| Little Lulu Collectibles | |||
| Little Lulu Dolls Knickerbocker Georgene Averill Gund 1972 Hallmark Horsman Shakman Unknown Makers Make Your Own Suni Toy 1973 Foreign Makers Little Lulu Books Little Lulu Comics Little Lulu Novelties |
In 1945, the first Little Lulu comic book (Dell Four Color 74) was produced, with John Stanley's brilliant scripting and drawing. While Dell edited and published Lulu's comic books, Marge attended to other areas of Lulu's career. Lulu began to endorse paint books, coloring books, story books, greeting cards, tissues, paper dolls, toiletries, games, housekeeping toys, jewelry, dolls, banks, puzzles, party supplies and more. Little Lulu memorabilia is richly varied but scarce. As prices rise (and they are), more items will no doubt emerge from closets, collections, barns and basements. A number of early Little Lulu articles are well produced examples of American toy technology. Some later items are poorly conceived and executed, but some of the ugliest are also the rarest. The exquisite dolls by Knickerbocker and by Georgene Novelties have star quality. Following is a listing of some Little Lulu collectibles: 1935-1944 Saturday Evening Post cartoons 1936-1941 Little Lulu by Marge (Rand McNally collection of Post cartoons. Several editions) 1939-1945 Knickerbocker Toy Company dolls. Two versions of cloth dolls with different dress styles that come in 17" and 13", also a 41" dancing doll, with mask faces and wool or yarn hair and painted faces, red circles on their cheeks and sewn-on socks and shoes. The 13" doll was dressed in a typical Little Lulu red dress with striped socks. The 27" Lulu had chubbier cheeks and wore a plaid dress with organdy collar and cuffs, and solid color socks. 1939-1944 David McKay publishes Little Lulu books: Oh, Little Lulu; Little Lulu and her Pals; Little Lulu on Parade; Laugh With Little Lulu; Fun With Little Lulu. 1943 Little Lulu theme song (words and music by Buddy Kaye, Fred Wise, Sidney Lippman) published by Famous Music Corp. Another published title was "Now 'Ya Done it" 1943-1948 Famous Studio and Paramount Pictures make Lulu a Hollywood star (at least 26 films). Later there were 8mm film versions, and several video company releases of the 1940s cartoons. The content quality of these is excellent. Paramount produced more cartoons in the early 1960s; later works by various producers are generally less charming. 1944 Marge signs with Foote, Cone & Belding to draw Lulu in an advertising campaign promoting Kleenex tissues. (This appears to be the only Lulu commercially rendered by Marge after Post.) Lulu's Kleenex campaign continued through 1960.
1944-1972 Marge signs with Western Publishing Co. Most of the items collectors are seeking are from this period, including hundreds of comic books featuring Little Lulu, Tubby and their friends. 1944 Hallmark greeting cards (Hall Bros.) feature Little Lulu and her friends. Circa 1944-1965 Georgene Novelties, Inc. manufactures Little Lulu, Tubby and Alvin dolls (made in her new softer image). Most of these Lulu dolls measure 14.5 " with the hard-to-find Cowgirl, Majorette and Hawaiian versions 1/2" to 1" taller. Some dolls have red-trimmed white paper labels. Little Lulu handbags were sometimes sold with the dolls, sometimes separately. Tubby 14.5" doll wearing his regular sailor suit and the scarce Hawaiian outfit. Alvin 12.5" in his overalls and side-snapping undershirts. These dolls are cloth with painted mask faces and yarn hair. 1945 Milton Bradley Little Lulu Adventure Game; Gardner Display Co. makes "life-size" cardboard Lulu figures. 1946 McLoughlin Bros. hard cover books: Little Lulu At The Seashore; Little Lulu At The Circus; Little Lulu Plays Pirate; Little Lulu and The Organ Grinder Man; Little Lulu Her Train Ride To Grandma's; Little Lulu at Grandma's Farm. 1947 Better Little Book Little Lulu. Gotham Pressed Steel manufactures a carpet sweeper, other toy housekeeping items. McCall's prints pattern number 1447 for a 17" cloth Lulu doll. Circa 1947 Arandell Products, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produce clothesline with clothespins on a card. Circa 1948 Earle Pullan Ltd., Canada, make Little Lulu dolls; various companies manufacture clothing and textiles featuring Little Lulu (through the 1950s). 1949-1957 Kleenex features Little Lulu and Tubby in a Times Square electronic billboard. Circa 1949 Harry Rubin & Sons, Inc. make Little Lulu jump ropes, other items. Circa 1950-1969 Western Publishing produces daily Little Lulu comic strip (Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate) Circa 1951 Owens Illinois Glass manufactures small glass tumblers decorated with Little Lulu and friends. Circa 1956 N.T.A Co. acquires some Little Lulu cartoons from Paramount for television distribution, "home movies" and so forth. Circa 1956-1958 Kleenex features Lulu in television commercials. 1957 Collegeville Flag and Manufacturing makes Little Lulu Halloween costumes. 1958 House of Tre-jur collection of Little Lulu children's toiletries. Circa 1961 Reliable Toy Co., Canada, makes cloth dolls of Little Lulu, Tubby and Alvin. Circa 1963 Distribuidora Record De Servicos De Imprensa Ltda, Brazil, makes dolls. Circa 1966 Knickerbocker Toy Co. makes Little Lulu dolls, 6" tall with masked face and string hair, as well as puppets. 1972 Marge retires, sells rights in Little Lulu to Western Publishing Co. Items from Hong Kong and Taiwan reproduce rapidly. 1972 All-cloth Little Lulu dolls by Gund, comes in 5 sizes (7", 9", 15", 20" and 32"). They are stitched at the hip and have mitten hands, sewn-on red shocks and sew-on black shoes. Brown yarn hair, and a removable red cotton dress trimmed in lace with a white collar nad wear lace-trimmed white panties. 1972 Whitman Little Lulu puzzles, paper dolls and coloring books. Circa 1973-1977 Vinyl
banks by Play Pal Plastics with doll buggy, with fire hydrant, and
other items. 1982-present The Stanley Steamer, modest "fan-zine" dedicated to John Stanley's Little Lulu. Published by Jon Merrill. 1983 Golden Book At Your Service (Illustrated by Irving Tripp) 1984 Western Publishing suspends publications of Little Lulu comics in the US. 1985-present Little Lulu cartoons are reproduced on videotapes and DVD by various companies. 1986-present Another Rainbow Publishing, Inc. Arizona, begins periodic reproduction of sets of Little Lulu comics in excellent hardbound volumes. 1990-present Lunch Boxes; Golden Books Publishing Company, Inc. The Little Lulu Joke Book; Eden Little Lulu and Tubby Doll; Precious Kids Little Lulu Backpack, Purse, and Bank.
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Collectors
familiar with her comics know Little Lulu is more than a cute comic
character, more than a collectible commodity.
* Hallmark
6.5" Little Lulu all-cloth dolls with a brown rug yarn hair and
printed features on a flat face; Hallmark paper table settings; 