Capp, Al (1909-1979), was an American cartoonist who created the comic strip “Li’l Abner.” The strip, which ran from 1934 to 1977, made Capp one of the best-known cartoonists of his era. “Li’l Abner” centered around the antics of Li’l Abner Yokum, his family, and other inhabitants of a fictional hillbilly town called “Dogpatch U.S.A.” The comic strip was one of the first to treat modern society and politics satirically. In the cartoon, Capp often parodied other popular comic strips, including “Dick Tracy” and “Little Orphan Annie.”
Capp was born on Sept. 28, 1909, in New Haven, Conn. His given and family name was Alfred Gerald Caplin, which he shortened to fit into the comics panel. He joined the Associated Press as a cartoonist in 1932 and served briefly as an assistant to cartoonist Ham Fisher, creator of “Joe Palooka.” Capp also created the comic strips “Abbie an’ Slats” in 1937 and “Long Sam” in 1954. Capp died on Nov. 5, 1979.
Material based on or related to “Li’l Abner” appeared on radio shows, in recordings, in comic books, and in motion picture serials. A 1956 Broadway musical and the 1959 movie based on the serial increased the fame of the comic strip. “Li’l Abner” contributed several ideas to American popular culture, most notably Sadie Hawkins Day, named after one of the characters in the strip. On this day, girls asked boys out on dates, typically to a dance, reversing the traditional gender roles.
