'Li'l Abner'.
Al Capp was an American comic writer and artist, most famous for his long-running series 'Li'l Abner' (1934-1977). During its heydays, the adventures of Abner and his hillbilly friends were extraordinarily popular. The series was translated in over 28 countries, adapted into various media and inspired a vast amount of merchandising. Several words and expressions entered everyday language. 'Li'l Abner' not only perfected the 'hillbilly comedy' genre, but gained praise for its dynamic artwork, imaginative storylines, colorful characters and witty, sometimes biting political-cultural satire. Real-life celebrities frequently received cameos, while current events were regularly referenced. Capp also spoofed politics, economics, advertising and popular media, including comics itself. Together with George Herriman's 'Krazy Kat', Walt Kelly's 'Pogo' and Charles M. Schulz' 'Peanuts', 'Li'l Abner' was one of the first American comics to receive critical praise and popularity among intellectuals. In 1948, Capp also wrote history by winning a trial against his former syndicate and gaining the rights to his own comics, both 'Li'l Abner', his shorter-lived topper comics 'Washable Jones', 'Small Fry' and 'Advice for Chillun', and the self-scripted 'Abbie an' Slats' (1937-1971, art by Raeburn Van Buren) and 'Long Sam' (1954-1962, art by Bob Lubbers). It gave him unprecedented creative freedom and the power to mass-merchandize his creations. Capp became a media celebrity in his own right, appearing on radio and TV and even hosting his own shows. Unfortunately, by the dawn of his career, his legacy was considerably damaged by various sex scandals that have since overshadowed his witty, sophisticated comics which still influence satirists to this day.
'Li'l Abner', 17 July 1949.
Early life
Alfred Gerald Caplin was born in 1909 in New Haven, Connecticut as a son of Latvian-Jewish immigrant parents. His father, Otto Philip Caplin, was a poor businessman who drew cartoons in his spare time. Capp's brother, Elliot Caplin, would later also become a comic writer, best known as the co-creator of Stan Drake's 'The Heart of Juliet Jones' and Russell Myers' 'Broom-Hilda'. Capp enjoyed reading as a child and devoured both world literature and newspaper comics. He loved novels by Charles Dickens, George Bernhard Shaw, Booth Tarkington, Mark Twain and the plays of William Shakespeare. His graphic influences were Phil May, Wilfred R. Cyr, Billy DeBeck, Rube Goldberg, Milt Gross, Frederick Burr Opper, George McManus, Rudolph Dirks, Cliff Sterrett and Tad Dorgan. Later in his career, Capp also expressed admiration for Ernie Bushmiller.
At age 9, Capp was hit by a trolley car and fell into a coma. His left leg was in such bad shape that doctors saw no other option than amputating it,… while he was unconscious. Although Capp was fitted with an artificial leg afterwards, his father couldn't afford replacing it each time his son grew a little older. As a result, the boy often walked with a limp. In high school, Capp was put in a class with disadvantaged teens who often bullied each other. He avoided being targeted through his drawing talent. His fellow pupils asked him to make nude drawings of their female teacher. She was initially supportive of Capp's graphic skills until finding out about her "pornographic" portrayals. The woman was so shocked that she ran out of the classroom screaming, never to be seen again. Capp was determined to become a cartoonist after reading that Bud Fisher earned 4.000 dollars a week drawing his newspaper comic 'Mutt & Jeff'. However, since he couldn't pay his tuition, he was forced to drop out of high school, the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Designers Art School in Boston.
'Colonel Gilfeather'.
Colonel Gilfeather (Mister Gilfeather)
In the spring of 1932, Capp hitchhiked to New York City, where he eventually found a job at Associated Press, taking over Dick Dorgan's comic strip 'Colonel Gilfeather'. Yet he hated the series, eventually trying to give it a new hook by retitling it 'Mr. Gilfeather', focusing on the colonel's younger brother, who is a skirt chaser. Still by August 1932, Capp passed the pencil to Milton Caniff, with whom he already worked together and would remain a lifelong friend.
Joe Palooka
In 1933, Capp became a ghost artist for Ham Fisher's boxing serial 'Joe Palooka'. According to Fisher, Capp begged him for a job and he took pity on him, despite not really needing an assistant at the time. He lettered and inked the series, enriching it with new characters and storylines. However, when Fisher went on a holiday, Capp demanded a raise, blackmailing Fisher that otherwise he might not continue the series in his absence. The disgruntled veteran refused. During Fisher's vacation, Capp continued the series nevertheless, but was fired once Fisher returned from his holiday. Fisher claimed that Capp begged to be rehired again, until he gave him a job at United Feature Syndicate. Capp had a different recollection. In his opinion, Fisher left him without payment during his six week vacation, which prompted him to create the concept for 'Li'l Abner' to have another source of income. After King Features showed interest, they nevertheless insisted changing basically everything about his concept. Capp therefore signed a contract with United Feature in June 1934, which was less well paid, but at least accepted his concept the way it was. When Fisher found out Capp had joined another syndicate, he was supposedly so furious that he tried to sue Capp. Fisher, however, claimed that the vacation only took "one week" and that he didn't sue Capp, only registered a complaint when Capp took credit for a hillbilly narrative in 'Joe Palooka' that would be the formula on which the success of 'Li'l Abner' was built. Capp denied this accusation of plagiarism, insisting that he came up with the hillbilly narrative in the first place. Whether Capp invented it, or Fisher guided him through, remains unsolved.
Capp and Fisher's disagreements devolved into a lifelong bitter feud. Both accused one another of being hacks. Capp claimed Fisher couldn't draw and 'Joe Palooka' was "the kind of comic I deplore, a glorification of punches and brutishness." In his opinion, Fisher could never understand that he had stronger creative ambitions and, above all, wanted better payment. He satirized Fisher twice. First, as a horse named 'Ham's Nose-Bob', in reference to the news that Fisher had his nose remodeled. Secondly, as "Happy Vermin, the world's smartest cartoonist", who takes credit for other people's creations. In October 1948, Fisher accused Capp of hiding "pornographic images" in panels of 'Li'l Abner', submitting them both to the United Feature syndicate and a New York judge, who both dismissed the case after Capp showed the original artwork. Capp wrote an essay in The Atlantic Monthly, 'I Remember Monster' (April 1950), describing a former ex-employer in very harsh terms. Although Fisher wasn't mentioned by name, he instantly recognized himself in the description. In 1954, Fisher tried proving the subliminal pornography in 'Li'l Abner' again, this time in front of the Federal Communications Commission. When the National Cartoonist Society investigated the matter, the tables were suddenly turned. Fisher was accused of having perpretated a hoax and faced being banned from the Society. Before this could happen, the disgraced cartoonist committed suicide. Capp expressed no empathy, declaring Fisher taking his own life "his greatest accomplishment" and a "personal victory".
