Page "Al Capp" Paragraph 54

In the Golden Age of the American comic strip, successful cartoonists received a great deal of attention ; their professional and private lives were reported in the press, and their celebrity was often nearly sufficient to rival their creations.

As Li ' l Abner reached its peak years, and following the success of the Shmoos and other high moments in his work, Al Capp achieved a public profile that is still unparalleled in his profession, and arguably exceeded the fame of his strip.

" Capp was the best known, most influential and most controversial cartoonist of his era ," writes publisher ( and leading Shmoo collector ) Denis Kitchen.

" His personal celebrity transcended comics, reaching the public and influencing the culture in a variety of media.

For many years he simultaneously produced the daily strip, a weekly syndicated newspaper column, and a 500-station radio program ...." He ran the Boston Summer Theatre with The Phantom cartoonist Lee Falk, bringing in Hollywood actors such as Mae West, Melvyn Douglas and Claude Rains to star in their live productions.

He even briefly considered running for a Massachusetts Senate seat.

Vice President Spiro Agnew urged Capp to run in the Democratic Party Massachusetts primary in 1970 against Ted Kennedy, but Capp ultimately declined.

( He did, however, donate his services as a speaker at a $ 100-a-plate fundraiser for Republican Congressman Jack Kemp.