Li'l Abner

"The Sadie Hawkins Show"

Baby Piggy as Daisy Mae.

Li'l Abner was an American comic strip created by Al Capp that ran for 43 years, from 1934-1977. The strip became enormously popular, influencing the pop culture lexicon, and inspiring theatrical cartoons, a radio show, Broadway musical, film adaptations and TV pilots, and the Arkansas theme park Dogpatch USA. The comic's strip-within-a-strip "Fearless Fosdick" gained a following in its own right, leading to an early TV puppet show.

Like his contemporary Walt Kelly, Capp's strip was satirical and often featured socially relevant storylines, many times taking the characters out of their native Dogpatch, Kentucky. New character introductions resulted in their becoming instant celebrities, with the introduction of the Shmoo, and its threat to Capitalism, sparking a craze among the USA.

The legacy of the strip continues today with the folk event, Sadie Hawkins Day, an annual race created within the strip in 1937, in which the Dogpatch womenfolk would pursue the bachelors and marry whoever they could catch. In real life, it's a simple gender role-reversal event (usually in the form of a dance), with women and girls taking an initiative to invite the man or boy of their choice on a date.

References

• Songs from the original Broadway cast album were used on Sam and Friends, notably the showstopper "Jubilation T. Cornpone" spotlighting Stubby Kaye as Marryin' Sam. Also used were "The Country's In the Very Best of Hands" (Kaye and Peter Palmer as Abner) and "Oh Happy Day" (sung by Stanley Simmonds as Dr. Rasmussen T. Finsdale and his chorus of scientists).

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Remote Control Cornballs," Baby Piggy is a fan of a series called The Sadie Hawkins Show, referencing the Abner race, but starring a Minnie Pearl-sound alike who resembles Daisy Mae. In her own fantasy, Piggy becomes the Daisy Mae counterpart "Peggy Mae," looking for "Li'l Kermit."

Muppet Mentions

• In the May 11, 1973 newspaper strip, a Henry Kissinger caricature discusses the various ways they tried to make Americans happy, including Hee Haw and Sesame Street.

Connections

• Kaye Ballard played Bella Asgood in Li'l Abner in Dogpatch Today (TV, 1978)
• Lea DeLaria played Marryin' Sam in the 1998 Encores! production
• Gene de Paul composed all songs for the musical and scored the Broadway production
• Darryl Ferreira played Marryin' Sam in Oakland Woodminster Musical's Li'l Abner (1970)
• Jonathan Freeman played Dr. Rassmussen T. Finsdale in the 1998 Encores! production
• Valerie Harper was a replacement dancer during the Broadway run and played a Dogpatch wife in the 1959 film
• Jack Harrell played Walter Crinkly in Li'l Abner in Dogpatch Today (TV, 1978)
• Dana Ivey played Mammy Yokum in the 1998 Encores! production
• Jerry Lewis played Itchy McRabbit in the 1959 film
• Charlotte Rae originated Mammy Yokum in the Broadway version
• Fred Willard played General Bullmoose in the 2008 Reprise! production
• George Zima played Lonesome Polecat and ensemble in the national tour (1958)

External links

• Official site