While Fisher's claims that 'Li'l Abner' contained subliminal erotic imagery have always been described as a deliberate, pathetic attempt by Fisher to paint Capp in a bad light, later biographers have questioned these claims. Michael Schumacher and Denis Kitchen investigated the matter in their 2013 biography about the comic artist, 'Al Capp: A Life to the Contrary', and felt Fisher's accusation may not have been that far-fetched. Comics biographer R.C. Harvey, who investigated the Capp-Fisher feud independently, was even certain that Capp deliberately snuck in subliminal erotic imagery in 'Li'l Abner' that most readers simply never noticed.
Early 'Li'l Abner' (1936).
Li'l Abner
On 13 August 1934, the first episode of Capp's humorous signature comic 'Li'l Abner' appeared in The New York Mirror and eight other U.S. papers. Syndicated by United Feature (nowadays United Media), it was a success from the start. Six months after its debut, on 24 February 1935, a Sunday page was added. The series is set in the U.S. state Kentucky, in the fictional village Dogpatch. It initially started off poking fun at stereotypes associated with the Deep U.S. South. All villagers in Dogpatch are simple-minded farmers, barely aware of modern civilization. They talk in Southern slang, peppered with word play and additional neologisms. The Dogpatchers live in log cabins, surrounded by pine trees, mountains and creeks. While not the first “hillbilly comedy” in U.S. media, 'Li’l Abner’ can be credited with popularizing the genre on a national and international scale. Capp drew additional inspiration from “tall tales”, a type of folkloric stories originating from the region, which put emphasis on unbelievable but entertaining anecdotes. These exaggerated narratives worked perfect as cartoony comedy.
The series' hero, Abner is a super strong young man. He owes his strength to his mother, Mammy Yokum, who, despite her advanced age, is very feisty. Unfortunately, Abner inherited his intelligence from his feather-brained father Pappy. Abner is often fooled by tricksters and frequently gets himself into trouble. His girlfriend, Daisy Mae, usually has to help him out. They seem a good match, but each time Daisy asks Abner to marry her, he runs away. Daisy chasing Abner became the series’ most famous running gag. The final member of Abner’s family is their pet pig, Salomey.
Capp made Dogpatch a believable, three-dimensional location, complete with an official founder, Jubilation T. Cornpone, a general of the Confederate Army. Dogpatch has a factory, Skonk Works, run by Big and Barney Barnsmell, where the toxic fumes are so repellent that they poison anything and anybody close in its vicinity. The cast was expanded with countless unforgettable characters. One of them is sleazy preacher Marryin’ Sam, who specializes in quick and cheap weddings. For a long while, he tried to make Abner and Daisy Mae tie the knot and eventually succeeded in 1952. The couple soon had a son, Honest Abe (1953). In September 1954, Abner turned out to have a long-lost brother, “Tiny” Yokum, who, despite his nickname, was actually tall, brawny but even more stupid than Abner. Abner also has a monosyllabic cousin, Silent Yokum, who only speaks when necessary. Capp often uses him to provide cliffhangers at the end of each episode.
Sadie Hawkins is the eternal young female bachelor, whose father eventually organizes a special dating event, Sadie Hawkins Day, that becomes an annual tradition in the village. Moonbeam McSwine is another single woman, though she owes this due to her lewd and lazy behavior. The gorgeous, raven-haired sex bomb prefers smoking a corncob pipe and lying around in the mud, alongside pigs. Capp based her looks on his own wife, Catherine. Stupefyin’ Jones may very well be the best-looking woman of Dogpatch, so sexy that any man who sees her instantly paralyzes. She is the cousin of Available Jones, a shady businessman who can help anybody with anything, for a wealthy sum. At the time, such attractively-drawn female characters were a rare sight in U.S. newspaper comics. During World War II, images of Sadie Hawkins, Moonbeam McSwine and Stupefyin' Jones were painted on real-life U.S. bomber planes, along with drawings of real-life pin-ups like Betty Grable. Capp, however, is also the creator of arguably the ugliest-looking female character in comics: Lena the Hyena. For many episodes, she was deliberately drawn off screen, because her ugliness shocked anybody who saw her.
Dogpatch is run by senator Jack S. Phogbound, a corrupt politician who threatens potential hesitant voters with a gun. Outside the town live two village idiots, Hairless Joe and Lonesome Polecat, who are so primitive that they are close to cavemen. They have a special liquor, Kickapoo Joy Juice, which apparently can be used for everything. Its ingredients are equally mysterious. Several other bizarre people cross Abner’s path. Joe Btfsplk has a head constantly covered in a thunder cloud, bringing everyone bad luck. The hermit centenarian Ole Man Mose has the power of prophecy, despite making vague predictions.
The villains are also interesting, such as the heartless capitalist General Bashington T. Bullmoose. Bullmoose is so wealthy that he has a monopoly on almost every product. His catchphrase, “What is good for General Bullmoose is good for the country, and vice versa”, was based on a real-life quote by Charles E. Wilson, head of General Motors, who in 1952 told a Senate subcommittee: “What is good for the country is good for General Motors, and vice versa.” Dogpatch is also terrorized by Wolf Gal, a seductive feral woman. She often lures villagers away to give her wolf friends something to eat. Another dangerous female is Nightmare Alice, a voodoo witch who teams up with witch doctor Babaloo (from the Belgian Congo) and her demonic niece Scary Lou. Equally menacing are “the world’s dirtiest wrestler” Earthquake McGoon and his identical cousin, Typhoon McGoon. A mysterious person named Evil Eye Fleagle possesses an “evil eye” that can be used as a weapon, but is so powerful that Fleagle himself can barely control it. But none can top The Scraggs family, with whom Abner’s family has an ongoing feud. The Scraggs are so evil that they “once set an orphanage on fire just to have light while reading – despite being analphabetics”.
Capp’s imagination knew no boundaries. He let his characters travel to exotic places with equally odd people and creatures. In April 1946, he introduced Lower Slobbovia, a satire of the Eastern Bloc. This semi-Soviet state is constantly covered in snow and ice. Abner and his friends also encountered the Bald Iggle, whoze gaze caused everybody to tell the truth. The most memorable animal featured in the series is the Shmoo, a pear-shaped creature so beneficial to mankind that its kind need to be wiped out, because they’re a threat to business.
'Li'l Abner'.
Li'l Abner: language
A staple of 'Li’l Abner’ is Capp’s use of language. All his regular cast members speak with a stereotypical accent associated with the U.S. South, rendered phonetically. To emphasize their primitiveness, Capp lets them make spelling errors and pronounce certain words and expressions incorrectly. “Naturally”, for instance, becomes “natcherly”, while “I have spoken” turns into “Ah has spoken!”. Many of their self-described proverbs and wisdoms are also laughable to readers, like Mammy’s “Good is better than evil, becuz it’s nicer!” Characters from other parts of the U.S. and foreign countries are also given stereotypical speech patterns.
