of telling people "Don't waste fuel" or "Don't waste paper," the Squander Bug did something different. In its speech bubbles, the Squander Bug would actually tell shoppers to waste their money. But the posters and ads would then tell people to fight or "starve" the creature. This meant they should save their money instead of wasting it.
The Squander Bug became very well-known. It even got swastika tattoos, which were symbols of the enemy. The character was even put in Madame Tussauds wax museum. It stood next to other war enemies, like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
How Was the Squander Bug Used?
Phillip Boydell mostly worked on the Squander Bug for newspaper and magazine ads. But the character was also used in many poster campaigns. These posters carried the same important message: don't waste money.
Famous British cartoonists during the war also drew the Squander Bug. Artists like David Low and Carl Giles used the character in their political cartoons. Sometimes they used it in a funny way. For example, one cartoonist, Victor Weisz, drew Hitler with his own Squander Bugs. This was to make fun of Hitler's problems with not having enough soldiers.
Squander Bug Around the World
The Squander Bug became famous in other countries too. An adapted version was used in Australia. There, the Squander Bug was drawn to look like a Japanese character. This was because Japan was an enemy during the war.
A different Squander Bug character was also created in the United States. The famous author Dr. Seuss designed it. This American Squander Bug encouraged people to buy war bonds. War bonds were a way for people to lend money to the government to help pay for the war. However, Dr. Seuss's design looked quite different from the British version.
The Squander Bug in Pop Culture
The Squander Bug is mentioned in the old British TV show Dad's Army. This show was popular in the 60s and 70s. It was about the Home Guard, a group of older men who protected Britain during the war. In one episode called "Knights of Madness", a character named Private Pike dresses up as the Squander Bug.
