In 1928, Kellogg’s released Rice Krispies on store shelves in America. It was an instant hit with consumers. In 1932, the words Snap! Crackle! Pop! first appeared on a box of the popular cereal. However, it wasn’t until 1933 that the brand introduced its iconic characters, which would forever transform the breakfast game.
Artist Vernon Grant would change history when he created Snap! Crackle! And Pop! The characters first appeared in ads and posters. That changed in 1941, when all three characters appeared together for the first time on the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal box.
Vernon Grant was born in Coleridge, Nebraska in 1902. “In 1932, a Grant Santa Claus illustration was used for the cover of Ladies’ Home Journal—the next year. A radio commercial for Kellogg’s Rice Krispies inspired the gnome-like mascots Snap! Crackle! And Pop! He soon became the lead illustrator for Kellogg’s products, and his work became so popular that in 1935, the company sent him on a world tour to promote their cereals. In the 1930s and 1940s, Grant became one of the most popular and prolific illustrators of children’s fairy tales, creating at least ten booklets and 25 individual prints.”
South Carolina’s history underwent significant changes in 1936. Grant met and married Elizabeth Fewell, a native of Rock Hill, South Carolina. They had two children, son Chip and daughter Kay. In 1947, Grant and his family established a 670-acre farm outside Rock Hill, where they raised cattle and grapes.
In 1983, Kellogg began licensing its characters, making the guys available for all kinds of merchandise. Grant would love to see his creation become a pop culture icon. Grant passed away in 1990 at the age of 88 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. “The Charlotte Observer noted that although Grant’s illustrations would delight people for years, “in the long run, his greatest gift to the community may be the standard of citizenship he exemplified.”
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.