Capp was certainly not the first comic artist to use eccentric speech: Rudolph Dirks’ 'The Katzenjammer Kids’ and George Herriman’s 'Krazy Kat’ were important predecessors. But he also drew inspiration from the writings of Charles Dickens, Damon Runyon and Mark Twain. Capp’s linguistic comedy additionally inspired other comics, like Walt Kelly’s 'Pogo’, also set in the Deep South.
'Li'l Abner' (15 September 1946).
Li'l Abner: parody and satire
One thing that set 'Li’l Abner’ apart from most other comics serialized in the 1930s and 1940s, is its satire. Previous newspaper comics occasionally referenced current events or media stars, but just for a mild, throwaway gag. Capp, on the other hand, has a more sophisticated approach. As early as the late 1930s, some narratives in 'Li'l Abner' were parodies of well-known novels and films, like John Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath' and Margaret Mitchell's 'Gone With The Wind'. By the early 1940s, 'Li'l Abner' had become an elaborate, all-encompassing satire of politics, economics, advertising, fashion and popular media. No other comic at the time had such satirical variety. Capp gave many real-life celebrities of the day guest roles. Some under their own names, others as thinly disguised parodies, like Gloria Van Wellbuilt (Gloria Vanderbilt) and Rock Hustler (Rock Hudson).
Capp even parodied other comics. In a 1941 plot, he introduced "The Flying Avenger", an obvious mockery of Superman. He not only addressed the lack of logic and infantility within the superhero genre, but also the shrewd marketing techniques behind it. Over the years, 'Li'l Abner' featured clever spoofs of Milton Caniff's 'Steve Canyon', Joe Shuster & Jerry Siegel's 'Superman', Allen Saunders and Dale Conner's 'Mary Worth', Charles M. Schulz' 'Peanuts', Nicholas P. Dallis' and Marvin Bradley's 'Rex Morgan, M.D.', Harold Gray's 'Little Orphan Annie' and Ed Verdier's 'Little Annie Rooney'. Capp's satire is often vicious, tackling, for instance, the melodrama in 'Mary Worth' and the "amateurish" graphic style of 'Peanuts'.
Capp's most notable parody was introduced on 30 August 1942: 'Fearless Fosdick’, a spoof of Chester Gould’s detective series 'Dick Tracy'. Fearless Fosdick basically looks like Tracy, except with an added moustache. Capp pushed the cartoony villains and gruesome violence in 'Dick Tracy’ completely over the top. He also gave 'Fearless Fosdick' a creator: "famous" cartoonist Lester Gooch, who is depicted as a nervous wreck, constantly writing himself into a corner and then stressing out for being unable to solve his plotline before next week's deadline. 'Fearless Fosdick' quickly became a running gag and the first known example of a "satirical comic strip within an actual comic strip”.
But Capp went beyond mere spoofing. Several storylines in 'Li'l Abner' are metaphors for real-life political and social issues. He was particularly fascinated with the commercial exploitation of certain trends, the hypocrisy behind it and shallow mass hysteria. The fact that 'Li'l Abner' itself was a merchandising craze and Capp a media celebrity in his own right didn't escape him. In some gags, he pokes fun at himself and his creations. Despite reaching millions of readers, Capp didn't play it safe either. He dared to tackle racism, the Cold War, Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch hunts, the civil rights movement and the hippie subculture in a time when these topics weren't challenged by the majority of people. In 1956, for instance, he introduced a family with square eyes, who are discriminated because of their unusual eye shape. Through Mammy's efforts, they are accepted by the local community.
Much of the comedy in 'Li’l Abner’ eventually revolved more around these multi-layered satirical references than the main cast. Capp attracted more attention from adult readers, particularly intellectuals, who otherwise regarded comics as mindless juvenile pulp. While George Herriman’s 'Krazy Kat’ was already a beloved intellectuals’ darling, during its initial run (1913-1944) its reputation was hampered by the lack of translations outside the U.S. 'Li’l Abner’, on the other hand, was translated all across the globe and thus gained more widespread acclaim. Famous sociologist Marshall McLuhan praised 'Li’l Abner’ in his book 'Understanding Media’ as a “paradigm of the human situation’.
Li'l Abner: Metafictional comedy
Capp also enjoyed breaking the fourth wall in 'Li'l Abner', usually through his comic-within-a-comic 'Fearless Fosdick'. On 22 November 1942, for instance, Abner receives the funny pages, but notices a panel is missing in his 'Fearless Fosdick' comic. As a result, he has no clue how his hero managed to save himself from a sticky situation. Soon after, Abner is placed in the exact same life-endangering threat as Fosdick, wishing that he knew how Fosdick "got out of this mess." In the next episode, it turns out Abner was only dreaming. When he eventually obtains an undamaged version of the 'Fosdick' comic he read earlier, he finds out that Fosdick was also saved by the exact same corny "it was all a dream" plot device...
In 1954, Daisy Mae is reading the latest 'Fearless Fosdick' episode and is curious whether Fosdick and his sweetheart Prudence will get engaged "in the next episode", Abner dismisses this cliffhanger as "the usual comic strip trick to keep stupid readers excited." The irony continues when Abner proposes to Daisy Mae afterwards and they get married. His prediction about Fosdick turns out to be true: in the next episode, Fosdick and Prudence break off their engagement, restoring the status quo. He and Daisy Mae, on the other hand, stay married for the rest of the series.
'Li'l Abner'.
Li'l Abner: Success
'Li’l Abner’ managed to reach a wide and versatile audience. Capp's dynamic, appealing artwork, witty comedy and sophisticated contemporary satire were a golden combination. At the height of its success, the comic ran in over 900 newspapers globally. It was translated in several languages, including French (running under different titles in different countries as 'Tibert le Montagnard’, 'Abner Le Petit Américain’, 'Le Jeune Samson’ and 'Le Petit Joson’), Swedish ('Knallhatten’) and Portuguese ('Fernando’, in Brazil as 'Família Buscapé’). The series gained celebrity fans like Hollywood actors Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, Harpo Marx, writers Marshall McLuhan, John Updike, William F. Buckley, film director Russ Meyer, caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, economist John Kenneth Galbraith and Queen Elizabeth II. Novelist John Steinbeck named Capp "possibly the best writer in the world today" and recommended him for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Both he and Chaplin wrote forewords to a 1953 paperback collection of 'Li'l Abner'. Frank Sinatra enjoyed Capp's caricature of him and always sent him champagne whenever he saw him in a restaurant. Arthur Asa Berger devoted an essay to the series, 'Li'l Abner: A Study in American Satire' (1969), making it one of the first U.S. comics to be subject of serious analysis.
