The Orginal Mr. Potato Head And His Origins

June 10, 2022

Girl playing with Mr. Potato Head in 1953. Picture Post / Getty Images

When you say Mr. Potato Head today, many people immediately think of the “Toy Story'' character voiced by Don Rickles. However, Mr. Potato Head dates back to the ‘50s. Inventor George Lerner’s idea of decorating real potatoes with plastic parts was met with alarm over its wasteful conceit. Lerner’s ludicrous potato suggestion came during WWII when food rations fell steeply.

Nevertheless, the inventor parlayed a Mr. Potato Head cereal deal into a lifetime toy that eventually landed the starch-based trinket in the Toy Hall of Fame (yes, we’re surprised there is one too). Here’s the history of Mr. Potato Head from carbohydrate to film star.

The potato that kept on giving.

Youthful Exuberance

Mr. Potato Head came into being thanks to the childhood pursuits of Lerner along with his sisters. Together they decorated all sorts of vegetables with a litany of trappings. So although WWII dampened his spirits slightly, he eventually found a cereal company willing to pay him $5000 to distribute his plastic parts as collectibles items in their product. Luckily for Mr. Potato Head a toy manufacturer called the Hassenfeld Brothers, which went on to become Hasbro, saw enormous potential in the customizable carbohydrate.