Blue text over red background at top. Illustration of three turkeys in off white background in middle. Red text over blue background at bottom.

Author, designer, cartoonist, and illustrator Sandra Boynton rose to prominence in the literary world in the 1980s when her humorous animal characters and clever text filled picture books and graced greeting cards, mugs, stickers, posters, stationary, and more. At the peak of her career, Boynton had created 150 designs and sold more than 80 million cards a year. When her cards attracted imitators, Boynton began to publish her own illustrated books and produced an array of merchandise including a children’s clothing line.

Boynton’s publications have ranged from toddlers’ board games like Hippos Go Berserk! to adult humor titles like The Compleat Turkey, with cartoons poking fun at life’s difficult people, the so-called “turkeys.” In the 1990s, Boynton started pairing her children’s books with music, releasing popular book-and-CD sets.

Belle and Beast dancing with floral swag in corner on purple background.

Walt Disney first attempted unsuccessfully to adapt Beauty and the Beast into an animated film during the 1930s and 1950s. Following the success of The Little Mermaid (1989), Walt Disney Pictures decided to try again and adapt the fairy tale. The film was directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, with a screenplay by Linda Woolverton story first credited to Roger Allers. Lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken wrote the film's songs. Ashman, who additionally served as the film's executive producer, died of AIDS-related complications six months before the film's release, and the film is thus dedicated to his memory. Beauty and the Beast premiered as an unfinished film at the New York Film Festival on September 29, 1991, followed by its theatrical release as a completed film at the El Capitan Theatre on November 13. The film grossed $425 million at the box office worldwide on a $25 million budget. Beauty and the Beast won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the first animated film to ever win that category. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (1991) became the first animated feature to be nominated for a best-picture Oscar at the 64th Academy Awards, where it won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for its title song and received additional nominations for Best Original Song and Best Sound. In April 1994, Beauty and the Beast became Disney's first animated film to be adapted into a Broadway musical. The success of the film spawned two direct-to-video follow-ups: Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997) and Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World (1998), both of which take place in the timeline of the original. This was followed by a spin-off television series, Sing Me a Story with Belle.

Photograph of Michael Jackson with white text and line on black background.

The world of music would forever change and Michael Jackson would secure his place in history when he released his sixth studio album, Thriller, in 1982. Every single on the album made it to the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 with two songs reaching number one status. Perhaps the most remembered song on the album, Thriller, is known for its music video featuring Michael performing dance moves among a group of zombies.

As of 2017, the album has been certified platinum 33 times, making it the top certified album in the United States. The album has sold over 105 million albums around the globe, making it also one of the best selling records in the world.

Click on https://buttonmuseum.org/buttons/michael-jackson-thriller-alt to see an additional variation of this button also held by the Button Museum.

Red illustrations of Davy Crockett in fur cap holding a gun in front of a camp surrounded by red text; all on yellow background.

“King of the Wild Frontier”, Davy Crockett, was a politician and solider. He grew up in eastern Tennessee during the late 18th century. In the early 19th century, Crockett became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Tennessee. He lost a re-election in 1835 and moved to Texas – then the Mexican state of Tejas. Crockett fought in the Texas Revolution and was executed at the Battle of the Alamo, although the cause of his death has been challenged. Crockett is remembered in various plays, films, TV shows, and other media, securing his place as an American folk hero.

From 1954 to 1955, Disney released five, one-hour episodes titled Davy Crockett on ABC. Part of the Disneyland series, these episodes featured Davy Crockett and his many adventures. Disney sold various items that related to the miniseries after its high praise and popularity.

S.S. Kresge Company, now known as Kmart, is a large department store headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The company was founded in 1899 by Sebastian Spering Kresge. During the 1950s, S.S. Kresge Company sold Davy Crockett memorabilia, such as jackets, hats, and gun and holster sets. During movie showings, S.S. Kresge Company would often give away Davy Crockett buttons as well as free prizes of these memorabilia items.

White and black text over American flag background.