Capp was a smart businessman, who knew how to keep both his series and himself in the public eye. As early as November 1937, various U.S. high schools and colleges started organizing real-life ‘Sadie Hawkins Days’, in which singles could date one another. Capp was quick to jump on the bandwagon and promoted the event every November in his comic. Capp additionally organized readers’ contests and clever cliffhangers to keep people tune in for the next 'Li’l Abner’ episode. One of the most famous examples was a 1942 storyline in which his character Lena Hyena always remained off screen, but scared off other characters for being “the World’s Ugliest Woman”. She intrigued readers who wanted to see this invisible character. Capp therefore launched a readers’ contest to let people draw their own creative interpretation of Lena’s face. The winner would be featured in the next Sunday comic. The winning entry was provided by a still unknown Basil Wolverton. Thanks to Capp’s media promotion, Wolverton's comic career was launched. When Abner and Daisy Mae married in 1952, it was a cover story in Life Magazine. He kept readers in additional suspense when Daisy Mae got pregnant, lasting well beyond nine months. Capp recalled that impatient fans started sending him medical books. When the kid was eventually born, Capp kept teasing his audience for an additional six weeks by letting the boy be stuck in a pants-shaped stovepipe, so people couldn’t determine whether he was a boy or a girl. Eventually he turned out to be a boy and was named Honest Abe.
In November 1947, Capp sued his syndicate, United Features, for 14 million dollars to get a better contract deal. He also spoofed them in 'Li’l Abner’, through the corrupt newspaper manager Rockwell P. Squeezeblood. A year later, Capp received the rights to his own comics and all financial shares that came along with it. A rare position for most newspaper comic artists, allowing him to bring more money into his own pocket and expand his creative freedom. He established his own company, Capp Enterprises, led by Capp's brother Bence, who was the chief operating officer. In 1964, Capp left United Features and joined the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate.
In the 1940s and 1950s, 'Li’l Abner’ spawned numerous merchandising items, including hand puppets, dolls and Halloween masks. The characters promoted Fruit of the Loom clothing, Pedigree pencils, Ivory soap, Strunk chainsaws, Head & Shoulders shampoo, General Electric lightbulbs and Grape-Nuts and Cream of Wheat cereal, among many other products. The liquor Kickapoo Joy Juice from the comic was eventually made into a real-life licensed soft drink, still sold today by the Monarch Beverage Company of Atlanta, Georgia. A veritable cash cow was the character Shmoo, whose cuteness struck a chord with millions of readers. Between 1948 and 1949, the pear-shaped creature was featured on dozens of products, ranging from clothing, wallpaper and cleaning products to toys, jewelry and cutlery. He even inspired a dance craze. During the 1948 U.S. presidential elections, Republican candidate Thomas Dewey even accused sitting president Harry S. Truman of "promising everything, including the Shmoo!". In Louisville, Kentucky, Morton Grove, Illinois, and Seattle, Washington, there were at least three family restaurants based on ‘Li’l Abner’. Between 17 May 1968 and 14 October 1993, there was a 'Li'l Abner' theme park, 'Dogpatch USA', in Marble Falls, Arkansas.
Even Capp himself became an unexpected media star. Between the 1940s and 1970s, he wrote his own columns in magazines such as Life, Show, Pageant, The Atlantic, Esquire, Coronet, The Schenectady Gazette (nowadays The Daily Gazette) and The Saturday Evening Post. He and Lee Falk ran the Boston Summer Theatre together. Capp appeared in various talk, variety and game shows, most notably as a panel member on the quiz 'Who Said That?’. Capp even hosted a few programs of his own, like the talk shows 'The Al Capp Show’ (1952), 'Al Capp’s America’ (1954), 'Do Blondes Have More Fun?’ (1967) and 'Al Capp’ (1971-1972), and the game show 'Anyone Can Win’ (1953). He had a cameo in the film 'That Certain Feeling’ (1954) and guest starred in the episode 'The Comics’ (1957) of the TV show 'Odyssey’ and 'The Sound of Laughter’ (1958) of the show 'Wide Wide World’. Capp also advertised Sheaffer fountain pens, Rheingold Beer (despite being a teetotaler) and Chesterfield cigarettes. Soon he became the most recognizable cartoonist since Walt Disney.
'Fearless Fosdick by Lester Gooch' in the Li'l Abner strip. 19 February 1950.
Li’l Abner: Media adaptations
NBC produced a 'Li'l Abner' radio serial (1939-1940), which also paved the way for a live-action comedy film, 'Li'l Abner' (1940), directed by Albert S. Rogell, with Buster Keaton as the character Lonesome Polecat. A straightforward 'hillbilly comedy' instead of sharp satire, the picture was no success. A Broadway musical, 'Li'l Abner' (1956), with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Gene De Paul, was far better received. The stage play was adapted into another Hollywood film, 'Li'l Abner' (1959), directed by Melvin Frank and with Jerry Lewis in a cameo role as Itchy McRabbit. Contrary to the theatrical musical, the film version received mixed reviews.
In 1952, NBC produced a puppet TV serial based on 'Fearless Fosdick'. In 1944, 'Li'l Abner' was adapted into a short-lived series of animated cartoons, produced by Columbia Pictures. Among the animators were Sid Marcus, Bob Wickersham and Howard Swift. Capp didn’t like this version and the cartoons were discontinued after five shorts. However, decades later, the character Lena Hyena was given a cameo role in Robert Zemeckis and Richard Williams’ 'Roger Rabbit’, as the man-crazed woman who tries to kiss Eddie Valliant when he searches for Jessica Rabbit in Toon Town. While Lena mentions her name during this cameo appearance, the 'Li’l Abner’ cartoon series had already fallen into such obscurity that barely any viewers realized she referenced a pre-existing character and wasn’t specifically created for the film.
Hanna-Barbera produced 'The New Shmoo' (1979), another short-lived animated series based on Capp's comics. The Shmoo also returned in the 'Bedrock Cops’ segment of ‘The Flintstone Comedy Show’ (1980-1984).
Arguably the oddest media adaptation of 'Li'l Abner' was a short-lived children's TV show based on the comic-within-a-comic 'Fearless Fosdick'. Capp collaborated with puppeteer Mary Chase on the project and even changed Fosdick's physical apperance a bit since he feared it looked too similar to Dick Tracy. Both for the show and in his comic, he gave Fosdick a bowler hat instead of a fedora. The 'Fearless Fosdick' show ran on NBC between 1 June and 2 September 1952, broadcast on Sunday afternoons, but failed to achieve high ratings and was thus cancelled again. Fearless Fosdick was also used to advertise the men's tonic Wildroot Cream-Oil.
Abner and Daisy Mae's wedding in 1952.
Sadie Hawkins Day was first introduced in November 1937, and then returned annually.
