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ry Shortcake doll. Strawberry Shortcake rag dolls began rolling off assembly lines in 1979.
Fahrion said licensers “had to pay money up front for this completely unknown thing except that Bernie Loomis was heading it up and they knew what he did with Star Wars, so they had some faith in that.”
The seed was planted for the creation of the Care Bears when Fahrion’s Strawberry Shortcake squadron visited a teddy bear convention. Fahrion said she and others were developing a “look” for the Care Bears and hers was chosen. She said she created the first six before moving on because she was still busy with Strawberry Shortcake.
Fahrion said she created the Get Along Gang with a writer, Tom Jacobs. “We both liked ‘Our Gang’ comedies, the Little Rascals, back in the day. They are all based on Little Rascals. Some people pick up on it. But it was just like, if they were animals, what would they be?” Fahrion said she worked on the first grouping, and the project was handed to another group for further development.
Having Strawberry Shortcake on a resume has opened doors for Fahrion. She shared this family story: Her daughter is adopted. When the daughter learned Mom was the inventor of Strawberry Shortcake, there was disappointment that it wasn’t the dessert.
Fahrion recalled a 20-foot strawberry shortcake dessert being part of the festivities when the first year of the character was cele- brated at Tavern on the Green in New York’s Central Park. Marvin Hamlisch was playing the piano. Just, wow.
But Fahrion said the biggest, craziest thrill came when she saw an animated version
of Strawberry Shortcake skipping across a screen for the first time. “I had chills,” she said.
Fahrion has taken part in many interviews because of her shared history with you know who. She agreed to an interview for the Brit- ish fashion and culture magazine Lula and found out that, oh by the way, the interviewer was going to be Kirsten Dunst. That Kirsten Dunst? Sure.
“It was supposed to be 15 minutes,” Fahri- on said. “It was 45 minutes. We just had such fun.”
Strawberry Shortcake was first embraced by kids who grew up in the ‘80s, so when Fahrion sees 40-ish women with colored hair, she likes to think she’s seeing Strawberry Shortcake’s impact.
Said Fahrion, “I look at them and go, ‘Oh, you are Raspberry Tart’ or ‘You are Blueberry Muffin.’ Raspberry Tart is funny because it went international, the whole line. And when Raspberry Tart went over to England, they said, ‘We can’t call it Raspberry Tart here because that’s a prostitute here.’”
The name wasn’t changed. Raspberry Tart remained a tart.
Fahrion has immersed herself in several Tulsa arts groups — the Whiteside Portrait Artists and a figure drawing group at Rain- bowland Art Studios and Inkslingers. She said she has “absolutely” found acceptance. She gave herself one day off per week when taking care of her husband, and her Tuesdays
with the Whiteside Portrait Artists helped give her peace of mind.
Asked if she brings up her Strawberry Shortcake past when talking with other artists, she said she plays this game: When there’s a lull in the conversation, she asks, “Would you like to know why I am famous but not rich?”
When they bite, she simply mentions Strawberry Shortcake, the Care Bears and the Get Along Gang. Said Fahrion, “They say, ‘No way!’ And I go, ‘Way!’”
Because of feedback, Fahrion knows Strawberry Shortcake is not an insignificant creation. She has a Patreon account. Patreon. com allows fans to connect and support their favorite creatives. Fahrion said one of her patrons contributes $55 per month. Why would someone do that? The answer was “you saved my childhood.” Fahrion said she loves to hear peoples’ stories. “Stories get to me,” she said.
Fahrion was asked to identify the best thing that has happened to her as a result of creating Strawberry Shortcake.
“I always think recently,” she said. “So,
to me, it’s the people that had (Strawberry Shortcake) as kids, the adults now realize there is an artist behind it. To me, that is like, amazing, meeting the people. I’m a people person.”
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Information from: Tulsa World, http:// www.tulsaworld.com
Discovery says new Chip and Joanna Gaines to debut next year
NEW YORK (AP) — The lifestyle team of Chip and Joanna Gaines will launch their own Discovery-affiliated television network in the summer of 2020.
Discovery CEO David Zaslav an- nounced the Gaines’ channel Wednesday prior to a sales presentation to advertisers. There’s no name yet. It will replace the cur- rent DIY network, which is seen in about 52 million homes in the United States.
No programming was revealed, except
for reruns of “Fixer Upper,” the HGTV se- ries that launched the Gaines’ media career in Waco, Texas. Discovery said topics that will be covered include community, home, garden, food and wellness.
Allison Page, who currently runs HGTV, will be president of the joint venture between Discovery and Magnolia, the Gaines’ company. There are also plans for a dedicated app and subscription streaming service.
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