Smiley with fangs on an orange background.

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes, and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It was designed in 1963 by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.

The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However, his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

Vampires are creatures in folklore that are often portrayed as appearing human with pale complexions and fangs that are used to suck human blood. Vampires are immortal and their life is eternal as long as they are able to feed from humans. According to lore, sunlight, garlic, and stakes through the heart can kill a vampire.

Illustration of Dracula's head on an orange background and with eyes that light up over white text.

Halloween is a celebration held on October 31st each year in many different countries around the world.  The word Halloween or Hallowe’en comes from a Scottish term for All Hallows’ Eve, the evening before All Hallows’ Day or All Saints’ Day.  This Christian celebration honors all saints and is celebrated on November 1st, thus Halloween or All Hallow’s’ Eve is the day before that celebration. Modern celebrations of Halloween include dressing up in costumes, walking from house to house (known as trick-or-treating), and going to social events/parties.  Another tradition is carving jack-o-lanterns, which are carved faces or designs on pumpkins, turnips, or other root vegetables. Named after the light that flickers over peat bogs, these carved vegetables have a light placed inside them so that they glow at night.

Count Dracula is a vampire often tied to Halloween. He is the creation of Irish author Bram Stoker, who published his magnum opus Dracula in 1897. Like other vampires, Dracula sustains himself by biting his victims and sucking their blood. He is also repulsed by garlic and crucifixes.

White, orange and yellow text on a black background with illustrations of candy corn.

"Yo" is both an informal exclamatory greeting and a slang reference to the possessive "your". "Yo candy now" could be interpreted to mean, "Hello. I would like candy. Right now," or it could mean the much pushier, "Give me YOUR candy right now."

Peacock Papers Inc., with sales estimated at $8 million, was located in the warehouse district of Boston. It was a supplier to well-known and local businesses whose clients included Waldenbooks, Marshall Fields, and mom-and-pop stationery stores.

Illustration of a skeleton with yellow eyes and mouth with an orange jack-o-lantern on a purple background with black text.

This button was made by World Fun Inc. sometime after 1981 when the company began to design and sell materials for Halloween. Fun World Inc is a division of the larger corporation, Easter Unlimited, Inc which specializes in products for American Holidays.

Illustration of a white mummy with a green tongue sticking out, coming out of a brown casket with a black sky and yellow moon.

This button was made by World Fun Inc. sometime after 1981 when the company began to design and sell materials for Halloween. Fun World Inc is a division of the larger corporation, Easter Unlimited, Inc which specializes in products for American Holidays.

White text on a purple background with an outer orange edge.

Last minute invite to a Halloween festivity? Don't know what to wear for trick or treating? This button makes the perfect costume, a combination of wittiness and simplicity. 

White text with an orange broom, jack-o-lantern and a white ghost on a black background.

Halloween in American culture is a themed event where people dress up in costume and attend parties, go trick-or-treating, or participate in scaring others. Many parties and events place a note in the invitation that a costume is required. This humorous take on the costume requirement shows elements associated with the seasonal holiday including a witches broom and a carved pumpkin.

Peacock Papers Inc., with sales estimated at $8 million, was located in the warehouse district of Boston. Its clients included Waldenbooks, Marshall Fields, and mom-and-pop stationery stores.

Illustration of a tombstone with orange text, a skull at the top with skeleton hands on an orange, white and blue background.  

The acronym R.I.P., originates from a Latin phrase: requiescat in pace, “may (the deceased person) rest in peace.” The Latin phrase began appearing on Christian gravestones as early as the 8th century and became popular on Christian grave markers by the 1700s. The modern phrase Rest In Peace connotates the memorial of a turbulent life finally come to rest. This humorous take on the RIP acronym, meaning Really Insane Partyer, implies that beyond death, the life of the party can still have a good time, as seen with the illustration of the skeleton holding a wine glass.

Founder Russ Berrie started his business with $500, he rented a garage in Palisades Park, New Jersey, and launched his own firm named after himself. Berrie intended to design, market, and distribute “impulse” gift items. From the start, Russ Berrie & Company produced a string of hit products that quickly found their way onto countertops, desks and dashboards across the country. Among the company’s earliest creations: Fuzzy Wuzzies (tiny fur ball-like critters bearing messages like “You’re My Best Friend” or “Wild Thing”), troll dolls (squat gnomes with plumes of brightly colored hair) and the Bupkis Family (a motley collection of endearingly ugly rubber figurines). The owner believed in the power of “transformational giving,” partnering with energetic, visionary leaders to change the world for the better. He took an entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy, using his keen interpersonal skills to identify people and causes in which to invest and working closely with partners to hone strategies and set expectations.  “There is nothing more important in life than helping a fellow human being.”  — Russell Berrie (1933-2002)

White text on a black background

The authoritarian phrase “Do not speak unless spoken to” refers to the idea that someone should not speak without first having been given permission. The exact origin is unclear. This Halloween play on words changed “Speak” to “Spook”, and “Spoken” to “Spooken” implying ghostly scares.

Illustration of a yellow character holding a white mask with orange and purple lines, behind Frankenstein on a black background with white text.  

Frankenstein’s monster as he’s depicted in popular media is a frightening creature who mostly speaks in monosyllabic words and grunts. However, in the 1818 book Frankenstein written by Mary Shelly, the creature is shown to be quite eloquent, frequently citing poetry and philosophy. The creature as he’s known today owes its legacy to Boris Karloff and his portrayal of the monster in the 1931 Universal film Frankenstein. The one thing that remains the same in most Frankenstein adaptations is the creature's desire to be seen as a human – that and forcing Dr. Frankenstein to make him a bride. 

Company founder Russ Berrie started his eponymous business with $500 in a rented garage in Palisades Park, New Jersey. Berrie intended to design, market, and distribute “impulse” gift items. From the start, Russ Berrie & Company produced a string of hit products that quickly found their way onto countertops, desks and dashboards across the country. Among the company’s earliest creations: Fuzzy Wuzzies (tiny fur ball-like critters bearing messages like “You’re My Best Friend” or “Wild Thing”), troll dolls (squat gnomes with plumes of brightly colored hair) and the Bupkis Family (a motley collection of endearingly ugly rubber figurines). The owner believed in the power of “transformational giving,” partnering with energetic, visionary leaders to change the world for the better. He took an entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy, using his keen interpersonal skills to identify people and causes in which to invest and working closely with partners to hone strategies and set expectations.  “There is nothing more important in life than helping a fellow human being.” — Russell Berrie (1933-2002)