September 11th, 2001, was a dark day in the United States' history when terrorists hijacked four airplanes. One plane crashed into the Pentagon, another into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers tried to regain control from the hijakers. The final two planes crashed into and caused the World Trade Center to collapse in New York. Over 3,000 people tragically lost their lives, and it represents the biggest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. The event lead to the United States getting involved with Iraq and Afghanistan and the wars that followed. Citizens remember the tragedy and vow to never forget 9/11 and the lives that were lost through terrorist efforts.

Blue text with blue and red American flags on white background.

The Women's suffrage movement began in the United States in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention to discuss the law barring women from voting based on their gender. In 1869, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), which became the foremost organization lobbying for suffrage. The suffrage movement merged with other groups and movements to equalize the rights of all citizens. In 1920, Congress passed the 19th Amendment which stated, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

Illustration of black and white beaver waving on blue background surrounded by white text on red background.

Christen Carter founded the Busy Beaver Button Co. in 1995, working out of her college apartment. The custom button  company has grown and has produced over 85,000 designs and tens of millions of buttons.The company hopes to help people express their creativity and values industriousness, working collaboratively, and social responsibility. They are committed to green manufacturing, and purchased an abandoned Chicago building to transform it into a green factory. Christen Carter and her brother, Joel Carter, also founded the Busy Beaver Button Museum in 2010, which is the world’s only pinback button museum. A button from every Busy Beaver Button Co. order is also added to the museum.

Lisa Frank multi-colored rainbow keys on piano surrounded by rainbow musical notes on neon pink background with purple curl.

Lisa Frank, Inc., was founded in Tucson, Arizona in 1979 by businesswoman Lisa Frank. The artwork the corporation creates features animals such as dolphins, pandas, unicorns, cats, and dogs in rainbow and neon colors. Lisa Frank was particularly popular in the 1980's and 1990's with elementary and middle school-aged girls marketing items such as school supplies, lunchboxes, and trapper keepers. The company is no longer producing its own items, however, it does license out its name to other, smaller companies and partner with other corporations. In 2017, Lisa Frank partnered with Reebok to release limited edition Reebok Classic Leathers shoes. Other memorable Lisa Frank news includes circulation of realty photos of a vacated factory from the 1990's production days that includes rainbow decor all the way to the dock doors.

White image of rockets and skills with white text on black background.

“Goes Way Out,” is the second album released by rock and roll band, Supercharger, in 1993.

Supercharger was a rock & roll band who rose to prominence in the 1990s. Founded in San Francisco in 1991, the band was comprised of band members Greg Lowery, who played bass and did vocals, Darin Raeffelli, who played guitar and did vocals, and Karen Singletary who played drums and did vocals. Influenced by bands like the Ramones and the Angry Samoans, Supercharger deconstructed songs until only the essentials of beat and hooks remained. They recorded their debut album under their own label, Radio X in 1991, whose limited vinyl pressing of 500 created a collector’s item. The album would later be reissued with Estrus Records in 1997 with two bonus tracks. After releasing a few singles, the band would release their second album, “Goes Way Out,” in 1993 under the Estrus label. The band would shortly break up after a 1993 tour of Europe with the Mummies with the band members going their separate ways.

Orange circle with brown and white text in center. Above text is red. Below text is brown. All on tan background.

The Hard Rock Café (HRC) is known throughout the world as a themed restaurant chain that promotes music and music fandom through brand loyalty to its merchandise and corporate menu. Music is often central to its promotional strategy, displaying musical props and instruments on its café walls while organizing local band performances and music festivals. Its slogan of "Love All, Serve All" underlines its desire to emit a sense of inclusivity; it is both a family-oriented attraction and a venue where established and new musicians can promote their latest tunes. Merchandising has encouraged various loyalty schemes used by customers and music fans to get priority entry and VIP seating, obtain exclusive items, and get a discount.

Hard Rock Cafe is a rock and roll themed restaurant chain founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton. The first Hard Rock Cafe was in London’s Piccadilly neighborhood, and is still in operation today. The Hard Rock Cafe began collecting rock memorabilia in 1979, and the company currently lays claim to one of the largest collections of rock and roll ephemera in the world. All of the Hard Rock locations are decorated with pieces from the collection. The Hard Rock logo was designed by graphic designer and illustrator Alan Aldridge, and first appeared on a button in 1985; the company has since released over 44,000 buttons and pins.