Wednesday, December 2, 2009

81. LI'L ABNER DOLL


Li'l Abner, drawn and written by Al Capp (1909-1979) was a very popular comic strip that made its appearance in international newspapers, including the Philippines. The satiricial series included hillbilly characters led by Li'l Abner Yokum, a 6-foot-3 simple-minded but sweet-natured country bumpkin his grouchy Mammy and less-than-bright Pappy, and Daisy Mae,the girl who had the hots for Li'l Abner. The strip ran from 1934-1977, and it was read by millions of people worldwide, captivated and entertained by the strip's characters and humor that had a powerful cultural impact. Out of this series sprouted many licensed merchandise that were produced throughout the forties and fifties. This 14-inch Li'l Abner made by Baby Barry Toys in 1957 is just one of them. Purchased from Hake's Americana, a mail-order auction company, the doll is made of soft rubber and has his original clothes. Al Capp was such a master marketer that his characters earned millions from endorsements and licensings. Which just goes to show that even a hiollbilly can be a millionaire.

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