During his one-man fine art exhibition at the New York Cultural Center in 1975, Al Capp was cited as the first professional cartoonist to transpose his images to the "fine arts" realm of paintings and graphics. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1909, he studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Al Capp's comic strip, "Li'l Abner," begun in 1934, was syndicated in 900 newspapers. "Li'l Abner" has been recognized as one of the most influential comic strips, and his characters Li'l Abner, Daisy Mae, Mammy and Pappy Yokum are now part of American folklore. His creation, "Sadie Hawkins Day," at one time was a well-observed unofficial American holiday. Capp was also a columnist for the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS and had a syndicated radio and TV program. He also wrote the successful Broadway play, "Li'l Abner." America lost one of its most astute social critics when Al Capp died in 1979.