Barbie Doll Inspired by German Cartoon Panel "Lilli"

 

 

Where did the Barbie doll come from? Mattel Toys, you say? No. She was a German newspaper comic panel first.

Paul Gravett explains: 

 

DID YOU KNOW 'BARBIE' WAS INSPIRED BY GERMAN CARTOON CHARACTER & DOLL 'LILLI'?

 

Fascinating to learn about the 'secret origin' of Barbie', who was inspired by 'Lilli', star of 'a single-panel cartoon feature created in 1952 by Reinhard Beuthien for the German Boulevard newspaper "Bild". She ran until 1961 and embodied the life of an independent, self-confident young woman in the post-war era.' Read about how 'Lilli' became 'Barbie' here...

Danke to Naaman Wakim for this link:

The true story of Barbie - the German Lilli

The story of Barbie, one of the most famous and best-selling dolls worldwide, surprisingly begins in Germany with a character called Lilli.

 

This character was not originally meant to be a toy for children, but represented a completely different world.

 

Lilli was created as a comic figure in 1952 and was created by Reinhard Beuthien for the German Boulevard newspaper "Bild". She ran until 1961 and embodied the life of an independent, self-confident young woman in the post-war era.

 

Lilli was portrayed in stories as a high-class callgirl who seduced rich men with charm and wit. She wasn't ashamed to revolt against male authority either.

 

In a remarkable comic scene in which a police officer warned Lilli of public indecency because of her bikini on the pavement, she responded strikingly: "Oh, and what part do you think I should take off?" "

In 1956, Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, came across the Lilli doll during a trip to Europe. She bought some of these dolls as souvenirs and noticed how much her daughter Barbara enjoyed playing with them.

 

It was an aha moment for Ruth Handler. She recognized the potential of such a grown-up, fashion-conscious doll for young girls.

 

Inspired by Lilli and observing her own daughter in mind, she developed the concept for the Barbie doll. Another family influence was their son Kenneth, who served as the inspiration for the Ken doll.

 

1959 Barbie was officially introduced by Mattel at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. Unlike the baby dolls that are prevalent at the time, Barbie was marketed as a teenage model.

 

This was a groundbreaking idea that revolutionized the toy world. In 1964, Mattel finally bought the rights to the Bild Lilli, heralding the end of production of the German doll.

 

The Barbie doll quickly gained popularity and became a cultural phenomenon. She became a reflection of time and throughout her long history has embraced many professions and lifestyles.

 

To date, Barbie has pursued over 200 different careers, including many in the MINT fields (mathematics, computer science, science and engineering).

 

Thus, she is not only a toy, but also a symbol of the development and the possibilities that women have had and have over the years.

 

Statement: Since Barbie has currently experienced an extreme hype because of the current movie, I couldn't help myself from telling you the true story of Barbie. I hope you enjoyed reading and learned a lot of new things about this topic. Oh man the driest statement ever XD Lilli.... I want Lilli back ... I'm sorry for this... okay enough again XD

 

Many more interesting, unpublished stories from around the world can be found in my book I think 100% satisfaction of the customers so far is very good www.weltgeschichte.net