Jasper the Bear is a single-panel cartoon created by James Simpkens. Jasper is an anthropomorphic, friendly bear with a wife and two cubs, who, weekly have lots of adventures in three pictures.
The cartoon first appeared on November 15, 1948 in the Canadian news magazine MacLean. After having appeared weekly for 20 years, the magazine stops and the cartoon appeared in several Canadian newspapers till 1972. The cartoon stopped, when James Simpkens retired in 1972. Over the years, translation of Jasper the Bear appeared in newspapers in England, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Mexico.
In 1962, Jasper the Bear became the official mascot of Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada.