Jo-Joy

Origin

Jo-Joy was a toy jack in a box who because of a magic spring was granted intelligence and mobility (and a name other than Jack it would seem) he used this mobility to go on various adventures with his owner Jerry, always around Christmas time, sometimes helping other living toys find their place in the world, or once hitching a ride with a ride a whale to the North Pole to find out why the town where Jo-Joy and and Jerry lived did not have any snow (spoiler alert Santa sees to it their town gets snow by giving the Wonderful Whale the power to spout snow out of his blow-hole).

All of Jo-Joy’s adventures, which happened every Christmas for nine years inevitability involve a meeting with Santa at some point, but never show Jo-Joy’s owner aging seeming to indicate his spring granted more than just life to the boy in the box.

Creators

W.T. Grant was a chain of department stores better knowns as Grants that existed from 1906 to 1976, they were famous for their impressive toy department which expanded during the holidays.

Starting after World War II they started an annual Christmas comic book give away that at first stared Jo-Joy and whatever new toys were being touted that year. After nine years they dropped Jo-Joy and featured other characters such as Stubby the Smallest Reindeer, or Jingle Dingle a sort of space elf… or something.

The Jo-Joy comics were:

Jo-Joy and His Magic Spring 1945

Jo-Joy Meets Christopher the Collapsible Horse 1946

Jo-Joy Meets Bumble the Elephant Who Couldn’t Remember 1947

The Adventures of Jo-Joy Introducing Sparks the Rabbit with the Radio Ears 1948

Jo-Joy and the Pinch-Hitting Penguins 1949

Jo-Joy and the Brilliant Idea 1950

Jo-Joy and the Gruffy Goat 1951

Jo-Joy and the Wonderful Whale 1952

Jo-Joy in a Present for Santa Claus 1953

The writing for the Jo-Joy was credited to E. W. Schware, with art by the Jason Comic Art Group.