In 1981, the Care Bears were created as an illustration by Elena Kucharik for greeting cards produced by American Greetings, before being turned into plush toys in 1983. Their first foray into the toy world coincided with the launch of The Care Bears television series.
The Care Bears originally consisted of ten bears of various colours, each with different symbols on their bellies. It was through the TV show, books and the comics, along with the movies that the characteristics and personalities of each bear were on display.
Care Bears lived in the Kingdom of Caring, their home being called Care-a-lot, and the Care Bear Cousins (not bears, but various different animals) resided in the Forest of Feelings.
The Care Bears (and sometimes the Cousins, too) would go on missions of caring, being accompanied by Star and Heart Buddies who would look out for them; the Birds would take on this role within the Forest of Feelings. Although a minor character, the Cloud Keeper cannot be forgotten – he was responsible for maintaining Care-a-lot.
Rainbows are common imagery in the Care Bear universe as they symbolise a ray of love and good cheer. They’re a combination of light which beams from each Care Bears’ tummy symbol, known as the “Care Bear Stare” which works to counteract spells and fix something which is broken.
Which of the ten Care Bears or the Care Bear Cousins is your favourite?
When it came to Care Bears, it wasn’t just the plush toys, movies and television show, there were even LP (vinyl records), cassette tapes, and CD soundtracks released, in addition to several video games. As with most toys in the ’80s and ’90s, Care Bears were plastered on every piece of merchandise imaginable. Besides the bears, what other items did you own as a child?
Every 5 to 10 years has seen the Care Bears relaunched, introducing them to a new generation of children. Even some 40-plus years later, it seems that nothing will stop popularity of these cute, colourful and cuddly Care Bears – they’re now even a fixture in the tattoo world.
Take a journey back into the Kingdom of Caring, take a look around, and be inspired to create a concept for your own Care Bears tattoo.
The Tattooed Archivist 
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