The Lou Gehrig Huskies Club
aviation heroes from Jimmie Allen and Captain Midnight to Speed Gibson were used
to promote products and capture the imaginations of kids all over. But
fictitious heroes weren’t the only ones kids looked up to. In fact, did you know
that one of the most popular clubs of the day was The Huskies Club – and their
president and main spokesman was none other than baseball legend Lou Gehrig? The
Huskies Club was developed to promote Post’s “Huskies” Whole Wheat Flakes Cereal
– and what better way to get kids to eat those “crisp, crunchy, golden-brown
flakes” than to have the original Iron Man of baseball touting their goodness?
In 1937, Lou Gehrig was at the peak of his career as the star first
baseman for the New York Yankees – and kids everywhere wanted to be just like
him. So, if Lou ate a big bowl of Huskies every morning, naturally kids all over
America would want to do the same. Plus, Huskies were full of essential vitamins
and nutrients – including phosphorus for strong bones and teeth, iron for
healthy blood, carbohydrates for energy and proteins for muscle – meaning Mother
had no problem buying box after box of the fantastic flakes.
As with any
club worth its weight in wheat, The Huskies Club also had plenty of premiums to
give away to members. The bronze embossed Huskies Club Membership Pin could be
yours in exchange for one box top and one coupon – along with the Huskies Club
Catalog – the door to 41 different free gifts available only to members. There
were baseballs, sweatshirts, caps, mitts, and, perhaps best of all, the Huskies
Club Ring: a glorious ring with a 24-carat gold finish that was embossed with
the same insignia as the club pin. And all you needed was three box tops!
The advertisement pictured here shows just how easy it was to be a part
of The Huskies Club – with Lou Gehrig introducing the club to the “Maple Street
Gang”. The Gang, with the inspiration of Lou and visions of free baseball
equipment fueling them, collects box tops from family and neighbors and is seen,
in the last panel, enjoying their prizes. So, not only did The Huskies Club
serve as an outstanding way to sell cereal and merchandise, it also promoted one
of baseball’s most beloved figures while bringing kids together in a way that
was actually good for them. And while Lou Gehrig was the club’s primary
spokesman, Frankie Frisch of the St. Louis Cardinals and Olympic Swimming
Champion Helene Madison were also promoters of the club – so boys and
girls would want to be a part of the fun. Which is just swell by us.
oved and enduring characters. <br><br>The strip that
resulted from Capp’s decision was none other than <i>Li’l Abner</i>, and it
first came onto the scene in 1934 (with the first Sunday pages published in
1935). Capp’s lovable bunch of hillbillies all living happily in the land of
Dogpatch included the likes of Daisy Mae, Mammy and Pappy Yokum, Marryin’ Sam,
Sadie Hawkins, Sir Cecil and Lady Cesspool, Hairless Joe, Lonesome Polecat, and
of course, Fearless Fosdick, the irresistible Shmoos (see past <i>Scoops </i>for
more - we can’t get enough of those little blobs!) and so many more. Capp put
just as much effort into the development of his main characters as he did his
supporting characters, crafting a variety of different (and hilarious)
personalities that lent an excitement to every facet of life in Dogpatch.
Through the years, it’s easy to trace these characters and watch their evolution
not only as they grow from young to old, but also as their moods, ideals and
values change with the times (and with Capp’s changing stances on issues of the
day). <br><br>These characters were utterly unique and became immensely popular,
and, injected with Capp’s brilliant social and political satire, they were a
perfect sign of their times. From just after the Great Depression to beyond the
end of the Vietnam War, <i>Li’l Abner </i>was an undeniable part of popular
culture. United Features Syndicate sold it to hundreds of newspapers from the
start, and hundreds more kept being added. The popularity of the strip grew and
grew, multiplying at an almost Shmoo-like rate. Soon, it reached a circulation
of 60,000,000 - and then Capp did the unthinkable. He managed to gain control of
his strip from United Features at a time
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The Lou Gehrig Huskies Club
aviation heroes from Jimmie Allen and Captain Midnight to Speed Gibson were used
to promote products and capture the imaginations of kids all over. But
fictitious heroes weren’t the only ones kids looked up to. In fact, did you know
that one of the most popular clubs of the day was The Huskies Club – and their
president and main spokesman was none other than baseball legend Lou Gehrig? The
Huskies Club was developed to promote Post’s “Huskies” Whole Wheat Flakes Cereal
– and what better way to get kids to eat those “crisp, crunchy, golden-brown
flakes” than to have the original Iron Man of baseball touting their goodness?
