| Uncle Clem | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Uncle Clem |
|
First Appearance |
My Very Own Fairy Stories (1917) |
|
Original Publisher |
Simon & Schuster |
|
Created by |
Johnny Gruelle |
Origin[]
The original inspiration for Clem's design.
Uncle Clem, a kind Scottish soldier doll known as "the Scotch Doll", was created by Johnny Gruelle and first appeared in My Very Own Fairy Stories in 1917. He would go on to make numerous appearances in the Raggedy Ann books, starting with "Raggedy Ann Stories" in 1918. Later on, he was given a bigger role in 1927's "Wooden Willie" alongside Beloved Belindy.
He is also known as Percy the Policeman in some stories, being the same doll in different clothes after repairs.
The inspiration for Clem came from an old Scottish doll manufactured in the early 20th century. The doll itself had much more realistic proportions, a lankier build, and fuzz for hair instead of the brown yarn hair that Clem has.
In My Very Own Fairy Stories, Clem gets chewed up by Marcella's dog, Fritzie. Marcella's dad fixes him, but he returns as Percy the Policeman. His shoe-button eyes are swapped out for glass blue ones, and he's dressed in a police officer's uniform. Both Clem and Percy would go on to appear in the Raggedy Ann books, and are often seen together as the series progressed and lost continuity.
Public Domain Book Appearances[]
- My Very Own Fairy Stories (1917)
- Raggedy Ann Stories (1918)
- Raggedy Andy Stories (1920)
- Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees (1924)
- Wooden Willie (1927)
- Marcella: A Raggedy Ann Story (1929)
Notes[]
- According to an early lead sheet from composer Joe Raposo, both Clem and Henny were included in an early version of the song "I'm No Girl's Toy" from Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure, suggesting that the two were intended to be included in the movie before being replaced by new characters