Editing Red Ryder (section)

==''Red Ryder''==
In 1938, Harman met publisher, writer and comic syndicator Slesinger. At the time, Slesinger had scripted a new comic strip called ''Red Ryder'' and was seeking an outstanding Western artist with knowledge of authentic period details and who had a natural gift for drawing scenes from dramatic perspectives. Harman fit the description and was a genuine cowboy who was the ideal spokesperson for the Red Ryder Character franchise.

Slesinger brought Harman to New York and worked with him for a year before ''Red Ryder'' was ready to be launched through a carefully planned rollout from comic pages, to movies and radio shows, contests, merchandising tie-ins, and personal appearances by Harman at charity benefits, schools, and civic and ''Red Ryder'' youth enrichment events.

Slesinger pioneered the concept of [[synergy]] between radio, films, [[Big Little Book series|Big Little Books]], novels, serial chapters, radio programs, events, rodeos, [[powwow|powwows]], commercial tie-ins, and licensed products, such as the Daisy [[Red Ryder BB Gun]], to build brand equity and create lasting and consistent impressions. By the time he launched ''Red Ryder,'' Slesinger had already proven his formula for creating evergreen character franchises with characters such as [[Tarzan]], [[Winnie the Pooh]], and many other golden-age newspaper comic characters.

''Red Ryder'' became the longest-running and most popular comic character of the Western genre in movies, radio, comic strips, comic books, mass market retailing, and the collectors' market. Today, ''Red Ryder'' has some of the longest business relationships in the history of the licensing industry.