orig. Alfred Gerald Caplin
born Sept. 28, 1909, New Haven, Conn., U.S.
died Nov. 5, 1979, New Haven, Conn.
U.S. cartoonist.
He studied landscape architecture before turning to cartooning. His comic strip Li'l Abner first appeared in the New York Mirror in 1934 and was soon being syndicated throughout the country. Set in the backwoods community of Dogpatch, U.S.A., it featured Li'l Abner, a shy, awkward woodsman; Daisy Mae, a persistent maiden who succeeded in catching Abner after a 17-year pursuit; and a host of colourful characters.