Li'l Abner rip-offs
Predictably, 'Li'l Abner' also spawned several imitations. Comics like Jess Benton's 'Jasper Jooks' (1948-1949), Frank Frazetta's 'Looie Lazybones', Boody Rogers' 'Babe', Art Gates' 'Gumbo Galahad', Don Dean's 'Pokey Oakey', 'Cranberry Boggs' (1945-1949) and Ray Gotto's 'Ozark Ike' (1945-1953) and 'Cotton Woods' (1955-1958) and Paul Gringle's 'Rural Delivery' (1951) all dealt with hillbilly stereotypes. Even the popular TV sitcom 'The Beverly Hillbillies' (1962-1971) took the mustard from 'Li'l Abner'. Yet none of these rip-offs ever matched, let alone surpassed, Capp's imagination and nose for clever social commentary.
Li'l Abner parodies
'Li'l Abner' was also famous enough to be spoofed. As early as the mid-1930s, it was already subject of a pornographic parody comic, the so-called 'Tijuana Bibles'. Capp actually read this porn spoof and took it as a compliment, telling his assistants that this was the moment he realized he had "arrived". Will Eisner created a parody of the series, 'Li'l Adam', in a 20 July 1947 episode of his own comic series 'The Spirit'. Capp himself had suggested this crossover and guaranteed him that he would make a parody of 'The Spirit' in 'Li'l Abner'. Yet for reasons that remain a mystery, Capp never kept his part of the deal, which soured Eisner's appreciation for his work forever. In 1956, Capp satirized Allen Saunders and Ken Ernst's soap opera comic 'Mary Worth' as 'Mary Worm'. In return, Saunders portrayed Capp as an alcoholic cartoonist, 'Hal Rapp' in 'Mary Worth'. The media depicted this as a feud, but in reality the parodies were made in good fun, as a publicity stunt.
Al Feldstein parodied 'Li'l Abner' as 'Li'l Melvin' (1954) in the satirical magazine Panic. Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder made the spoof 'L'l Ab'r' in the first issue of Kurtzman's satirical magazine Trump (January 1957). In 1958, Walt Kelly had his character Barnstable Bear in 'Pogo' create his own comic strip 'Li'l Orphan Abner', which simultaneously spoofed Harold Gray's 'Little Orphan Annie' too. In the Fourth Annual Edition of the Worst from Mad, Wallace Wood created 'Li'l Abneh' (1961), depicting Capp as a ruthless moneygrabber named 'Al Capital'. Ed Fisher and Elder published yet another parody in issue #8 (September 1961) of Help!, titled 'Dogpatch Revisited', in which the hillbilly community has been changed beyond recognition. Roger Brunel also made a sex parody, published in 'Pastiches 2' (1982).
The success of the newspaper comic also led to a comic book series published by Toby Press in the 1950s.
Li'l Abner: topper comics
In 1935, Capp launched topper comics for ‘Li’l Abner’, smaller gag comics appearing on the same page as each new Sunday episode of his hit series. The first one was 'Washable Jones’ (24 February - 9 June 1935), a simple tale about a young boy who goes fishing and catches a ghost. After a six month-run, it all turned out to be a dream. His second topper comic was the one-panel cartoon series 'Advice fo’ Chillun’ (23 June 1935 -15 August 1943), featuring two-line proverbial wisdoms for children. Readers could send in their own entries, which Capp then visualized in a drawing. The title was sometimes changed to offer advice to 'Gals’, 'Parents’, or basically everybody ('Yo’ All’). Capp’s final topper comic was 'Small Fry’, also known as 'Small Change’ (31 May 1942 -1944). This bi-weekly Sunday comic revolve around a short man, Small Fry/Change, who tries to buy bonds alongside his tall girlfriend Tallulah through a variety of hare-brained schemes.
Abbie an’ Slats
While the success of 'Li’l Abner’ could’ve been enough for Capp, he decided to launch two extra newspaper comics, scripted by himself, but drawn by other artists. He approached Raeburn Van Buren, a notable illustrator for magazines like Collier’s, Esquire and the Saturday Evening Post. But the 46-year old Van Buren felt comfortable enough with his current job and saw no need to become a newspaper comic artist on the side. Capp convinced Van Buren that story illustration had no long-term future. People would be less willing to read illustrated stories in magazines, since audio plays on the radio provided the same entertainment for free. With a daily newspaper comic, he would at least have a steady income for years. And so, the first episode of Capp and Van Buren’s 'Abbie an’ Slats’ saw print on 12 July 1937, syndicated by United Features. The daily episodes were tragicomical, comparable to a soap opera. The Sunday pages, however, launched on 15 January 1939, provided more humorous gags and slapstick.
The title character of 'Abbie an’ Slats’, Aubrey Eustace Scrapple, nicknamed 'Slats’, is a New Yorkian youngster, whose parents have just died. The street-wise orphan decides to leave the city and move to a small rural town, Crabtree Corners, where his older female cousin, Abigail Scrapple, lives. Abigail is a spinster, who lives together with her sister Sally. In his new hometown, Slats falls in love with Judy Hagstone, unfortunately the daughter of a cold-hearted businessman, Jasper Hagstone. Jasper additionally hates Slats, because his car once crashed into his limousine. Slats wanted to avoid running over a dog and thus had no other choice than steer his vehicle away, hereby accidentally crashing Hagstone’s prestigious automobile. Later in the series, Slats’ heart is won over by another pretty young woman, Becky Groggins. Becky is the daughter of eccentric inventor J. Pierpont “Bathless” Groggins. Pierpont soon became ‘Abbie and Slats’ breakthrough character. His wacky inventions and adventures across the seven seas drove many plots forward.
Capp kept writing storylines until 1945, when he passed this task to his brother, Elliot Caplin. Van Buren remained the series’ artist, but took an assistant in 1947: Andy Sprague. Two other assistants were Don Komarisow and George Shedd. With Caplin as scriptwriter, the series introduced new recurring cast members. Becky received a sister, Sue, while Slats was paired with a best friend/sidekick, Charlie Dobbs. Jasper Hagstone remained Slats’ mortal enemy and constantly tried to doublecross him through various schemes. While 'Abbie an’ Slats’ ran for decades, it never reached the same popularity and acclaim of 'Li’l Abner’. Episodes were sometimes reprinted in Tip Top Comics comic books. In 1971, Van Buren retired. The final daily episode of 'Abbie ‘n’ Slats’ was printed on 30 January 1971, while the final Sunday comic ran until July 1971.
In a funny bit of trivia, columnist Abigail Van Buren (famous for her advice column 'Dear Abby’) wrote to Raeburn Van Buren in 1984, that she sometimes received letters that were actually addressed to him. The confusion not only stemmed from their similar last names, but also from the fact that her name (‘Abigail’) was similar to one of his protagonists, Abigail Scrapple.
