Alfred Gerald Caplin ( September 28, 1909 – November 5, 1979 ), better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip Li ' l Abner.

!," a self-portrait by Al Capp, excerpted from theApril 16 – 17, 1951 Li ' l Abner strips.

Alfred G. Caplin eventually became " Al Capp " because the syndicate felt the original would not fit in a cartoon frame.

Al Capp drew his own autobiography, the 34-page Al Capp by Li ' l Abner ( 1946 ), distributed to returning WWII amputee veterans.

In 1946 Capp created a special full-color comic book, Al Capp by Li ' l Abner, to be distributed by the Red Cross to encourage the thousands of amputee veterans returning from the war.

( Siegel and Shuster had earlier poked fun at Capp in a Superman story in Action Comics # 55, December 1942, in which a cartoonist named " Al Hatt " invents a comic strip featuring the hillbilly " Tiny Rufe.

According to one anecdote ( from Al Capp Remembered, 1994 ), Capp and his brother Elliot ducked out of a dull party at Capp's home — leaving Walt Kelly alone to fend for himself entertaining a group of Argentine envoys who didn't speak English.

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.

Between 1952 and 1972, he hosted at least five television shows – three different talk shows called The Al Capp Show ( 1952 and 1968 ) and Al Capp ( 1971 –' 72 ), Al Capp's America ( a live " chalk talk ," with Capp providing a barbed commentary while sketching cartoons, 1954 ), and a CBS game show called Anyone Can Win ( 1953 ).

In 1970, he was the subject of a provocative NBC documentary called This Is Al Capp.

His contentious public persona during this period was captured on a late sixties comedy LP called Al Capp On Campus.

Al Capp, an inductee into the National Cartoon Museum ( formerly the International Museum of Cartoon Art ), is one of only 31 artists selected to their Hall of Fame.

In 1947, Capp earned a Newsweek cover story.

* Capp, Al, Newsweek Magazine ( November 24, 1947 ) " Li ' l Abner's Mad Capp "

* Capp, Al, Cosmopolitan Magazine ( June 1949 ) " I Don't Like Shmoos "

* Capp, Al, Time Magazine ( November 6, 1950 ) " Die Monstersinger "

* Capp, Al, Life Magazine ( March 31, 1952 ) " It's Hideously True !!...

* Capp, Al, Real Magazine ( December 1952 ) " The REAL Powers in America "

* Capp, Al, Life Magazine ( January 14, 1957 ) " The Dogpatch Saga: Al Capp's Own Story "

* Capp, Al, Life International Magazine ( June 14, 1965 ) " My Life as an Immortal Myth "

* Toffler, Alvin, Playboy Magazine ( December 1965 ) interview with Al Capp, pp. 89 – 100

* Sugar, Andy, Saga Magazine ( December 1969 ) " On the Campus Firing Line with Al Capp "

* Capp, Al, Cosmopolitan Magazine ( June 1949 ) " I Don't Like Shmoos "

* Capp, Al, Time Magazine ( November 6, 1950 ) " Die Monstersinger "

* Capp, Al, Life Magazine ( March 31, 1952 ) " It's Hideously True !!...

* Capp, Al, Real Magazine ( December 1952 ) " The REAL Powers in America "

* Capp, Al, Life Magazine ( January 14, 1957 ) " The Dogpatch Saga: Al Capp's Own Story "

* Capp, Al, Life International Magazine ( June 14, 1965 ) " My Life as an Immortal Myth "

* Toffler, Alvin, Playboy Magazine ( December 1965 ) interview with Al Capp, pp. 89 – 100

* Sugar, Andy, Saga Magazine ( December 1969 ) " On the Campus Firing Line with Al Capp "

) According to a November 1950 Time article, " Capp parted from Fisher with a definite impression, ( to put it mildly ) that he had been underpaid and unappreciated.

On November 13, 1977, Capp retired with an apology to his fans for the recently declining quality of the strip, which he said had been the best he could manage due to declining health.

* November 5 – Al Capp, American cartoonist ( b. 1909 )

Written and drawn by Al Capp ( 1909 – 1979 ), the strip ran for 43 years, from August 13, 1934 through November 13, 1977.

However, due to its enormous popularity and the numerous fan letters he received, Capp made it a tradition in the strip every November, lasting four decades.

Li ' l Abner lasted until November 13, 1977, when Capp retired with an apology to his fans for the recently declining quality of the strip, which he said had been the best he could manage due to advancing illness.

Capp, a lifelong chain smoker, died from emphysema two years later at age 70, at his home in South Hampton, New Hampshire on November 5, 1979.

However, due to its enormous popularity and the numerous fan letters he received, Capp obligingly made it a tradition in the strip every November, lasting four decades.

In the strip, Sadie Hawkins Day fell on a given day in November ( Capp never specified an exact date ).

Besides Dick Tracy, Capp parodied many other comic strips in Li ' l Abner — including Steve Canyon, Superman ( at least twice ; first as " Jack Jawbreaker " in 1947, and again in 1966 as " Chickensouperman "), Mary Worth, Peanuts, Rex Morgan, M. D., Little Annie Rooney and Little Orphan Annie ( in which Punjab became " Punjbag ," an oleaginous slob ).

Capp received the National Cartoonists Society's Billy DeBeck Memorial Award in 1947 for Cartoonist of the Year.

* 1947: Al Capp, Li ' l Abner

Capp named her after the carnival-themed horror film, Nightmare Alley ( 1947 ).

But in 1947 Capp sued United Feature Syndicate for $ 14 million, publicly embarrassed UFS in Li ' l Abner, and wrested ownership and control of his creation the following year.