Harry Richard Black (October 10, 1921 – March 30, 2014) was an American commercial artist, illustrator, and portraitist.
[1] He enrolled at Syracuse University, but left the school to enlist in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
[1] Black, who spent much of his career as a commercial artist, worked on projects for a number of companies, ranging from Frigidaire to Shell Oil.
[1] A television and radio ad campaign, utilizing Black's Mr. Clean mascot, accompanied the launch of the product line.
The Interior Department soon contacted Black and asked him to illustrate a character to promote wildfire prevention, Smokey Bear.