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Little Orphan Annie
The strip gained instant popularity, and, as the Depression years came, its popularity grew even more. People who were down and out saw Annie as even worse off than themselves - and in that they found comfort. It was sort of a reverse escapism - and it was exactly what fans needed. In 1931 (with Shirley Bell as the voice of Annie), a radio show aired that would remain on NBC for the next 11 years. Radio Orphan Annie was first sponsored by Ovaltine, and then by Quaker Puffed Wheat and Rice Sparkies (towards the end of its run). It was during the Ovaltine years that Annie premiums were at an all time high, with mugs, masks, the especially popular decoders, games, pin backs, dolls, rings, club goodies for "Radio Orphan Annie's Secret Society" and so much more being offered, to the delight of fans. The Quaker years, which only lasted from 1940 - 42, saw the replacement of Annie's buddy Joe Corntassel with combat pilot Captain Sparks, and hence, many premiums from that time were aviation-themed. Now that the Depression was over and America was involved in World War II, Annie's adventures took on a more war-like tone. Unfortunately, having a little girl as a spokesman for the War effort wasn't so successful, and the show's popularity dwindled. The premiums from that era, however, are among the most rare and valuable today - mainly because so few of them were produced. One premium of note is the Altascope, a device that supposedly allowed you to gauge the height of planes flying overhead by staring through absurdly small peepholes. You could then report your findings to your local Air Warden and, who knew? Perhaps you could stop enemies in their tracks (if you didn't first go blind from squinting at the sky). After Gray's death in 1968, the comic strip continued - but with lackluster reception. Finally, in 1974, the new strips were replaced by reprints of Gray's originals. Then, something extraordinary happened. Annie: The Musical opened on Broadway in 1979, and a whole new generation was smitten. Little girls all over the world wished they were orphans (it did look kind of fun - singing and dancing and making mischief with your friends, no parents to tell you what to do...a far cry from the impact on Depression-era fans!) and plenty of girls with straight brown or blonde hair wanted Annie's curly red locks. Leonard Starr decided to breathe new life into the strip, calling it simply Annie. In February of 2000 Starr retired, and, a few months later, Jay Maeder and Andrew Pepoy took over. Today, a thoroughly modern-looking Annie can still be seen in the funny pages today - though the world will forever associate her with the blank white eyes and red dress of the '20s. Leapin' Lizards!
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