Little Audrey (full name: Audrey Smith ) is a fictional character, appearing in early 20th century comics prior to starring in a series of Paramount Pictures ' Famous Studios cartoons from 1947 to 1958. She was devised after Paramount decided not to renew the license on Little Lulu , the comic strip character created by Marjorie Henderson Buell (a.k.a. "Marge"). Despite some superficial similarities between the two characters, the Famous animators were at pains to design Audrey in contrast to Lulu, adopting an entirely different color scheme and employing the stylistic conventions common to Famous Studios' later 1940s repertoire, as opposed to Buell's individualistic rendering of Little Lulu. Veteran animator Bill Tytla was the designer of Little Audrey, reportedly inspired by his daughter Tammy (who was also his inspiration for Famous' version of Little Lulu, on which he also worked and for which he directed several shorts). The original voice of Little Lulu was performed by actress Cecil Roy (who also provided the voice of Casper the Friendly Ghost ). Little Audrey was, instead, voiced by Mae Questel , who also voiced most of Paramount's other major female cartoon characters, including Betty Boop and Olive Oyl from the Popeye cartoons.
41-544: 37°48′41″S 145°00′39″E / 37.8113°S 145.0108°E / -37.8113; 145.0108 The Skipping Girl Sign or Skipping Girl Vinegar Sign , colloquially known as Little Audrey is an historic animated neon sign in the inner Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford , and was possibly the first animated neon sign in Australia when first erected in 1936. It advertised the Skipping Girl Vinegar brand, and
82-615: A contemporary adult female jogger. Melbourne indie pop group Skipping Girl Vinegar named themselves after the sign, stating "We love her, she's part of Melbourne, and an authentic old world pop icon." She is also referenced by another Melbourne band, My Friend the Chocolate Cake , in their song "It's All in the Way". On 1 September 2015 the Skipping Girl Sign was featured on a series of stamps commissioned by Australia Post . The series
123-579: A friend named Bubu. The first several issues of the comic book also reveals she has a brother nicknamed "Patches". While the jokes remained popular well into the 1980s, the Famous/Harvey character had an entirely different career: Little Audrey was going to have a cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit , but rights to the character could not be obtained in time. Animation historian Jerry Beck notes that Famous Studios ' animator Steve Muffatti drew
164-499: A heroin overdose. Duffy & Snellgrove commissioned Melbourne writer and musician Edwina Preston to produce the first biography; Howard Arkley: Not Just A Suburban Boy was published in 2002. The National Library of Australia describes the book; "Arkley's work has been compared to a visual equivalent of the monologues of Barry Humphries. Arkley was also a wild man. This concise account describes his artistic breakthroughs, his relationship with Nick Cave and The Birthday Party , and
205-447: A little dress with puffed sleeves, white ankle socks, and black Mary Jane shoes. In the short subjects, the dress and ribbons are blue, but by the time of her Harvey Comics runs, they are red. In Harvey Street Kids , she wears a pink shirt with jeans. The comic "Cousin Suzie's Dance Party" ( Little Audrey and Melvin #29, March 1967) reveals that Audrey has a cousin named Suzie, who has
246-516: A pet, but she cannot afford one. At the zoo, she tries to get a baby kangaroo and seal, but their mothers will not let her. Audrey then befriends a lion, who scares away the townspeople. Howard Arkley Howard Arkley (5 May 1951 – 22 July 1999) was an Australian artist. He is known for his airbrushed paintings of Melbourne suburbia. After seeing exhibitions of works by Melbourne artists Sidney Nolan and John Brack , Arkley developed an interest in art. Nolan's use of household materials
287-571: A short-lived "Little Audrey" comic strip for magazines in 1951, which were syndicated by King Features . These strips were also reprinted in 1952-55 by Harvey Comics . Little Audrey was never as successful as Famous ' best-known creation, Casper the Friendly Ghost , but the character had considerable success in printed form. The first Little Audrey comic book series was St. John Publications from April 1948 to May 1952. Featuring stories which depended more on situation comedy than on fantasy,
328-462: A skipping girl is a skipping rhyme, usually "salt, vinegar, mustard, pepper, if I dare, I can do better..." to which the rope would be spun faster. In 1938, the company promoted its product with a girls' skipping competition. In the 1950s, Nycander & Co was taken over by direct competitors Mauri Brothers & Thompson, resulting in closure of the Abbotsford works in the mid-1960s. When the building
