How the Popular Character 'Chris Clover' Evolved

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As relayed by Kathryn (Cox) Pepple, Ohio State University Extension 4-H Specialist Emeritus, the idea for Chris Clover originated in a series of seven cartoon strips titled "Cliff Clover and the Seven Fashkins" developed in the early 1970's by Ohio State 4-H Fashion Board and their advisors Norma Deyo Pitts and Orena Haynes. Those original cartoon strips were offered free to local newspapers throughout Ohio, and were printed by several as a weekly feature. Their purpose was to promote 4-H clothing project opportunities and to increase awareness of the seven clothing program objectives (aka "seven clues to a total look" - fashion, design, fit, construction, grooming, posture and poise, and personable qualities). Cliff Clover was the large clover-shaped narrator character in each strip, and the seven clues were depicted as smaller clover "faskins".

The Cliff Clover series proved to be pretty popular and well-received, and it occurred to Fred Bruny (Assistant State 4-H Leader in Ohio's State 4-H Office), Chuck Lifer (Ohio's State 4-H Leader), and Paul zumFelde (4-H Agent in Fulton County, Ohio) in late 1976 that the idea could be expanded and developed to promote the overall 4-H program. Kathy relates that she was beginning her Msc. Studies at OSU after returning from being an IFYE, so Dr. Bruny invited me to be involved and take leadership for part of the expansion effort as an independent study project within my master's program - an opportunity which I gratefully accepted.

We (Fred Bruny, Paul zumFelde, Ben Mahan [the artist who drew the cartoon strips], and I) had several meetings in early 1977 to develop plans. It was during one of those early meetings that the more gender-neutral "Chris Clover" name was suggested and adopted for the lead character. I then worked the remainder of that spring to write 52 scripts promoting various aspects of the 4-H program for the initial series of cartoon strips drawn by Ben Mahan. Dr. Bruny and Dr. Lifer copyrighted the Chris Clover image for Ohio 4-H, and also obtained a grant through the Ohio 4-H Foundation to pay the artist to draw the strips and to print camera-ready copies. Copies of the camera-ready strips and related news releases were then distributed to local newspapers and other media for weekly publication beginning during 4-H Week. The initial Chris Clover series was very well-received, so in 1978 we produced a second series of 52 camera-ready cartoon strips which were distributed and published throughout Ohio. That year's Ohio 4-H Week promotion packet included the new strips plus Chris Clover bumper stickers, small 1" Chris Clover stickers, and several news releases which could be edited and adapted for local use by 4-H agents and local editors.

Kathy says, also by that time I had become the 4-H agent in Monroe County, Ohio and worked with the county's 4-H Junior Leaders and my father (Forrest Cox) to develop the first "Chris Clover Walking-Talking Mascot Figure". The Chris Clover figure was introduced by The OSU Marching Band at the 1978 State 4-H Advisors Recognition Banquet during 4-H Week. The first costume figure was made available for loan to counties after that, and was used to promote 4-H in parades, at numerous county fairs and 4-H banquets, and at many other events over the next few years.

Although the first Chris Clover mascot figure was very sturdy, over time it became apparent that its plywood construction was a bit heavy for younger 4-H'ers to manage. So 4-H advisors with sewing skills in a few counties adapted the original pattern and made lighter-weight fabric-over-foam versions that were also used in local 4-H promotional activities in the early 1980's.

Kathy says, we also introduced and offered Chris Clover for use nationwide at the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents conferences in 1979 and 1980. 4-H professionals who wished to use Chris Clover in promoting their programs received camera-ready copies of the cartoons strips and directions for constructing a Chris Clover walking-talking mascot figure during the NAE4-HA workshops, and were able to order bumber stickers, one-inch stickers, and other items at cost.

Then in the mid-1980's Coca-Cola featured a talking robot promoting the 4-H areas they sponsored at another national 4-H event (probably National 4-H Congress). That sparked the idea in Dennis Elliott (OSU State Extension 4-H Specialist) for a new generation "Chris the Clover Rover" robot to promote 4-H. He obtained funding through the Ohio 4-H Foundation and worked through staff at Coca-Cola to contact the manufacturers of the robot, and worked with them to develop a remote-controlled green and white R2D2 type of robot with interchangeable magnetic 4-H photo signage and a remote microphone. He developed scripts and provided training for 4-H student assistants and Collegiate 4-H members to travel and appear with the robot to promote and increase awareness of 4-H at numerous county, state, and national events through the late 1980's and early 1990's.