Long Sam
On 31 May 1954, a new series scripted by Capp was launched, 'Long Sam’. Drawn by Bob Lubbers, 'Long Sam’ was again syndicated by United Feature. Set in the Deep South, Long Sam is a pretty young woman who was raised far away from civilisation, making her very uninformed about the outside world. Her mother, 'Maw’, is a misandrist who believes all men are obnoxious and dangerous. She shields her daughter away from them, but once the young woman discovers the existence of an opposite sex, she desperately wants to go outside her village. Being sheltered for so long, Long Sam is very naïve and often falls in love with every man she meets, while being oblivious to how many other men lust after her. This leads to witty misunderstanding and other shenanigans.
The prime selling point of 'Long Sam’ is the gorgeous artwork. Lubbers was an expert in graphically rendering pretty young girls, giving the series a sensual undertone. Nevertheless, it couldn’t be denied that the comic’s main premise was very similar to 'Li’l Abner’. Instead of a naïve male hillbilly living with a feisty mother, 'Long Sam’ starred a naïve female hillbilly, living with a mother who looked exactly like Mammy Yokum from 'Li’l Abner’. While in 'Li’l Abner’, young women chase after naïve, reluctant males, in 'Long Sam’, it’s the opposite situation. Capp had actually used a character very similar to Long Sam in 'Li’l Abner’, namely Cynthia Hound-Baskerville A.K.A. Strange Gal, who lived in an isolated swamp with her overprotective, man-hating mother and became oversaturated with men once she left her home. Capp quickly passed the scriptwriting of 'Long Sam’ to his brother Elliot Caplin. Stuart Hample also was a ghost writer on the series for a while, but by the turn from the 1950s into the 1960s, Lubbers himself took care of the plots. 'Long Sam’ was discontinued on 29 December 1962.
Assistants
Throughout his career, Capp took several assistants to help him out with 'Li'l Abner' and his other series. Among his scriptwriters were Stuart Hample, Bob Lubbers and his own brother, Elliott Caplin. Inking duties were provided by Andy Amato and Harvey Curtis. Walter Johnson was a notable background artist. and Frank Frazetta (drawing). Other artists who've once in their career assisted on 'Li'l Abner' have been Stan Asch, Tex Blaisdell, Lee Elias, Creig Flessel, Frank Frazetta, Mell Lazarus, Mo Leff, Jack Rickard, Tom Scheuer and George Shedd. Contrary to other cartoonists who hired ghost writers and artists, Capp gave his co-workers equal media attention. He mentioned them in interviews, praised their exact contributions and sometimes allowed them to pose for pictures. Yet he always insisted on drawing the characters' faces personally, since he felt their emotional expressions were essential to building readers' investment.
Al Capp featured on the cover of TIme Magazine, 6 November 1950.
Humanitarian work
Capp never forgot where he came from. Having experienced poverty firsthand, he often donated money to the needy. This could range from struggling university students to police widows. He made several exclusive 'Li’l Abner’ stories for the U.S. Department of Civil Defense, the U.S. Army and the Navy. His characters also adorned campaigns for the U.S. Treasury, the Boy Scouts of America and the March of Dimes. As a man with an artificial leg, Capp was very considerate regarding physically handicapped people. The generous cartoonist supported the Sister Kenny Foundation who provided polio research. He also helped out the Cancer Foundation, the National Heart Fund, the Minnesota Tuberculosis and Health Association, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, the National Amputation Foundation and Disabled American Veterans. Capp personally visited hospitals to cheer up people who recently underwent an amputation and motivate them to not give up. One such person was Edward M. Kennedy, Jr., son of Ted Kennedy, who, at age 12, was diagnosed with bone cancer in his leg and forced to have the limb amputated. Despite being a Republican and the Kennedys Democrats, Capp still wrote young Edward a letter of public sympathy and emotional support.
A special comic book was made for the Red Cross to encourage thousands of amputee veterans from World War II. Titled 'Al Capp by Li'l Abner' (1946), it's a partial exclusive 'Li'l Abner' story and autobiographical comic, chronicling how Capp, despite his handicap, managed to have a succesful career.
In a time when discrimination was more institutionalized than today, Capp supported civil rights for African-Americans and homosexuals. In December 1949, he briefly resigned from the National Cartoonists Society to protest their ban on female members, like Hilda Terry, creator of 'Teena’. Capp also made his case during the meetings and in a newsletter. Thanks to his status and influence, Capp made Terry the first woman to become a member of the National Cartoonists Society (1950).
'Li'l Abner' (26 November 1949).
Controversy
As beloved as 'Li’l Abner’ was, its satire didn’t always please readers at the time. In September 1947, the series was pulled from papers by Scripps-Howard, the syndicate that owned United Feature, over a storyline mocking the U.S. Senate. Edward Leech, head of Scripps, commented that portraying the Senate “as an assemblage of freaks and crooks… boobs and undesirables” wasn’t “good editing or sound citizenship.” Interestingly enough, Capp once seriously considered running for a seat in the Senate of Massachusetts. The famous storyline about the Shmoos, innocent creatures targeted by the "crommunist" government of Lower Slobbovia and exterminated by tycoon J. Roaringham Fatback for being "bad for business", also polarized audiences. Left-wing people interpreted it as mocking socialism and communism, while right-wingers felt Capp lampooned capitalism. On 10 October 1948, Capp had a live radio debate with psychologist Fredric Wertham in 'The Author Meets the Critics', where Wertham went so far to link the Shmoo to Nazi war criminal Ilse Koch. Nearly a decade later, between 21 July and 14 August 1955, 'Li'l Abner' featured a storyline in which a caricature of Wertham makes a cameo.
In 1949, the editors of The Seattle Times dropped an episode of 'Li'l Abner' because of a storyline in which Abner thinks he's eaten one of his parents, considering this cannibalism joke to be in (pun not intended) "bad taste". In the 1950s, when Capp satirized senator Joseph McCarthy, the F.B.I. kept a file about this "suspicious cartoonist". In 1954, Capp asked showbizz pianist Liberace for permission to caricature him as 'Liverachy’. Liberace threatened to sue, so Capp changed the character’s name in 'Loverboynik’. This offended the closeted homosexual entertainer even more. In 1966, Capp portrayed protest singer Joan Baez as a whiny, Communist poseur named 'Joanie Phoanie’, who expresses sympathy for “the common people”, but is extremely wealthy herself, charging poor orphans with expensive concert tickets. Baez actually threatened to sue to force a public retraction of the episode. Years later, in her autobiography, 'And A Voice to Sing With’ (1987), she included the comic strip, adding the commentary: “I wish I could have laughed at this at the time.”
