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.

Born in New Haven, Connecticut of Russian Jewish heritage, Capp was the eldest child of Otto Philip and Matilda ( Davidson ) Caplin.

This childhood tragedy likely helped shape Capp ’ s cynical worldview, which, funny as it was, was certainly darker and more sardonic than that of the average newspaper cartoonist.

" The secret of how to live without resentment or embarrassment in a world in which I was different from everyone else ," Capp philosophically wrote ( in Life magazine on May 23, 1960 ), " was to be indifferent to that difference.

Attending three of them in rapid succession, the impoverished Capp was thrown out of each for nonpayment of tuition — the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and Designers Art School in Boston — the latter before launching his amazing career.

" I heard that Bud Fisher ( creator of Mutt and Jeff ) got $ 3, 000 a week and was constantly marrying French countesses ," Capp said.

By March 1932, Capp was drawing Colonel Gilfeather, a single-panel, AP-owned property created in 1930 by Dick Dorgan.

Also during this period, Capp was working at night on samples for the strip that would eventually become Li ' l Abner.

" Yokum " was a combination of yokel and hokum, although Capp established a deeper meaning for the name during a series of visits around 1965 – 1970 with comics historians George E. Turner and Michael H. Price.

“ It ’ s phonetic Hebrew — that ’ s what it is, all right — and that ’ s what I was getting at with the name Yokum, more so than any attempt to sound hickish ," said Capp.

" Sinatra was the first great public figure I ever wrote about ," Capp once said.

On the other hand Liberace was " cut to the quick " over Loverboynik, according to Capp, and even threatened legal action — as would Joan Baez later, over " Joanie Phoanie " in 1967.

Capp was just as likely to parody himself ; his self-caricature made frequent, tongue-in-cheek appearances in Li ' l Abner.

Capp was also involved with the Sister Kenny Foundation, which pioneered new treatments for polio in the 1940s.

In 1948, Capp reached a creative peak with the introduction of the Shmoos, lovable and innocent fantasy creatures who reproduced at amazing speed and brought so many benefits that, ironically, the world economy was endangered.

( When the award name was changed in 1954, Capp also retroactively received a Reuben statuette.

According to Tom Roberts, author of Alex Raymond: His Life and Art ( 2007 ), Capp delivered a stirring speech that was instrumental in changing those rules.

" The article recounted Capp's days working for an unnamed " benefactor " with a miserly, swinish personality, who Capp claimed was a never-ending source of inspiration when it came time to create a new unregenerate villain for his comic strip.

Capp was able to refute the accusation by simply showing the original artwork.

In 1954, when Capp was applying for a Boston television license, the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) received an anonymous packet of pornographic Li ' l Abner drawings.

Allen Saunders, the creator of the Mary Worth strip, returned Capp's fire with the introduction of the character " Hal Rapp ," a foul-tempered, ill-mannered, and ( ironically ) inebriated cartoonist, ( Capp was a teetotaler ).

Later, it was revealed to be a collaborative hoax that Capp and his longtime pal Saunders had cooked up together.

The Capp-Saunders " feud " fooled both editors and readers, generated plenty of free publicity for both strips — and Capp and Saunders had a good laugh when all was revealed.

Capp also lampooned popular recording idols of the day, such as Elvis Presley (" Hawg McCall ," 1957 ), Liberace (" Loverboynik ," 1956 ), the Beatles (" the Beasties ," 1964 )— and in 1944, Frank Sinatra.

In addition to creating Li ' l Abner, Capp also co-created two other newspaper strips: Abbie an ' Slats with magazine illustrator Raeburn van Buren in 1937, and Long Sam with cartoonist Bob Lubbers in 1954, as well as the Sunday " topper " strips Washable Jones, Small Fry ( aka Small Change ), and Advice fo ' Chillun.

" ( Capp also spoofed Carson in his strip, in a 1970 episode called " The Tommy Wholesome Show.

Capp portrayed himself in a cameo role in the Bob Hope film That Certain Feeling, ( for which he also provided promotional art ).

Capp also freelanced very successfully as a magazine writer and newspaper columnist, in a wide variety of publications including Life, Show, Pageant, The Atlantic, Esquire, Coronet, and The Saturday Evening Post.

In addition to his public service work for charitable organizations for the handicapped, Capp also served on the National Reading Council, which was organized to combat illiteracy.

Capp was also inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2004.

Capp also had a knack for popularizing certain uncommon terms, such as druthers, schmooze and nogoodnik, neatnik, etc.

Capp is also the subject of an upcoming WNET-TV American Masters documentary, The Life and Times of Al Capp, produced by his granddaughter, independent filmmaker Caitlin Manning.

In addition to Capp, Jerry Brondfield also wrote for the strip, with Adams stepping in occasionally.

The Mirror also runs a cartoon strip called Mandy, which started life as Mandy Capp.

Capp designed her in caricature of his wife Catherine ( minus the dirt ), who had also suggested Daisy Mae's name.

Capp also excelled at product endorsement, and Li ' l Abner characters were often featured in mid-century American advertising campaigns.

Capp is also the subject of an upcoming PBS American Masters documentary produced by his granddaughter, independent filmmaker Caitlin Manning.

Capp has also been credited with popularizing many terms, such as " natcherly ," schmooze, druthers, and nogoodnik, neatnik, etc.

Declaring that satire was also protected free speech, he refused to order Capp to cease and desist.

There was also a separate line of comic books, Al Capp's Shmoo Comics ( featuring Washable Jones ), published by the Capp family-owned Toby Press. Comics historian and Li ' l Abner expert Denis Kitchen recently edited a complete collection of all five original Shmoo Comics, from 1949 and 1950.

Based on the comic strip Li ' l Abner by Al Capp, the show is, on the surface, a broad spoof of hillbillies, but it is also a pointed satire on broader topics, ranging from incompetence in the United States federal government to standards of masculinity.

He also made appearances in a number of other TV shows, including the first series of Starting Out, Boon, Minder, Dear John, Farrington of the F. O., Z-Cars, Andy Capp, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Blake's 7, and Casualty.

The Ice Capp can also be prepared as a Supreme, which includes a flavour shot, whipped topping, and either caramel or chocolate syrup.