In 1930, the Little Orphan Annie radio program debuted, bringing with it a unique strategy of marrying entertainment with corporate messaging. Tie-in merchandising and marketing to children is commonplace today, but the template for it may have been laid down by Annie’s first foray into multimedia. While she frequently ends up in dicey situations, she usually saves herself.” 3. she was the antithesis of Shirley Temple. Annie, wrote historian Elizabeth Maurer, was “neither ladylike nor cute. But Annie was resourceful and wily, and usually able to extricate herself from those situations without needing to be rescued. Though she found a guardian in rich industrialist Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, her tendency to get caught up in criminal schemes or political intrigue meant she was often in physical danger. In stark contrast to the portrayal of women in popular culture of the time, Annie was no damsel in distress. ANNIE WAS A FIGURE OF FEMALE EMPOWERMENT. Little Orphan Otto became Little Orphan Annie, entering syndication in 1924. Originally a young boy named Otto, Gray decided to switch genders when he realized that of the 43 strips running at the time, only three featured women in prominent roles. Believing a character who had no allegiance to family or society would free them up for adventures, he decided to make his protagonist an orphan. After Gray began assisting cartoonist Sidney Smith on a strip titled The Grumps, Gray decided he might like to try his hand creating his own. Harold Gray was originally a hired pencil, owning and operating an art studio in Chicago following his service in World War I. (You can also check out our list of facts on the 1982 Annie feature film here.) 1. Check out some facts about her origin, concerns over the strip’s violence, and which president pushed "Daddy" Warbucks into an early grave. You’ve probably seen one of the many stage or screen musicals based on the strip, but you may not know some of the details behind Annie’s tenure in newspapers. From 1924 to 2010, cartoonist Harold Gray’s Little Orphan Annie comic strip presented the adventures of a plucky young girl with empty pupils who fell in and out of trouble at home and abroad while endearing herself to her adopted family.
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