Felix The Cat

Felix the Cat is a loveable character that has been with us since the silent film era. The first incarnation of Felix is seen in 1919 in a Paramount Pictures short animated film called “Feline Follies.” In this film, Felix goes by the name Tom Kat. There is confusion in Felix’s history regarding when he got his name, Felix the Cat, and who is credited with his creation. The conflict is between Pat Sullivan, the owner of an animation studio, and Otto Messmer, a cartoonist who worked for Sullivan. The debate still continues in the present day.

By the end of 1919, Felix the Cat had starred in “The Adventures of Felix” and other short films, and his popularity soared. A Felix comic strip was syndicated in over 250 newspapers internationally, and ran daily and on Sundays. A new short film was created and shown every two weeks, and this helped push Felix to superstardom. Felix merchandise started to pop up everywhere. Charles Lindbergh even brought a Felix doll with him on his flight across the Atlantic Ocean, and Felix has the credit of being the first balloon ever made for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1927!

By the late 1920’s “Talkies,” films with sound, were being released with animated characters such as Mickey Mouse. Sullivan’s studio made several Felix short films with sound, but they were never as popular as the original silent films.

In 1928, Felix was chosen by RCA Television Studios to be the model used to precisely calibrate television transmissions for New York Channel #1. The paper-maché Felix doll was placed on a turntable and stayed under the burning studio lights for a few hours each day as the technicians worked on the transmitted image of Felix to get the correct definition. In 1931, the channel became part of NBC, and Felix continued to be the model used to test transmissions for nearly a decade.

In 1943 the Felix Sunday comic strips were cancelled, but the Felix daily strips continued on. At this time Felix was given his own comic book, which came out monthly for Dell Comics. Also around this time production started on Felix cartoons to be aired on television. Felix’s appearance changed slightly and his Magic Bag of Tricks was introduced, along with new characters such as the Professor and Poindexter. Starting in 1958, over 250 Felix cartoons aired, and were syndicated to run for over 20 years!

In the eighties, the feature length film “Felix the Cat: The Movie,” was released. It was shown throughout the world and it ran on the Disney Channel for 10 years. In the nineties, a television series called “The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat” was released. Also created was “Baby Felix and Friends,” which has run on television in the Japanese market since 2000, soon to be coming to the US. In 2004 another feature film “Felix the Cat Saves Christmas” was released, adding to his notoriety.

Recently DVDs of all the old Felix TV shows and animated short films became available. This has created another surge in Felix’s popularity, and all kinds of Felix merchandise are being sold. There are Felix fashion clothes, DVDs, key chains, clocks, dolls, a Nintendo video game, and even a special slot machine at Bally’s Casinos. Even a Felix Mira automobile by Daihatsu has been built! (According to felixthecat.com) In 1996, Felix was seen in advertisements for Wendy’s Restaurants and was offered as the prize toy in kid’s meals. He was also the official logo of the American International Carnival in 2004.

Felix’s popularity has continuously grown throughout the years. He was featured in TV Guide as the 25th most recognizable and famous cartoon character in the world. (felixthecat.com.) Felix the Cat is a symbol of where we started in animated film, and he will always be remembered for being a part of the first television transmission signals. He is a loveable character that will continue to entertain generation after generation of Americans and people all over the world with his antics and his Magic Bag of Tricks.

Check out our website for Felix merchandise and collectibles. We have bendable dolls, key chains, mugs, movie posters and much more!

Looney Tunes’ Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird

Some of the most famous quotes of all time come from animated cartoon characters. What American does not know the words ”Thufferin’ Thuccotash!” or “I tawt I taw a puddy tat!” These words are spoken by one of the best-known character duos of all time, Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird.

What you might not know is that Tweety, or Sweetie Pie, was created by Bob Clampett and was first seen in Warner Brothers’ “A Tale of Two Kitties” in 1942. In the early days Tweety Bird, whose original name was Orson, was drawn as a pink bird, but censors complained that he looked nude, so Tweety’s color was changed to yellow. In the beginning of Tweety’s career, he was a feisty bird that lived outside in a nest. In his first showing in 1942, Granny saved Tweety from being eaten by two bad cats named Babbit and Catstello (after Abbott and Costello), and from then on he lived in a gilded cage in Granny’s house.

Sylvester the Cat, created by Friz Freleng in 1945, was not seen until 1945 in “Life With Feathers.” According to Wikipedia, his name was originally Thomas and was later changed to Sylvester, a reference to the scientific name for the house cat, Felis Sylvestris Catus. Sylvester looked very much the same as he does now, with his big red nose and lisp as his trademark features.