Only twice did Capp actually apologize for a satirical mockery. After parodying 'Gone With the Wind’, the author of the original novel, Margaret Mitchell, was so angry that Capp was forced to publish an apology within an episode of 'Li’l Abner’, printed on 26 December 1942. Two-and-a-half decades later, in October 1968, he targeted Charles M. Schulz' 'Peanuts'. He depicted a comic artist, Bedly Damp, whose series 'Pee Wee' stars a group of children talking like adults and a dog who dreams of being a flying ace. 'Pee Wee' is a hit with intellectuals and merchandisers, but loses its popularity once the psychiatrist who lived next door to the comic artist moves away, leaving Damp without a man whose profound musings he can simply transcribe to paper. The syndicate therefore fires Damp, hires the psychiatrist and employs Abner, since they need somebody who "can't draw". The storyline was abruptly discontinued after Schulz wrote Capp a letter of complaint. On 17 October 1968, the matter was even made public by journalist Jack Smith in The Los Angeles Times. Schulz: "I told Capp I was flattered by the attention, but I didn't think it was very funny. I don't think it was very clever. I don't mind parody if it's clever. I thought it was rather dull and heavyhanded. If the truth were known, he probably couldn't get anything funny out of it and went on to something else." Capp reacted: "It's blasphemy, isn't it? I guess there really are some subjects that one doesn't laugh about."
By the mid-1960s, 'Li’l Abner’ also grew increasingly unpopular with younger audiences. Capp was a vocal supporter of the U.S. Republican Party and convinced that the Vietnam War was a noble cause. He looked down on rock musicians, protest singers, hippies and civil rights activists. As progressive as some of his viewpoints towards minorities were, he once denied a request from Martin Luther King in rather harsh and unfair terms. In 1964, King asked Capp by letter for funds to protect black people from white violence in the American South. Since Capp's studio had helped out the civil rights movement in the past by producing the comic 'Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story' (1957, by Alfred Hassler, Benton Resnik and Sy Barry, King expected a positive reply. Yet Capp wrote back: "(...) When organizations like yours, and leaders like yourself recognize the fact that violence, discrimination and terror are practiced by black Americans against white Americans and bend at least some of your efforts to cleaning up your own mess - people like Governor Wallace will not get such support, and people like me will not feel disenchanted." In 1964, novelist Isaac Asimov also felt Capp was too dismissive of the civil rights movement in 'Li'l Abner', which he expressed in an open letter in the Boston Globe. Capp phoned Asimov and threatened to sue, but nothing came of it afterwards.
In 1969, when John Lennon and Yoko Ono held one of their famous "Bed-In" peace protests in Montréal, Capp visited them. He called them out for their "naïve and phony" peace activism and their nude appearance on the album cover of 'Two Virgins' (1968). Video footage of their heated discussion can be seen in the documentary 'Imagine: John Lennon' (1988). In a 1970 TV special of TV Guide, Capp described student rioters as "unbathed, unshorn and unfragrant", while joking about the counterculture movie 'Easy Rider' (in which the biker protagonists are murdered in the end): "Thank heavens it had a happy ending." A large part of his grudge seemed to stem from his personal hardships. Since he, a poor kid and amputee, had been able to climb to the top, he felt today's generations could do the same, if they weren't so spoiled, privileged and pampered. As he expressed it: "Anyone who can walk to the welfare office can walk to work." (note the emphasis on "walking", again underlining a certain personal bitterness about his own handicap).
Capp expressed his old-fashioned opinions not only in interviews and during public appearances, but they also seeped through in 'Li’l Abner’. A typical example is the student group S.W.I.N.E., a group of angry youngsters whom many people in Dogpatch find obnoxious. Their initials stand for 'Students Wildly Indignant About Nearly Everything.” Jokes like these alienated potential new readers, but also longtime fans, even readers who shared his opinions. Too many 1960s-1970s episodes of ‘Li’l Abner’ became frustrated attacks at whatever irked Capp about “the youth of today”. Several of his assistants also got tired of his preachiness. They either quit, or got fired, forcing Capp to rely on less skilled artists instead, further damaging his comic’s reputation.
'Li'l Abner' (22 March 1960).
But what wrecked Capp’s public image the most was a huge sex scandal. He had several extramarital affairs, including one with a young Californian singer between 1940 and 1941, Nina Luce. He was frequently accused of sexual harassment and even indecent exposure. In 1968, he tried to seduce a group of female students at the University of Alabama. When the university board was informed about the matter, they asked him to leave the building. In preparation of another lecture, at the University of Wisconsin in April 1971, Capp had invited a married student, Eau Claire, to a motel room for a "political discussion". Claire was shocked when Capp made suggestive comments, exposed himself and attempted to force her into giving him oral sex. Another female victim at the same university, Patricia Harry, would later sue him for rape. More charges at other colleges followed and were made public on 22 April 1971 by journalist Jack Anderson. On 8 May of that same year, the famous comic artist was officially charged with a warrant. Capp "defended" himself in an interview for The New York Times: "The allegations are entirely untrue. I have been warned for some time now that the revolutionary left would try to stop me by any means from speaking out on campuses. My home has been vandalized and I have been physically threatened. This is also part of their campaign to stop me. Those who have faith in me know that I will not be stopped.” On 12 February 1972, the trial ended in a 500 dollar fine, plus costs in morals, albeit only for the charge of "attempted adultery" as part of a plea bargain.
Soon Capp was no longer invited to media appearances and several papers dropped 'Li'l Abner' from publication. Recorded conversations from within the White House show that even president Richard Nixon worried the scandal might stain his own administration, since Capp was such an outspoken Republican. In a January 1985 interview, published in Hugh Hefner's Playboy, Hollywood actress Goldie Hawn claimed that when she was 19, Capp tried to sexually harrass her during a casting interview. When she refused his avances, he got angry, "predicted" that she would "never have a career and be better off marrying a Jewish dentist." Later Hawn became a movie star, prompting her to write him a letter about the matter, but never received a reply. On 11 May 2017, she revealed more details about her encounter with Capp, receiving more media attention on the wave of the 'Me#Too' revelations about sexual harrassment by media celebrities. In James Spada's 1987 biography about Grace Kelly, he also quotes Kelly's manager, who said that Capp tried to rape Kelly.
Recognition
Al Capp won the Billy DeBeck Memorial Award (nowadays Reuben Award) (1947) and an Inkpot Award (1978). He posthumously received the Elzie Segar Award (1979) and was in 2004 inducted in the Will Eisner Hall of Fame. In 1995, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of U.S. comics, 'Li'l Abner' was selected as one of 20 classic U.S. comics to receive a commemorative stamp in the 'Comic Strip Classics' series.
Final years and death
On 5 November 1977, the daily episodes of 'Li'l Abner' came to a close, followed by the final Sunday comic on 13 November. In a farewell text, Capp explained that his heart was no longer in it and apologized for the decline in quality, which he blamed on ill health. A few weeks later, more tragedy struck when one of his daughters and his granddaughter suddenly died. Capp grew more reclusive and died in 1979 from emphysema. According to biographers Michael Schumacher and Denis Kitchen, a few years earlier the comic legend had one of his assistants destroy entire contents of a storage unit, because some of it contained "incriminating material".
'Li'l Abner' (6 June 1952).
