Strawberry Shortcake Doll Comeback
You may have heard of a recent release of a Strawberry Shortcake movie or the revamped dolls that are stocking toy shelves. However, not many people know that these dolls have been around for decades. Invented in 1979, this doll was originally just a cute character for American Greetings greeting cards, but the character was later developed and expanded into different forms of merchandise including posters, stickers, figurines, songs, clothing, video games, ornaments, TV shows, dolls, and movies. Strawberry Shortcake originally lived in a shortcake in Strawberryland, but in the more recent versions, she lives in a strawberry.
Although Strawberry Shortcake Dolls are making a comeback, nothing beats the original Strawberry Shortcake! Here’s a history of the iconic franchise, starting from when it first came out.
The History of Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake was created by Barbi Sargent during her time as a Freelance artist for American Greetings. The first appearance of Strawberry Shortcake was on a card in 1973, showing a girl holding a daisy. She didn’t have a name at the time and was simply referred to as Girl with a Daisy.
Years later in 1977, Barbi Sargent was encouraged to create more cards of the character wearing an outfit resembling a berry, and out of that came Strawberry Shortcake’s first national appearance. Created for the Mega Test Market (a national test), the illustration depicted an adorable girl wearing a strawberry dress with her pink cat. Fellow American Greetings card illustrator Muriel Fahrion continued Strawberry Shortcake’s growth by contributing concept drawings, and in 1979 Kenner Products toy manufacturer released the first Strawberry Shortcake doll, designed by Muriel Fahrion and Susan Trentel. The ragdoll had freckles, red curls, and a bonnet decorated with strawberries.
Strawberry Shortcake and friends were originally portrayed in the media via animated TV specials and comic series. The original series of Strawberry Shortcake characters were designed by Cindy Mayer Patton and Janet Jones, with Lynn Edwards as the writer of the storyline and character development. Strawberry and friends lived in the magical world of Strawberryland, and each of Strawberry’s friends was named after a food and had clothes and scents to match. Like Strawberry, they each had a pet named after a food, with most of these foods consisting of desserts or fruits. Although the franchise has expanded since then to include many more friends and characters, the originals are still included and are considered vintage now.
Here is a list of the original series characters and their pets in alphabetical order:
Almond Tea (Marza the panda) – Strawberry’s Asian friend from the country of China Cup who is also psychic.
Angel Cake (Souffle the skunk) – a very polite friend who is a harpist and wears a halo-like headband on her head.
Apple Dumplin‘ (Teatime Turtle) – one of the first baby characters who is younger than the others in Strawberryland.
Apricot (Hopsalot the bunny) – another baby character who recently moved to Strawberryland from Big Apple City.
Baby Needs-A-Name (Fig Boot the monster) – another original baby character who is gentle, sweet, and can talk.
Banana Candy – a lesser-known character in the 80s who only showed up in the last TV special, but was known to like dance and movement.
Blueberry Muffin (Cheesecake mouse) – one of Strawberry’s best friends who is an avid reader and intelligent and owns a bookstore called Blueberry Books.
Butter Cookie (Jelly Bear) – another baby character and the second Strawberry character who didn’t have a berry name.
Cafe Ole (Burrito the burro) – a friend from the land of Mexicocoa who is artsy and enjoys weaving and working with clay.
Cherry Cuddler (Gooseberry the goose) – another baby character who is sweet, affectionate, and always hugging and cuddling her friends.
Crepe Suzette (Eclair the poodle) – a friend from France who is a great cook.
Huckleberry Pie (Pupcake the dog) – one of the only friends who is a boy in the series, he is always looking for acceptance from others.
Lem and Ada (Sugar Woofer the dog) – twin brother and sister from England who finish each other’s sentences.
Lemon Meringue (Frappe the frog) – one of the most stylish of the bunch who likes hair styling and pampering herself and others.
Lime Chiffon (Parfait Parrot) – a graceful ballerina with a short attention span who first appeared in the third TV special.
Mint Tulip (Marsh Mallard the duck) – a successful gardener who is sweet and gentle and from Hollandaise.
Orange Blossom (Marmalade the butterfly) – a very loyal and generous friend who typically wears orange clothes and wants those around her to be happy.