It was not until 1946 in the cartoon “Tweety Pie” that Sylvester and Tweety were paired together as main characters. This cartoon was directed by Friz Freleng and was the first Warner Brothers short animated cartoon film to win an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons).

As we all know, Sylvester the Cat tries to capture Tweety in every cartoon episode, but usually fails due to the quick thinking of Tweety and the interruptions of Granny, Tweety’s owner, or Hector the bulldog. The hilarious voices and quotes that are said throughout the cartoons would have anyone laughing!

Both characters have achieved successful careers lasting through the decades. They have starred in more than 40 cartoons over the years and even won a second Academy Award for “Birds Anonymous.” They have also been used for advertising products. Tweety Bird was in an early 80’s public service announcement and Sylvester has been used to sell Orange Crush, Miracle Whip and MCI Telephone service to name a few.

In the 1990’s a show called “The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries” premiered on the WB network. The show did not last very long, but it kept Tweety and Sylvester in the public eye, and was followed by the movie Space Jam with Michael Jordon in 1996.

The cartoon short films are timeless, entertaining and have delighted generations of Americans and people around the world. Sylvester and Tweety Bird cartoons can still be seen on cable channels in the present day along with their fellow Looney Tunes characters.

Check out our website for Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird collectibles and have your own fun adventures with this loveable duo!

Little Lulu

Little Lulu first appeared in 1935 in the Saturday Evening Post as the main character in a series of single panel cartoons. She was created by Marjorie Henderson Buell, one of the few female cartoonists in the comic book and cartoon business.

For ten years Little Lulu Moppet graced the pages of the Saturday Evening Post, and quickly became a public favorite. She also starred in twenty-six theatrical animated short films from 1943 to 1948. A large selection of Little Lulu merchandise was available in the 1940s such as coloring books, greeting cards, games, toys and figurines.

Little Lulu was so popular that she was used in Pepsi magazine ads and was the spokesperson, or “spokestoon” for Kleenex brand tissues in the 1940s and 1950s. One could see Little Lulu on tissue boxes, magazine ads, and on New York City billboards and buses.

After her long run in the Saturday Evening Post, Little Lulu crossed over to a syndicated daily comic strip that ran in newspapers throughout the country from 1950 to 1969. Adding to her popularity was the television syndication of her short animated films in 1963.

In the 1970s ABC aired two Little Lulu specials on its Saturday Morning ABC Weekend Special. There was even a Japanese anime television series called Little Lulu and Her Little Friends, which is now a very rare collector’s item.

Lulu was also the star of her own comic book. The Dell Comics’ book was named Marge’s Little Lulu before the name was shortened to Little Lulu in 1972. The comic book was sold internationally, and people all over the world enjoyed seeing Little Lulu, her best friend Tubby and her other friends get into mischief. The comic book changed companies a few times, and continued to be published until 1984.

Recently in 2004, Dark Horse Comics secured the rights to the Little Lulu comic books, and is still in the process of reprinting and publishing the eighteen volumes today.

Little Lulu is going on her 73rd year of making people laugh. For a little girl, Lulu has certainly made a big impression in the world of comics and cartoons. Her cute curls and smarmy attitude are sure to keep entertaining people for years to come.

To create your own Little Lulu adventures, check out our website. We have collectible Little Lulu and Tubby Vinyl Figures, and even a reproduction Little Lulu Cartoon Movie Poster.

Gumby, 53 Years of Entertaining America

In 1955 Art Clokey made a short animated film called Gumbasia, with shapes of clay moving to music playing in the background. The film was created using stop-motion animation, a technique that when used with clay figures is called claymation. The clay object is placed on a set, and a film frame is taken. The camera is then stopped, the character is moved into another position and filmed, and the process continues until enough film frames are taken to complete the animated story.

Movie producers saw the film, and Clokey was asked to create a claymation character for children’s television. After many trials to see which form worked best with the animation technique, Gumby was born in 1956. According to Gumby.com, Gumby’s optimal height was 7 inches tall, and his body was created from simple geometric shapes. This form allowed Gumby to be cut from a large slab of clay, and duplicate forms were easily made. This is very important because during the filming the lights heat up the Gumby doll and he becomes misshapen from the continuous bending of his body and needs to be replaced often.