369-718: A subsidiary of NBCUniversal , and distributed by Universal Television . Meanwhile, the Popeye cartoon Olive Oyl for President would become property of Warner Bros. (via Turner Entertainment Co. ), and distributed by Warner Bros. Television . Audrey is one of the three (later four) main characters in the DreamWorks Animation Television 's animated series Harvey Street Kids , which was re-titled Harvey Girls Forever! in its second season. Little Audrey has been modernized, as her classic outfit has been replaced by more contemporary clothing. She also has brown hair, which
410-521: A telescope from a Boy's Own Annual , and memories he shared with his girlfriend Lisa Craswell (d.1987). Speaking of this work in 1996, Arkley recalled: "Lisa Craswell and I used to go there [to the Skipping Girl] together and talk about our childhoods. It would be one or two in the morning, lonely and cold. 'Suicide' was inspired by a nice childhood experience. But it was like the end of my childhood. When Lisa died in 1987, it became for her." This work from
451-557: A wedding in Cakeland ( Tarts and Flowers , 1950), ride the clouds with Mother Goose ( Goofy Goofy Gander , also 1950), or face an underwater tribunal of outraged catfish ( The Seapreme Court , 1954). Slapstick humor crept into the series with the release of Surf Bored (1953), which pitted the precocious little girl against a hulking, but ultimately brainless, lifeguard. A total of 16 cartoons starring Audrey were produced for theatrical release, several of which were re-packaged for television from
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#1732859224893492-495: Is a cartoon character about whom thousands of nonsensical short tales during the past five or six years — have been told. Sometimes Little Audrey parades as Little Emma or Little Gertrude, but she usually is recognizable by a catch phrase 'she just laughed and laughed'. The amusing incident is typically a catastrophe. One of the most famous goes like this: One day, Li'l Audrey was playing with matches. Her mother told her she'd better stop before someone got hurt. But Li'l Audrey
533-591: Is more akin to the comics, as opposed to having red hair, like in the theatrical shorts. Unlike her comic-book counterpart, Audrey is tomboy-ish and energetic. She is voiced by Stephanie Lemelin . Some of her companions from the comics, like Melvin Wisenheimer, Tiny, and Lucretia also appeared in Harvey Girls Forever! Little Audrey' s last name is Smith. Little Audrey has reddish brown hair with ribbons making three pigtails (two low and one high). She wears
574-475: Is sincere about her turning over a new leaf (even after she destroys the rifle) until the baby bird proves it. When Audrey is sitting in the corner for not paying attention in school, unlike the other kids in the class; she magically shrinks, then Audrey dreams that Mother Goose Land is about to be threatened by a couple of comic book crooks from the Phony Funnies comic book she was reading. Audrey really wants
615-455: The Nylex Clock in 1961), employed by Electric Signs, later called Whitewall Neon, then Claude Neon (after Georges Claude ). As was usual practice, Electric Signs built and operated the sign, for which Nycander paid an annual rent. The sign advertising their "Skipping Girl" brand of vinegar was immediately popular, becoming a well loved landmark. The origin of the connection between vinegar and
656-535: The 1999 Venice Biennale , then travelled to London to plan an album cover for Nick Cave. Following London, he flew to Los Angeles , where his exhibition at the Karen Lovegrove Gallery was a sell-out. They then drove to Las Vegas where he married his partner Alison Burton on 15 July. (It was his third marriage; he had previously been married to Elizabeth Gower and Christine Johnston.) They returned to Melbourne on 19 July, and on 22 July 1999, he died of
697-505: The Melbourne made-for-television film 'Bachelor Girl' (1987, dir. Rivka Hartmann) the sign features in a scene in which heroine Dot Bloom cycles past late at night. The Skipping Girl Vinegar sign features in Australian artist Howard Arkley 's (1951-1999) 'Suicide' (1983, acrylic on canvas, 160cmx120cm) drawing on imagery from Arkley's childhood; the neon Skipping Girl Vinegar sign, an image of
738-525: The appearance of motion. Skipping Girl brand vinegar was produced by the Nycander & Co, established by Swedish immigrant and prominent bacteriologist, Oscar Emile Nycander (1859-1927), who established Australia's first yeast manufactory and vinegar brewery. The large Nycander factory housed 17 fermentation vats, each with a capacity of 35,000 gallons, The sign was designed in 1936 for the Nycander factory premises by artist Jim Minogue (who would go on to build
779-699: The artist's prime period featured posthumously in 'Howard Arkley Retrospective' at the National Gallery of Victoria, 17 November 2006 - 25 February 2007. When Melbourne's Southbank complex opened on the Yarra River southern frontage in September 1992, Robin Best's neon work 'Running Girl' was chosen for temporary installation atop the pedestrian bridge that joins Southbank with Flinders Street station . The work refers nostalgically to 'Little Audrey', but transforms her into
