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.

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.

Moving On Up

Hasbro thought so much of Mr. Potato Head that it bought out the cereal company for $2,000 and purchased the rights for another $5000 with Lerner receiving 5% of royalties. In today’s money that’s just over $75,000, a bargain for what lay ahead.

On May 1, 1952, Mr. Potato Head debuted for just $0.98 ($10.69 today). The kit featured hands, feet, two pairs of eyes, two mouths, ears, four noses, three hats, eyeglasses, a pipe, and eight felt attachments that vaguely resembled facial hair. As popularity grew, the set expanded to over 50 additional pieces. Mr. Potato Head, for decomposition reasons, did not include a real potato.

The Big Time

As with all superstars, a raise to fame always requires a stroke of luck. For Mr. Potato Head, that luck came in the form of a paradigm-shifting commercial. Previous to the spring of ‘52 no toy had ever been marketed directly to the children, rather to the money-holding adults. Rather naively, marketing executives believed that they needed to grab the minds of the parents instead of the kids.

That all changed when Mr. Potato Head landed on television sets, begging for attention from youngsters everywhere. Within just a year over 1 million sets were sold and marketing agencies learned a valuable lesson. The incessant whining of a child cajoling for a toy works far more effectively than any slick ad campaign.

Mr. Potato Head Gets A Make-Over

Kids began getting too attached to their beloved toy, the potatoes inevitably rotted, and government regulations regarding toy sizes came into play. Mr. Potato Head needed what all stars require at some point: a makeover. To get around government requirements of size and sharpness, Hasbro was forced to ditch the build-on-a real-potato idea.

The plastic Mr. Potato Body that they issued doubled him in size. The changes also radically altered Hasbro’s costs but they ensured that their star could remain relevant long enough for that last big hit that would catapult him into the hall of legends.

Icon Status

Ultimately it was the quintessential movie deal with “Toy Story'' that solidified his place in the Toy Hall of Fame. According to Craig Good, a Pixar employee, movie producer Ralph Guggenheim spoke at length with Mr. Potato Head's lawyer before agreeing to the first movie. Good described the negotiations as "touch and go" until “Toy Story” managed to earn the services of the one and only Mr. Potato Head.