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papers. In 1933, he became ''ghost" artist for several cartoonists, at one time working on three major comic strips. Capp grew restless. Once more, he set out for New York.
HE looked up an old landlady of his, a Mrs. Ford, who had confidence in Capp s ability. She staked him to rent on the cuff, and slipped him a dollar a day, besides, for coffee and carfare. It was while Capp was walking along a New York street one day that his big break came. Under his arm he carried a package, wrapped in blue paper. A smartly dressed man and woman drove up alongside the dejected Capp and stopped him.
"I'd like to make a bet with you," said the man. "I'll bet you have rejected cartoons under your arm."
"I'm not fixed to pay off any bets," said Capp. "If it makes you feel any better, you're right." Capp walked on.
"Wait!" the man called after him. "Don't get angry. I'm Ham Fisher," he said. "I draw Joe Palooka. You look like you could use a ten spot."
"You kidding?" asked the astonished Capp.
"No," said Fisher. "Just finish a Sunday page for me."
Capp did. When that job was completed, he was offered a job as Fisher's assistant.
"To Ham Fisher I owe all my success," admits Capp, reflectively.
Capp did the lettering for Fisher's cartoons for five months. The experience proved valuable. Later, the association was to cause a permanent rift between the two cartoonists.
August, 1951
When Fisher went on a two weeks vacation, leaving Capp in charge, a new character appeared in the strip — an earthly, gangling rube called Big Leviticus. Capp said the idea was his; Fisher said the character belonged to him. Fisher fired Capp. Capp said, as long as he was fired, he had a right to take along his idea. Fisher says his ex-aide stole the idea for Li'l Abner from him. Capp maintains he got the idea from his hitch-hiking trip down south. The two cartoonists do not speak to each other.
Actually, neither Capp nor Fisher were over-original in introducing a hillbilly to the American public. George Luks was already sketching hillbilly comics for the late New York World in the early 1900's.
Capp went back to his room at Mrs. Ford's. He had the urge to do a feature of his own. But, at first, he could not think of anything to work on. It looked as though he would never get anywhere with his art. Then, one day, from the courtyard below, a radio started blaring out some hillbilly music.
"That's it!" Capp cried. "A hillbilly!"
Frantically, he dug into an old packing box and withdrew the sketch of the hillbilly he had drawn many years before. From this sketch the comic strip Li'l Abner was born. Li'l Abner is a handsome 19-year-old, precocious youth with an impressive physique, a shock of black hair, naive manner and honesty to a degree. There, also, was born Mammy Yokum with poke bonnet and pipe, calico dress with leg o' mutton sleeves, and high button shoes. And Pappy Yokum,