Mr. Potato Head

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Mr. Potato Head

Mr Potato Head was invented in 1949 and began to be manufactured and sold by Hasbro in 1952. One of Mr. Potato Head's claims to fame is that, on April 30, 1952, he was the first toy to be advertised on television. This simple toy consists of a plastic model of a potato which can be decorated with a variety of attachable plastic parts such as ears and eyes to make a face.

Mr Potato Head has remained in production since its debut. The original toy was joined by Mrs. Potato Head and Baby Potato Head. Accessories such as a car, boat, a boat trailer and other items have been created over the years.

The original Hasbro toy cost $.98, and included a styrofoam head, a body, hands, feet, ears, two mouths, two pairs of eyes, four noses, three hats, eyeglasses, a pipe, and 8 felt pieces resembling facial hair. Over one million kwere sold in the first year.

Mrs. Potato Head was added in 1953. Brother Spud and Sister Yam later completed the Potato Head family. Pets, called Spud-ettes became part of the collection and more accessories continued to be added including a a kitchen set and a stroller.

Though originally produced as separate plastic parts to be stuck into a real potato, a plastic potato was added to the kit in 1964.

The character has appeared in film and on television. In 1995, Mr Potato Head appeared in the Disney film Toy Story, voiced by Don Rickles and, later, in Toy Story 2.

In 1985, Mr Potato Head played a supporting role in Potato Head Kids, his first dramatic television appearance. In 1998-1999, he had his own short-lived Fox Kids series, The Mr. Potato Head Show. In addition to film and television, the character has been the subject of a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Cartoonist Gary Larsen has included the character in several of his The Far Side cartoons.

Mrs. Potato Head sings a Christmas song

In 2006, Hasbro began selling individual pieces as sets to add to a collection instead of having to buy an entire Potato Head set with a body. Some of these themed sets included Mermaid, Rockstar, Pirate, King, Princess, Firefighter, Construction Worker, Halloween, Santa Claus, Chef, and Police Officer.

In the same year, Hasbro introduced a line called "Sports Spuds" with a generic plastic potato (smaller than the standard size) customized to a wide variety of professional and collegiate teams.

In recent years, Hasbro has produced Potato Head sets based on media properties that Hasbro produces toys for under license. These include the Star Wars-themed "Darth Tater", "Spud Trooper" and "R2-POTATOO", a 2007 Transformers film-themed "Optimash Prime", a Spider-Man-themed "Spider-Spud/Peter Tater", a Indiana Jones-themed "Taters of the Lost Ark" set (which, despite the title, was released as a tie-in to 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) and a Trick or Tater Version for Halloween in October 2008.

Fun Mr. Potato Head Sites

Mr. Potato Head Collectors Page

Little People Meet Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Spuds Travels

Mr. Potato Head Gallery

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