Gumby’s final shape includes an asymmetrical bump on his head. According to npr.org, this shape was inspired by Art Clokey’s father who had a very unruly head of hair and a large cowlick that stuck up on one side of his head. Gumby’s green color reflects Clokey’s love of nature and the environment, and his desire for Gumby to symbolize that. (Gumby.com)

After the finalization of Gumby’s form, pilot shows featuring Gumby were made. In 1956, the short films were shown on Howdy Doody. In 1957, Gumby was given his own show, The Gumby Show, on NBC. Each episode contained three animated short films; in between which the host of the show would entertain the audience from “The Fun Shop.” Gumby enjoyed many adventures with his faithful sidekick Pokey. In the 1960s, new friends came along. His dog Nopey, and his friends Prickle, a yellow dinosaur, and Goo, a blue mermaid joined the show. Sometimes Gumby and friends would run into his enemies, The Blockheads. Gumby’s parents Gumbo and Gumba were even added to the show.

At this time, Gumby merchandise was very popular. There were bendable Gumby and Pokey dolls, costumes, puppets, candy, toys, pencil toppers, key chains and much more. By the late 60s, Gumby’s popularity had waned, and the show went into syndication.

Gumby made a comeback in the 1980’s largely due to the Saturday Night Live skit with Eddie Murphy playing a disgruntled Gumby. A new series called Gumby Adventures came out, showing the old Gumby episodes along with brand new ones by Clokey. New merchandise as well as episodes on videotape could be purchased.

Since then, Gumby has appeared on television commercials and even enjoyed a year as the spokescharacter for the Library of Congress in 1994. In 1995, Gumby starred in his own feature film, Gumby: The Movie. Gumby episodes can now be bought on DVD, and he even has his own video game!

In 2005, Gumby’s 50th birthday celebration took place. A year later the Center for Puppetry Arts showed an exhibition called “GUMBY: Art Clokey the first fifty years.” It ran until March of 2007, and can still be viewed at www.TDAExhibitions.com.

For over 50 years, Gumby has educated and entertained children and adults alike. Generations have grown up watching Gumby and his friends, and now grandparents can share Gumby with their grandchildren. A lovable character, he remains in the hearts of people all around the world.

Check out our website for a great selection of Gumby collectibles and memorabilia. Have fun creating your own adventures with Gumby, Pokey, and the other claymation characters!

Batman

The Bat-Man, as he is originally known, was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger in 1939. Batman was first seen in the pages of the DC comic book Detective Comics in May of 1939. The story was called “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate.” Batman became such a popular character; he was given a starring role in his own comic book Batman in the spring of 1940.

The first drawings of Batman showed a man with wings wearing a red and black costume and sporting a simple domino mask. Before publication, Batman’s costume went through a transformation. His mask was changed to a cowl to cover more of his face, showing only his mouth, slits for his eyes and pointy ears. His wings morphed into a cape that looks like bat wings when Batman is in motion. The costume became dark gray with black accents to convey an ominous feeling. Sometimes it was shown as dark gray with a blue cape, gloves and boots. His ever-present utility belt was drawn in yellow, and carried all the gadgets Batman needs to outwit his enemies and escape into the night.

The story of how Batman became Bruce Wayne’s alter ego is very well known. As a child, Bruce Wayne saw his parents murdered, and he swore that he would spend his life trying to avenge his parents’ death by declaring war on criminals in Gotham City.

As an adult, Bruce is depicted as an irresponsible billionaire bachelor who inherited Wayne Enterprises and family real estate investments, and lives alone except for his butler Alfred Pennyworth. Because Bruce has no superhuman powers, he has to rely on his mind and body to defeat evil. He trains his very intelligent mind to function at the highest level and his detective skills and knowledge of science and technology are always in peak form. Bruce also works out his body to achieve physical prowess and uses the power of his threatening Bat image to win battles.

In the 1940’s Batman comics were dark and menacing, with such characters as The Joker and Catwoman as his main adversaries. Robin, Batman’s trusty sidekick, was created in 1940 to give Batman someone to talk to and solve crimes with. The introduction of Robin in the Batman comic book doubled sales and started a trend to give superheroes kid sidekicks.

By the 1950’s Batman’s image had softened. This was due largely in part to criticism of the comics industry for the violence in the stories, which allegedly were leading children to commit crimes and act out their fantasies.