In 1937, Lou Gehrig was at the peak of his career as the star first
baseman for the New York Yankees – and kids everywhere wanted to be just like
him. So, if Lou ate a big bowl of Huskies every morning, naturally kids all over
America would want to do the same. Plus, Huskies were full of essential vitamins
and nutrients – including phosphorus for strong bones and teeth, iron for
healthy blood, carbohydrates for energy and proteins for muscle – meaning Mother
had no problem buying box after box of the fantastic flakes.
As with any
club worth its weight in wheat, The Huskies Club also had plenty of premiums to
give away to members. The bronze embossed Huskies Club Membership Pin could be
yours in exchange for one box top and one coupon – along with the Huskies Club
Catalog – the door to 41 different free gifts available only to members. There
were baseballs, sweatshirts, caps, mitts, and, perhaps best of all, the Huskies
Club Ring: a glorious ring with a 24-carat gold finish that was embossed with
the same insignia as the club pin. And all you needed was three box tops!
The advertisement pictured here shows just how easy it was to be a part
of The Huskies Club – with Lou Gehrig introducing the club to the “Maple Street
Gang”. The Gang, with the inspiration of Lou and visions of free baseball
equipment fueling them, collects box tops from family and neighbors and is seen,
in the last panel, enjoying their prizes. So, not only did The Huskies Club
serve as an outstanding way to sell cereal and merchandise, it also promoted one
of baseball’s most beloved figures while bringing kids together in a way that
was actually good for them. And while Lou Gehrig was the club’s primary
spokesman, Frankie Frisch of the St. Louis Cardinals and Olympic Swimming
Champion Helene Madison were also promoters of the club – so boys and
girls would want to be a part of the fun. Which is just swell by us.
oved and enduring characters. <br><br>The strip that
resulted from Capp’s decision was none other than <i>Li’l Abner</i>, and it
first came onto the scene in 1934 (with the first Sunday pages published in
1935). Capp’s lovable bunch of hillbillies all living happily in the land of
Dogpatch included the likes of Daisy Mae, Mammy and Pappy Yokum, Marryin’ Sam,
Sadie Hawkins, Sir Cecil and Lady Cesspool, Hairless Joe, Lonesome Polecat, and
of course, Fearless Fosdick, the irresistible Shmoos (see past <i>Scoops </i>for
more - we can’t get enough of those little blobs!) and so many more. Capp put
just as much effort into the development of his main characters as he did his
supporting characters, crafting a variety of different (and hilarious)
personalities that lent an excitement to every facet of life in Dogpatch.
Through the years, it’s easy to trace these characters and watch their evolution
not only as they grow from young to old, but also as their moods, ideals and
values change with the times (and with Capp’s changing stances on issues of the
day). <br><br>These characters were utterly unique and became immensely popular,
and, injected with Capp’s brilliant social and political satire, they were a
perfect sign of their times. From just after the Great Depression to beyond the
end of the Vietnam War, <i>Li’l Abner </i>was an undeniable part of popular
culture. United Features Syndicate sold it to hundreds of newspapers from the
start, and hundreds more kept being added. The popularity of the strip grew and
grew, multiplying at an almost Shmoo-like rate. Soon, it reached a circulation
of 60,000,000 - and then Capp did the unthinkable. He managed to gain control of
his strip from United Features at a time






