Mr Potato Head
George Lerner created Mr. Potato at the end of the 1940s.
First sold in separate parts in packets of breakfast cereal, it was far from successful. The original idea was to stick these separate parts into a real potato.
In 1953, with the plastic body by now added, Mr. Potato was the first ever toy to be the star of an extensive radio and TV advertising campaign. It was a huge success. The toymakers Hasbro made profits of four million dollars in a year.
Mrs. Potato Head was born a year later.
In 1974, the company doubled the size of the parts. Many children began to disappear from the family photo albums as they swallowed Mr. Potato's nose, arm and cap.
In Central and South America, he's called "Señor de Cara Papa".
In 1987, the American Cancer Society convinced Hasbro to remove his pipe from the box set from then on.
He has appeared as himself in the film Toy Story and artist Jim Davis has made a comic based around him.
First sold in separate parts in packets of breakfast cereal, it was far from successful. The original idea was to stick these separate parts into a real potato.
In 1953, with the plastic body by now added, Mr. Potato was the first ever toy to be the star of an extensive radio and TV advertising campaign. It was a huge success. The toymakers Hasbro made profits of four million dollars in a year.
Mrs. Potato Head was born a year later.
In 1974, the company doubled the size of the parts. Many children began to disappear from the family photo albums as they swallowed Mr. Potato's nose, arm and cap.
In Central and South America, he's called "Señor de Cara Papa".
In 1987, the American Cancer Society convinced Hasbro to remove his pipe from the box set from then on.
He has appeared as himself in the film Toy Story and artist Jim Davis has made a comic based around him.