In 1964 the campy television series Batman (starring Adam West) was introduced to the world. A 1966 film Batman starring Adam West was released and the success of the show and the movie vastly increased sales of the comic book, but by 1968 the show was cancelled and the campy direction the comic book had taken wore thin. Once again, the Batman comic book returned to its dark and menacing roots. Although fans loved this change, comic book sales kept falling throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1989 the phenomenal success of the film Batman led to a resurgence of interest in the Batman comic strips. The film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton, was the top-grossing movie of the year.
Since this film, there have been four sequels. Batman Returns (Keaton, 1992), Batman Forever (Val Kilmer, 1995), Batman & Robin (George Clooney, 1997) and Batman Begins. (Christian Bale, 2006)

Due to the popularity of the Batman movies, an animated television series Batman: The Animated Series ran from 1992 through 1997 and an animated feature length film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) was shown.

The newest Batman film, The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as The Joker is scheduled to be released on July 18, 2008.

For almost forty years Batman has been entertaining people all over the world. Be it in the form of comic strip books, television series, animated television series and movies, or blockbuster films, Batman lives on. He is an American pop culture phenomenon that symbolizes the need we have to believe in superheroes and the prevalence of good over evil.

Celebrate your inner superhero and pay tribute to one of the all-time greatest characters with collectible signs depicting Batman comic strip panels, posters and memorabilia available at our website.

Speed Racer Comic Strip Character 1966 to Present

In 1966 Speed Racer originated as a Japanese comic strip (Manga) called “Mach Go Go Go.” The creator, Tatsuo Yoshida, modeled Speed after Elvis Presley’s racecar driver character from “Viva Las Vegas”, and the Mach 5 was inspired by James Bond’s Aston Martin from “Goldfinger.”

In 1967, the comic strip was adapted into an anime program for Japanese television. Speed Racer was known as Go Mifune, which is why he wears a yellow G on his shirt. The M on his helmet stands for Mifune Motors, the family business.

The English rights were acquired in 1967 by Trans-Lux, an American syndicator, and a major editing and dubbing of the show was done. Go Mifune became known as Speed Racer. Each of the other characters’ names changed too, and they sport a letter on their shirts corresponding to their Japanese first names.

The dialogue was spoken at a very fast pace in order to explain the complicated plot lines and match them with existing lip movements. They never quite matched, and that was part of the charm of the show.

The main story line revolved around Speed, a young ambitious man on his way to becoming a professional racecar driver. Speed drove the Mach 5, a technological marvel. The Mach 5 had many gadgets that assisted Speed win the races he entered, such as mini wings that slid out from under the car and helped the Mach 5 jump long distances.

Speed always managed to get himself into dangerous situations, and his girlfriend Trixie, along with his family helped get him out of trouble. His older brother, Rex, disguised himself as Racer X and acted as the mysterious hero that often aided Speed with his misadventures.

Since 1967, Speed Racer has been syndicated nationally, and ran in the afternoons for nearly 20 years. Speed has made guest appearances on such shows as “Scooby Doo” and has been referenced in many movies such as “Slap Shot.” Speed Racer and his crew even starred in a Volkswagen commercial in 1996 and a commercial for Geico in 2004.

As anime and manga become increasingly popular in the United States, it is hard to believe that Speed Racer was introduced to Americans back in 1967. As one of the first Japanimation series ever to be syndicated in the United States, Speed Racer holds a place in history and in the hearts of everyone that grew up watching and shouting “Go Speed Go!”

Speed Racer collectibles and memorabilia have always been popular items. Since the movie came out in May of 2008, the demand for these items has grown. Check out our website for Speed Racer and Racer X poseable figures, bobble heads, signs and much more!

Oh noooooooo! Mr. Bill!

Anyone who was a fan of “Saturday Night Live” in the 1970’s would recognize this as a line from Mr. Bill, one of the most famous television personalities of all time. In fact, Mr. Bill has become a pop culture icon, still seen today in TV shows, films and commercials.

Mr. Bill came to life in 1974 when Walter Williams created a short film starring a Play-Doh doll named Mr. Bill. His homemade movie, a parody of bad animation, won a contest held by “Saturday Night Live” in its first season. Mr. Bill became so popular that he spent seven years on Saturday Night Live, and his appearances grew to 10 spots a season.

In each episode of “The Mr. Bill Show”, a series of mishaps leads to Mr. Bill being injured. Unintentionally, Mr. Hand, a man shown only as a pair of human hands, would hurt Mr. Bill, his dog, Spot and his wife Sally. Other times it would be Mr. Bill’s enemy, another clay character named Sluggo inflicting the injury. The story always ended with Mr. Bill being seriously hurt, dismembered, or beheaded, and he would utter the famous squeal, “Oh noooo!”

