In my short story, “The Inventor,” I creep inside the head of the person who I imagine created Mr. Potato Head. Researching the real origins of popular toys from my childhood, I discovered that the Slinky was invented accidentally by a naval engineer, Richard James, who was designing a device to secure equipment to rocking ships. While experimenting, he dropped a coil of wire and watched it roll end-over-end across the floor. Instead of thinking “Oops,” he thought, “This would make an interesting toy.” His wife Betty came up with the name Slinky, meaning “sleek or sinuous in its movements.” Richard perfected the materials and dimensions, and the toy was a hit in the stores where they demonstrated it. Richard was granted a patent in 1947, but in 1960, he left his family (slunk off) to join a religious cult. Betty, with six children to support, took over the business and masterminded the toy’s marketing into a national craze and then a perennial favorite. Slinky was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000. An estimated 400 million have been sold to date. Learn more about my SHORT STORIES, including where their ideas originate, and see BEHIND THE STORY to discover other interesting facts I’ve uncovered while researching them.