Peach Blush (Melonie Belle the lamb) – one of Strawberry’s last friends who didn’t show up until the fifth TV special.
Plum Pudding (Elderberry Owl) – a dancer that is one of the only original Strawberry characters to wear glasses.
The Peculiar Purple Pieman of Porcupine Peak (Captain Cackle the berry bird) – the first villain in the series who is a berry stealer and enthusiastic tap dancer.
Raisin Cane – a character only in the 1985 Strawberry Shortcake Star Comics who is related to Sour Grapes and has no TV special appearance. Originally participating in a plot against Strawberry Shortcake with Sour Grapes and Purple Pieman, she decides she’d rather be Strawberry’s friend instead.
Raspberry Tart (Rhubarb monkey) – originally a bitter and mean character, Raspberry Tart develops into a nice and soft-spoken friend.
Sour Grapes (Dregs the snake) – another villain who is Purple Pieman’s partner, but is much smarter and better at committing crimes compared to Purple Pieman.
Strawberry Shortcake (Custard the cat) – a happy and energetic six-year-old who spends much of her time with her friends or tending to her strawberries.
Mr. Sun – a friendly sun who is a narrator and also a sort of peacemaker of Strawberryland.
T.N. Honey – a British scientist who is the first Strawberry character not named after a berry and the second character to wear glasses.
The Berry Princess – the most human-like appearing character who is tall and takes care of the Berrykins.
The Berrykins – small berry babies in onesies who hide in things and are protected by the Berry Princess.
Strawberry Shortcake Toys from the 80s
The 80s also had very different Strawberry Shortcake toys than what is offered today.
Here is a list of Strawberry Shortcake themed toys from the 80s:
Berry Bake Shoppe – a small strawberry-shaped plastic case that opens up to reveal a strawberry shop with a counter, bowls, spoons, a watering can, pie tins, and strawberry and whipped cream layers.
Garden House (Gazebo) – a white garden house with grapevines that opens up and has hammocks, a table, chairs, stickers, etc.
Carousel/Merry-go-round – a plastic carousel shaped like a large flower that has four seats for Strawberry and her friends to ride.
Blow Kiss Baby Doll – a Strawberry Shortcake-looking baby who blew kisses that smelled like strawberries when squeezing the baby’s belly.
Flitter -Bit the Shortcake Butterfly – a plastic yellow and green butterfly with two seats on its back for dolls to ride. The wheel underneath allows flapping movements of the wings.
Berry-Shaped Carry Case – a handled case shaped like an upside down strawberry with compartments to carry Strawberry Shortcake dolls, clothing, and accessories.
Big Berry Trolley – a strawberry-shaped trolley complete with wheels and a bell to let Strawberry travel.
Snail Cart (with Escargot the Snail) – a plastic cart that is being pulled by a large snail. The cart contains a large strawberry-shaped bowl with strawberry ice cream inside with spoons and bowls for serving.
Maple Stirrup and the Oatsmobile – a horse-drawn carriage that is strawberry themed.
Berry Merry Worm (Philbert Wormly III) – a large worm dressed in orange with a pink top hat and a saddle to carry one doll and two pets in the side baskets.
Berry Happy Home – deluxe furnished dream house with three floors, five rooms, and a balcony.
Strawberry Shortcake television specials from the 80s
The Strawberry Shortcake TV specials were a yearly creation from 1980 to 1985, with many different animators and creators throughout the years including Robert L. Rosen, Romeo Muller, Murakami-Wolf-Swenson, Toei Animation, Nelvana, and Perpetual Motion Pictures of New York. In the earlier versions, Strawberry Shortcake’s voice was depicted by Russi Taylor and narrated and written by Romeo Muller.
Here is a list of the Strawberry Shortcake TV animated specials from the 80s:
The World of Strawberry Shortcake (1980)
Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City (1981)
Strawberry Shortcake: Pets on Parade (1982)
Strawberry Shortcake: Housewarming Surprise (1983)
Strawberry Shortcake and the Baby Without a Name (1984)
Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins (1985)
Conclusion
The Strawberry Shortcake franchise has been revived and reinstated at least once per decade since the time of its creation. Strawberry Shortcake’s comeback is just a testament to how much of a national impact this adorable character made and how successful