The public so loved Mr. Bill that he was outshone only by John Belushi and Gilda Radner in a survey to see who was the public’s favorite “Saturday Night Live” personality. In 1980, his long stint on “Saturday Night Live” came to an end, but he did not disappear from the public eye. The 1975 movie “The Mr. Bill Collection,” a compilation of his appearances on SNL, sold hundreds of thousands of copies on video. Mr. Bill even had a best selling book in 1979 called The Mr. Bill Show that climbed to #1 on The New York Times bestseller list.

Throughout the years, Mr. Bill starred in TV specials with Dick Clark and Bob Hope, and was a regular host on USA-TV’s “Night Flight.” He worked with Shelly Duvall on Showtime’s 1986 movie “Mr. Bill’s Real Life Adventures,” and he also starred in the 1993 movie “Mr. Bill Goes To Washington,” a short film that ran with the movie “Ernest Rides Again.” In 1998, Mr. Bill made forty appearances on the Fox Family Channel in the series called “Ohh Noo! Mr. Bill presents.”

Mr. Bill has also been featured on many Public Service announcements. In 2004, he helped educate people about the loss of Louisiana’s coastal marches and swamps with a film called “New Orleans – The Natural History.” This film included ten new Mr. Bill adventures in a campaign to help save the wetlands, and predicted the effects of a hurricane on New Orleans before the devastation of Katrina took place.

For the past 34 years Mr. Bill had been making America laugh at his misadventures. From his first appearance on “Saturday Night Live” to his current job as star of MasterCard’s “Priceless” campaign, he has always been able to make people smile or cringe with his funny antics. Even though he is just a doll made of clay, he is unforgettable, and will surely go down in history as one of America’s favorite characters of all time.

Check out the Mr. Bill dolls and collectibles available on our website so you can create your own hilarious adventures with this loveable character!

Snap! Crackle! Pop! Rice Krispies®

The cute gnomes we all know as Snap, Crackle and Pop are advertising icons. They were the very first advertising characters that the Kellogg Company used to sell their products, and they are the longest running character advertisement to date for Kellogg.

Rice Krispies® Cereal hit the market in 1928. The cereal is made of rice grains that are cooked, dried and toasted resulting in crisped rice. When milk or cream is added, the thin walls of the rice collapse, making the famous sounds Snap! Crackle! and Pop! ® These sounds became the slogan for Rice Krispies® and was featured on radio ads such as this one:
“Listen to the fairy song of health, the merry chorus sung by Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies® as they merrily snap, crackle, and pop in a bowl of milk. If you’ve never heard food talking, now is your chance!”

In 1932, an illustrator was listening to the radio when he heard this jingle, and was inspired to create animations to match the sounds. Vernon Grant sat down and brought to life the magical gnomes Snap, Crackle and Pop. He brought his idea to Kellogg, and the company loved the characters so much, they bought the advertising concept that very day.

Snap was the first of the trio to appear on Rice Krispies® boxes. He wore a huge baker’s cap and held a spoon just like he does today, but his ears and nose were much bigger. Crackle and Pop joined their older brother a few years later. Crackle wore a red and white striped stocking cap and Pop donned a bandleader’s hat and uniform. The trio was even given individual personalities. Snap, the oldest brother, solves the problems his younger brothers create. Crackle is the middle child with a fun-loving personality that helps keep order between his brothers. Pop is the jokester, clumsy and never serious.

The three gnomes first made it to the big screen in 1939 where they were featured in one-minute shorts called Breakfast Pals, in which they sang and danced and fought their enemies; Soggy, Mushy and Toughy. In the 1940’s, Snap Crackle and Pop were the heroes of their own comic strips on the back of Rice Krispies® boxes. This is when their appearances began to change. Their hats, ears and noses got smaller and more human looking, and they started to look more like the characters we know today. They also began to sing the song, “Snap! Crackle! Pop! Rice Krispies,”® which is the jingle we all associate with Rice Krispies Cereal.®

The popularity of Snap, Crackle and Pop has spread all over the world, with advertisements and commercials shown internationally. It’s fun to see how people in other countries say the famous slogan “Snap! Crackle! Pop! ®”
* Sweden: Piff! Paff! Puff!
* Germany: Knisper! Knasper! Knusper!
* Mexico: Pim! Pum! Pam!
* Finland: Poks! Riks! Raks!
* Canadian French: Cric! Crac! Croc!
* Holland: Pif! Paf! Pof!
* South Africa: Knap! Knaetter! Knak!