Legacy and influence
The cultural impact of 'Li'l Abner' is still felt today. Various neologisms derived from the series are nowadays part of the English language. A combination of two opposite forces is named a "double whammy". A socially backward or primitive country is named "Lower Slobbovia". In electric engineering, a certain type of plot has been named a "Shmoo plot", while in particle physics a type of cosmic ray has also been given the name "Shmoo". In both instances because of the similar shape. In socioeconomics, a "shmoo" is a material good that reproduces itself and is captured and bred as an economic activity. The moonshine factory Skonk Works in the comic inspired the nickname of an aircraft organization owned by Lockheed Martin, which in itself became a synonym ("skunk works") for an independent organization working on advanced or secret projects. Capp also popularized a few dialect expressions, often mistakingly believed to have been invented by him, such as "hogwash" ("nonsense"), "natcherly" (a bastardization of "naturally"), "irregardless" (a contraction of "irrespective" and "regardless") "druthers" ("a preference") and the affix "-nik" behind certain nouns.
The first codebreaking computer used by the National Security Agency was named 'ABNER'. In 1965, a soft drink brand inspired by the series, Kickapoo Joy Juice, was launched and is still in production today. Capp even took credit for the invention of the mini skirt, which his character Daisy Mae already wore in 1934, three decades before it became an actual fashion trend. Jazz musician Turk Murphy named his jazz club in San Francisco ‘Earthquake McGoon’s’, after the similar villain from ‘Li’l Abner’. The baseball team Sioux City Soos used the character Lonesome Polecat as their official mascot.
That being said, Capp's comic strip itself has basically vanished from modern-day popular culture. In overviews of the greatest, most influential and artistic comics of all time, 'Li'l Abner' is nowadays often overlooked, even forgotten. Given what a global cultural phenomenon it once was, this is quite perplexing. The fall from grace can be attributed to many factors. 'Li'l Abner' has never been reprinted in the papers, since so many of its satirical references are nowadays dated. For a long while, there were few complete book compilations available either. People who were only introduced to 'Li'l Abner' during its later, lesser period, therefore only knew it as a shadow of its former self. A comic out of touch with changing times, with its witty satire replaced by tedious, conservative rants. Capp's sex scandals and the resulting court case also tainted his reputation. It unfairly overshadowed the merits of his comics and made fans almost embarrassed to admit they admire(d) his work. Several of his former colleagues and assistants also distanced themselves from Capp.
In 1989, a revival of 'Li'l Abner' was considered, with Steve Stiles as the new artist. Capp's widow and brother approved, but his daughter didn't, causing the project to be axed at the last minute. The same year, Kitchen Sink Press made an attempt to republish the entire 55 year-running series chronologically, but when the company went bankrupt in 1999, the project stranded. In 2010, IDW had another stab at the mammoth task and is still going strong as of this point.
Al Capp. Photo © 1966 The Newspaper Enterprise Association.
Still, as time goes by, 'Li'l Abner' has received renewed positive attention. On 15 May 2010, Capp's birth town Amesbury, Massachusetts, devoted a mural painting to 'Li'l Abner' and renamed the local amphitheater after him. To this day, many U.S. high schools and universities still organize annual 'Sadie Hawkins Days', where young women can ask out young men for a date. The events are combined with large festivities. Even Capp himself is seen more as a deeply flawed man who had many contradictions over him.
In the United States, 'Li'l Abner' had a strong influence on many satirists, including Walt Kelly's 'Pogo', Charles M. Schulz' 'Peanuts', Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder's parodies in Mad Magazine and Garry Trudeau's 'Doonesbury''. Kurtzman modelled many of his parodies of other media in Mad on Capp's comic spoofs in 'Li'l Abner', while simultaneously using Capp's ambitious approach to satirize everything in modern-day society, from politics, film, radio, TV, advertising and trends, exposing the hypocrisy and marketing lies behind it. Other U.S. artists inspired by Capp have been Gus Arriola, Ralph Bakshi, Jess Benton, Ray Billingsley, Frank Cho, Daniel Clowes, Dan Collins, Will Eisner, Jules Feiffer, Mike Fontanelli, Frank Frazetta, Matt Groening, Stuart Hample, Al Hirschfeld, Denis Kitchen, Harvey Kurtzman, Mell Lazarus, Bobby London, Joe Matt, Bill Plympton, Richard Sala, Jim Scancarelli, Charles M. Schulz, Shel Silverstein, Mort Walker and Skip Williamson. Mell Lazarus published a comic novel in 1963, 'The Boss Is Crazy, Too' (Dial, 1963), about his apprentice years with Capp. When Jules Feiffer wrote a screenplay for the film 'Je Veux Rentrer à la Maison’ ('I Want to Go Home’, 1989), he included a scene where a retired cartoonist makes a heart-felt plea for ‘Li’l Abner’.
Matt Groening's 'The Simpsons' also shows some interesting parallels with 'Li'l Abner', like using a simpleton family framed within an all-encompassing satire of various aspects of modern-day society. While Al Capp once stated that Abner's hometown Dogpatch was located in Kentucky, he later kept the home state a mystery, much like it has been a running gag in 'The Simpsons' to never reveal in which U.S. state the yellow-skinned family's hometown Springfield is located. Just like Dogpatch, Springfield also harbors a diabolical businessman (Mr. Burns), corrupt politician (Major Quimby), city founder (Jebediah Springfield), hillbilly family (Cletus and his relatives) and a cartoon-within-a-cartoon satirizing media violence ('Itchy & Scratchy').
In Canada, Capp was an influence on John Kricfalusi. In Europe, Capp also had a strong impact: in the United Kingdom, he influenced Roger Law, while in France, he counts Jean David and Albert Uderzo among his followers. Early in his career, Uderzo even signed his work as "Al Uderzo", as a tribute to Capp. The influence of 'Li'l Abner' is very noticeable in Uderzo's own signature comic, 'Astérix', from the brawny, feather-brained strongmen (like Obélix) to the multilayered satire. In the Netherlands, Capp inspired Evert Geradts and Marten Toonder, while in Belgium, François Craenhals, Gérald Forton and Marc Sleen were admirers.Toonder also mixed satire and eccentric language in his signature series 'Tom Poes’. Sleen imitated political satire and celebrity caricatures in his comic strip 'Nero’. He borrowed the idea of a creature laying money instead of eggs from The Money Ha-Ha in 'Li’l Abner’ for the 'Nero’ story 'Het Ei van October’, while the country Slobbovia was also used for the nation Slobovia in 'De Pijpeplakkers’. A New Zealand disciple of Capp was John Kent.
Books about Al Capp
For those interested in the life and career of Al Capp, the biographies 'Enigma of Al Capp' (Fantagraphics, 1999) by Alexander Theroux and Michael Schumacher and Denis Kitchen's 'Al Capp: A Life to the Contrary' (LLC Kitchen, Lind & Associates, 2013) are a must-read.
Self-portrait.