Tim has never had a last name. We wonder why and we’d like you to mull it over with us.

See, in 1929, this curiously mono-monikered icon began to crop up on all kinds of merchandise marketed toward child collectors–code books, stamp albums, Pie Eater pinbacks. And despite his bland brunette pate, half-cocked smile and otherwise indistinguishable image, kids bought Tim merchandise in mass quantity.

But why was he selling? Who did he work for? Where did he come from?

Tim was the original creation of Baltimore native and advertiser Kay Kamen. Kamen marketed Tim as a brand for hire, outsourced to represent the All-American boy. Tim, along with his sidekick dog, Pup, boosted local store revenue whenever sellers carried Tim code books and club patches.

Kamen’s work with the Tim campaign ended when Kamen exclusively signed with Walt Disney Enterprises in 1933. But it wasn’t until the early 1940s, when Tim teamed him up with the world’s most recognizable superhero that Tim’s real selling potential shone through.

When Superman adopted Tim, forming the successful joint venture, the Superman-Tim Store, local sellers turned their focus from the nickel-and-dime code book revenue to a more radical notion: they produced more premiums–pennants, newsletters and secret code merchandise–at absolutely no cost to kids.

Instead, they went after the parents’ pockets, using Tim to promote for-sale products, primary clothing, in each club newsletter and mass marketed The Boys Outfitter mail order catalog.

Many sellers even offered Superman-Tim currency to promote family spending.