Snap Crackle and Pop have been representing Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal® for 76 years. Their notoriety has grown to international status, and their popularity shows no sign of decreasing. Collectibles, figures, and memorabilia of these famous gnomes have been available for many years. Check out our website for signs and vinyl figures of the much loved Snap! Crackle! and Pop! ®

Tony The Tiger

Have you ever sat eating a bowl of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and wondered why there was a tiger promoting the cereal? How on earth did they come up with Tony The Tiger to sell boxes of sugar-covered corn flakes?

Well, in 1952, there was a contest to decide who would grace the front of the box of Sugar Frosted Flakes. A competition was held between Tony the Tiger, Katy the Kangaroo, Elmo the Elephant, and Newt the Gnu. (A wildebeest!) The competition was to see who would be most popular with the American public. Tony the Tiger won, and has been the mascot for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes ever since.

Martin Provensen, an illustrator of children’s books, created the design for Tony. Originally, the tiger started out with a football-shaped head and he walked on all fours. This was replaced by a Tony figure that walked upright and could sing songs and dance. At this time, the cereal was called Sugar Frosted Flakes, which changed to Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes when sugar started to get a reputation for being unhealthy and leading to obesity.

As the nation became more health conscious, Tony’s physique became stronger and leaner, and he grew in stature from a small cereal box-sized cat to a 6 foot tall figure showing kids how to better themselves through sports.

Tony even went through a period where he had a family. His son, Tony Jr. is the best-known family member, but at one time there was a mother, wife, and daughter Antoinette. These characters fell by the wayside, as Tony became the face associated with Frosted Flakes and the Kellogg’s company itself.

Although Tony has been redrawn many times, some things have remained the same. Always present is the red kerchief he wears around his neck and his famous line “They’re Grrrrrrrreat!” Tony’s signature voice comes from Thurl Ravenscroft, an actor and voice artist also known for his songs in the movie “The Grinch.”

Tony the Tiger is an American advertising icon. He has lasted for 56 years as the mascot for Frosted Flakes, and shown no signs of slowing down. Nowadays, he is featured in Frosted Flakes commercials as the driving force behind kids achieving their dreams by being active and playing sports.

Tony the Tiger has been a favorite character for many years. Over his lifetime many objects were created in his likeness. There are dolls, coin banks, vinyl figures, signs, and many more items available for collectors. You can see a variety of these Tony the Tiger collectibles and Kellogg’s memorabilia on our website.

Hula Girl Dashboard Nodder

Ever since Hawaii became a popular tourist attraction in the early 1900’s, the Hula Girl has been a symbol of Hawaii. Visitors loved to collect the Hula Girl Doll and bring her home as a souvenir or gift for friends and family.

During the 1920s and 30s, some of the earliest hula dolls were made of bisque or redware, a clay material lacking any glaze. She was hand painted and wore a grass skirt and a flower-patterned halter or a lei made of cloth flowers strewn across her chest.

In the 1940s and 1950s some of Hawaii’s best artists, like Delee, Julene & Hakata, took to creating some of the finest Hawaiian hula dolls of the time. These are still some of the most sought after hula dolls by Hawaiiana collectors today.

In the 1950s, the Hula Girl Nodder or Dashboard Doll was created. The influx of American soldiers into Hawaii during World War II, along with the visiting tourists after the war helped make this doll one of the most popular souvenirs of all time. In fact, the Dancing Hula Girl Dashboard Doll became so popular that factories in Japan capitalized on the craze and began producing them in bulk.

The doll was made of plastic and had springs in her legs so that she could wiggle her hips as the car drove along. She was made in different versions and sizes, with the ukulele pose and the hands in the hair pose as the most common. The original Hula Dashboard Doll had a hole in the bottom where a magnet could be inserted so that the doll could be attached to the metal dashboards of cars in the 1950s. California surfers and beach-goers were the first to carry on this fad, and the Hula Girl Dancing Dashboard Doll officially became a part of American Pop Culture.

The Dancing Hula Girl Doll is still a popular dashboard accessory today, although she is attached with double sided tape instead of a magnet. She still wiggles her hips and holds her ukulele and will always bring a smile to the faces of those who see her.

Check out our website to see the Dancing Hula Girl Dashboard Doll available in different colors and poses, along with the Hula Guy Dashboard Doll.