820-430: The base of the sign. Little Audrey was taken down for repairs by Delta Neon on 23 March 2009, and placed back on its perch on 10 June of the same year. In 2012, AGL announced that power would be provided by 27 solar panels on the roof of the building under their 100% GreenPower energy plan. On 13 February 2020 the media reported that the strata title holders of the former Crusader Plate factory had banded together to sell
861-506: The building. While there is a 'Discretionary' 18m height limit on the site due to the Yarra River Corridor protection zone (in place since 2017), and the building itself is heritage listed, this may result in extra floors on the building and the sign being moved higher up. 1973 LP album Country Girl (RCA) features the track Skipping Girl written by Barry Humphries and sung by Australian folk singer Shirley Jacobs (1927—2015). In
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#1732859224893902-403: The comics featured artwork done in a style approximating the original Famous character designs (most of them by Steve Muffati). The series met with moderate success on the newsstand, running for approximately 24 issues until Little Audrey was licensed by Harvey Comics in 1952. Initially, Harvey's comic-book version closely followed its animated template, but the character was redesigned during
943-596: The heroin which killed him soon after his talent was recognised around the world. It is the fascinating story of a highly gifted artist who took suburbia seriously." The National Gallery of Victoria opened a retrospective, Howard Arkley , in November 2006 at the Ian Potter Centre , coinciding with the launch of Carnival in Suburbia: The Art of Howard Arkley , a book written by his brother-in-law Dr John Gregory ,
984-414: The late 1950s on. She was the only character in the series to have her own theme song with vocals ("Little Audrey Says", by Winston Sharples and Buddy Kaye ). Some other characters (and certain one-shots) in the series had their own themes, but were entirely instrumental. Two Noveltoons spin-offs, Casper the Friendly Ghost and Herman and Katnip , had their own vocal themes, but only after leaving
1025-472: The mid-1950s to conform more closely to the company's in-house style. The general storyline was simultaneously overhauled to provide Audrey with supporting characters such as Melvin Wisenheimer , her prankish arch-enemy/frenemy, and Tiny , an imaginative and eager but somewhat insecure young African American boy. Domestic comedy gradually took over the scripts, as Audrey was shown in conflict with parents, teachers, and other authority figures. Harvey purchased
1066-524: The original had been sold, a smaller, updated version was built and placed on the roof of the electroplating factory at 651 Victoria Street in 1970. The 1970 version was listed by the National Trust in 2000, and has also been listed on the Victorian Heritage Register . The sign was illuminated until 2002 when the sign's owners (by then the owners of the building) decided to cease funding of
1107-469: The power and maintenance required for operation. In May 2008 an appeal was launched for public donations to restore the sign by the National Trust , at the instigation of the group 'Friends of Audrey', and with the cooperation of the sign's owners (the owners of the building), Spring & Parks Pty Ltd. The appeal attracted energy company AGL Energy , who ultimately paid for most of the restoration, power and ongoing repairs in return for advertising space at
1148-518: The rights to all of Famous' original properties - Little Audrey included - in 1958, also acquiring the rights to the post-1950 Audrey cartoons. It was during this time that the "definitive" Audrey came into being, taking on the signature red dress and appearance most often associated with the character. By 1960, Little Audrey was the best known of Harvey's female characters due to her multi-media presence (comic books, television/theatrical animation and - briefly - newspaper strips), although her popularity
1189-401: The series unless otherwise noted. Credited directors for each short are noted. Audrey appears briefly in a sequence where she is seen pushing a baby carriage while licking a gigantic ice cream cone nestled inside of it. Audrey is enjoying her air rifle until she shoots down a baby bird and is filled with remorse, then she sees that it survived. The other birds, however, do not believe that she
1230-431: The series. For Little Audrey , the pre-October 1950 cartoons were sold to television distributor U.M. & M. TV Corporation in 1956, which in turn would be acquired by National Telefilm Associates the following year. The post-October 1950 cartoons would be sold to Harvey Comics , when they acquired the rights to the character in 1959. Today, they are the property of DreamWorks Animation (via DreamWorks Classics ),
