Alfred Gerald Caplin (September 28, 1909 – November 5, 1979), better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip Li'l Abner, which he created in 1934 and continued writing and (with help from assistants) drawing until 1977. He also wrote the comic strips Abbie an' Slats (in the years 1937-45) and Long Sam (1954). He won the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award in 1947 for Cartoonist of the Year, and their 1979 Elzie Segar Award (posthumously) for his "unique and outstanding contribution to the profession of cartooning." Comic strips dealt with northern urban experiences until the year Capp introduced "Li'l Abner," the first strip based in the South. Although Capp was from Connecticut, he spent 43 years teaching the world about Dogpatch, reaching an estimated 60 million readers in over 900 American newspapers and 100 foreign papers in 28 countries. M. Thomas Inge says Capp made a large personal fortune on the strip and "had a profound influence on the way the world viewed the American South."
September 28, 1909, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Died
November 5, 1979, South Hampton, New Hampshire, United States
Place Of Birth
New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Profession
Writer, Actor, Miscellaneous Crew
Spouse
Catherine Wingate Cameron (m. 1932–1979)
Star Sign
Libra
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Quote
1
[on hippies] I have no objection to any herd of semi-domesticated animals roaming the country, uttering their mating cries and scratching their pelts, as long as they avoid centers of civilization and congregate only in university auditoriums.
2
As far as unwed mothers on welfare are concerned, it seems to me they must be capable of some other form of labor.
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Fact
1
Mr. Capp created his comic strip within a comic strip of FEARLESS FOSDICK in LI'L ABNER; which was Abner's hero. The recurring "strip" proved to be so popular that it was adapted into a 13 episode TV Series using puppets in 1952 and was also employed in advertising Wildroot Cream Oil (hair tonic),. The Fosdick character was a parody of Chester Gould's DICK TRACY.
2
In addition to LI'L ABNER, he created the comic strip ABBIE AN SLATTS; which he wrote in collaboration with illustrator Raeburn Van Buren.
One of the uncredited artists who worked on his strip "Li'l Abner" was Frank Frazetta, who would later become internationally known as a fantasy artist.
5
Beecame disenchanted with the direction he believed the political left to be moving in America during the 1960s and early 1970s, and "Li'l Abner" began to reflect this. Capp's once sharp-edged liberal view began to sound more and more like conservatism. Through all this, he maintained that it was the left that had moved, not he. Nevertheless, during the period 1968-78, "Li'l Abner," once one of the most popular comic strips in America, lost nearly half its markets and Capp finally had to face the fact that times had changed in politics and popular entertainment. He retired Abner, Daisy Mae and the other denizens of Dogpatch in 1977. He died of emphysema two years later.
6
Was fond of outrageous puns in dreaming up character names for his strip. To give just three examples, J. Roaringham Fatback was a despotic pork tycoon, Sen. Jack S. Phogbound ("Ain't no Jack S. like OUR Jack S.!") was an inept U.S. Senator, and King Nogoodnik was the ruler of Lower Slobbovia.
7
Had a prosthetic leg, the result of a boyhood accident. Rather than hide the fact, he openly joked about it all of his life.
8
Was unsuccessfully sued for libel by musician and political activist Joan Baez, after portraying her in his strip as "Joanie Phoanie". The judge in the case decided in Capp's favor, declaring satire to be protected free speech (in recent years, Baez has admitted to being more amused by the parody, even including strip excerpts in her memoirs).
9
He parodied the comic strip "Mary Worth" as "Mary Worm". Allen Saunders, the creator OF Mary Worth, returned fire with the introduction of the character "Hal Rapp," an ill-mannered, inebriated cartoonist. Later the "feud" was revealed to be a collaborative hoax that Capp and his longtime pal Saunders had cooked up together as a good-natured publicity stunt.
10
His parody of "Dick Tracy" as "Fearless Fosdick" was unique in comic strips. It was a comic strip that didn't actually exist, being read by the cast of an actual comic strip. Even so, the character was used to promote Wildroot Cream-Oil hair tonic.
11
His premise for his character "Jack Jawbreaker" (a parody of "Superman") made note of writers and cartoonists working on strips they did not own the rights to. Capp would later hire assistants to work on his strip, with Capp himself writing it, roughing out the action within the panels, and drawing and inking the faces and hands of the characters. His name would be the only one appearing on the strip - although Capp regularly credited his assistants in magazine articles and publicity pieces, one of the only cartoonists ever to do so.
12
Creator of comic strip "Li'l Abner."
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Li'l Abner
1971
TV Movie characters
Li'l Abner
1967
TV Movie
Li'l Abner
1959
comic strip
Fearless Fosdick
TV Series creator - 10 episodes, 1952 comic strip - 3 episodes, 1952
Kickapoo Juice
1944
Short comic strip Li'l Abner
Porkuliar Piggy
1944
Short comic strip Li'l Abner
A Pee-kool-yar Sit-chee-ay-shun
1944
Short comic strip Li'l Abner - uncredited
Sadie Hawkins Day
1944
Short comic strip Li'l Abner - uncredited
Amoozin' But Confoozin'
1944
Short comic strip Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner
1940
comic strip / original story
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
That Certain Feeling
1956
Al Capp
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Li'l Abner
1971
TV Movie consultant
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Bird of Steel!
2016
special thanks filming
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Merv Griffin Show
1963-1973
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Guest
The Mike Douglas Show
1964-1971
TV Series
Himself
The Virginia Graham Show
1970
TV Series
Himself
NBC Experiment in Television
1970
TV Series
Himself
The David Frost Show
1969
TV Series
Himself
The Joan Rivers Show
1969
TV Series
Himself
Firing Line
1969
TV Series
Himself - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1963-1968
TV Series
Himself - Guest / Himself
Do Blonds Have More Fun?
1967
TV Movie documentary
Narrator
Password All-Stars
1965
TV Series
Himself
This Week
1962-1963
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Presenter
Howard K. Smith
1963
TV Series
Himself
The Jack Paar Tonight Show
1962
TV Series
Himself
The Tonight Show
1962
TV Series
Himself - Cartoonist
ABC Close-Up!
1962
TV Series documentary
Himself
This Is Your Life
1961
TV Series
Himself
The Red Skelton Hour
1960
TV Series
Himself
Person to Person
1959
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Ben Hecht Show
1958
TV Series
Himself - Cartoonist
Wide Wide World
1958
TV Series documentary
Himself
The Walter Winchell Show
1956
TV Series
Himself
Tonight!
1956
TV Series
Himself - Guest Host
The Ed Sullivan Show
1956
TV Series
Himself
Today
1954
TV Series
Himself
Anyone Can Win
1953
TV Series
Moderator
We, the People
1948-1952
TV Series
Himself
What's the Story?
1951
TV Series
Himself / Moderator (1953)
Sadie Hawkins Day
1951
Short
Himself
Your Show of Shows
1950
TV Series
Himself - Guest Performer
Critic at Large
1948
TV Series
Himself - Cartoonist
Funny Business
1948
Documentary short
Himself
People on Paper
1945
Documentary short
Himself - Cartoonist
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
John & Yoko's Year of Peace
2000
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Cartoonist
Imagine: John Lennon
1988
Documentary
Himself
MGM Parade
1956
TV Series
Himself - Cartoonist
Known for movies
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1963-1968) as Himself - Guest / Himself
$1.5 Million