1271-586: Was a back-up feature in Richie Rich , Casper , and Little Dot . The character lasted until 1976, when an industry-wide distribution slump brought an end to most of Harvey's line and most children's comics in general. Since that time, the character has undergone several revivals and made scattered television and video appearances, most notably in The Richie Rich Show (1996) and Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure (1998). All cartoons listed are entries in
Skipping Girl Sign - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-524: Was asleep, and was briefly seen in the January 1948 Popeye cartoon Olive Oyl for President . Her first appearance in her own series was the short Butterscotch and Soda , released on July 16, 1948. In common with many animated shorts of the period, childlike fantasy played an important role in Audrey's early cartoons, which often used dream sequences as the basis of the storylines. In this way, Audrey could attend
1353-478: Was awfully hard headed and kept playing with matches, and eventually she burned their house down. "Oh, Li'l Audrey, you are sure gonna catch it when your father comes home!" said her mother. But Li'l Audrey just laughed and laughed, because she knew her father had come home early to take a nap. Pierre Berton , in The Dionne Years: A Thirties Melodrama (1978), offers this example of a Little Audrey joke as
1394-777: Was called "Signs Of The Times" and was one of three signs to be highlighted. The other two signs were the "Dandy" Pig sign in Dandenong and the Pink Poodle Motel Sign in Surfers Paradise in Queensland. Little Audrey Prior to her adoption by Famous in 1947, Little Audrey had a long career in cartoons but of a series of mostly slapstick gags, some going as far back as the First World War . According to B.A. Botkin 's A Treasury of American Folktales : Little Audrey
1435-477: Was demolished in 1968 the sign was removed. Neon Electric attempted to reacquire 'Little Audrey', but the demolition company Whelan the Wrecker claimed ownership and sold it to CE Haywwood , a used car dealership. Following public outcry, John (Jack) Benjamin, director of the nearby electroplating factory Crusader Plate, worked with the local council to acquire and reinstate the sign on his company's own roof. Since
1476-579: Was in 1981 when he created Primitive , a mural, which caught the attention of the public. In 1982 he painted a tram for the Victorian Ministry of the Arts. One of his first pieces, "Le que", was noted in the Fine Arts Falls Collection in 1973. Craftsman House issued the first monograph; Ashley Crawford's Spray: The Work of Howard Arkley in 1997; a revised edition by Crawford and Ray Edgar
1517-553: Was in fashion around the time of the Dionne quintuplets ' birth in 1934: Little Audrey's mother asks her to buy some groceries at the Safeway , and she laughed and laughed because she knew there was no safe way. Audrey first appeared in the Noveltoon Santa's Surprise (1947), where she was the most prominent member of a multicultural child cast working to clean Santa's workshop while he
1558-611: Was later eclipsed by the company's other female characters, Little Dot , Wendy the Good Little Witch and Little Lotta . Later comic series were titled Playful Little Audrey (the name under which the character had been trademarked in 1961) and Little Audrey & Melvin . In the latter, Audrey and Melvin become less antagonistic and Audrey demonstrates affections for and jealousy towards him, much like Little Lulu had done with Tubby Tompkins. During her most successful period, Audrey starred in at least four of her own titles and
1599-631: Was particularly inspirational, as was the abstract art Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky . Arkley studied at Prahran College of Advanced Education from 1969 to 1972, where he discovered the airbrush, which he subsequently used in his paintings as he desired smooth surfaces. He staged his first exhibition, aged 24, at Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne, in 1975. Most of his early works were abstract, often depicting patterns or lines created with airbrush. Arkley's works were initially black and white, then he began experimenting with colour. A turning point in Arkley's career
1640-420: Was placed on top of the factory at 627 Victoria Street, Abbotsford. Removed in 1968, a reproduction was placed on a nearby factory at 651 Victoria Street in 1970 following a public outcry. The sign consists of a painted metal structure outlined in neon tubing depicting a little girl skipping rope . At night the sign's outlines are illuminated, the skipping rope being displayed in four sequential positions to give
1681-448: Was published in 2001. The National Library of Australia explains; "This revised and updated edition explores Howard Arkley's influences and the milieu which nurtured and inspired him - from punk music and feminism to the exuberant art scene of the 1980s. Spray examines his work from its early development through abstraction, the gradual move to figurative iconography, into figuration and landscape." Arkley opened his final exhibition at