Are Ken and Barbie based on real people?
Barbie was based on a German doll called Lilli. The doll was based on the character of a prostitute in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beauthin first sold in 1955. The character was known for her shapely looks. The doll was marketed to adult men in bars and tobacco shops, not to children. Ruth Hadlers (Co founder of Mattel) daughter Barbara, got a hold of Lilli the doll and liked it very much. Finally in 1958, Barbie Millicent Roberts (named after Barbara her daughter) was born 11 1/2 inches tall and weighing 11 ounces. She debuted as a teenage model in a black and white striped swimsuit that came with sunglasses, high-heeled shoes, and gold-colored hoop earrings. Her body was shapely with movable head, arms, and legs. Barbie was the first doll in America with an adult body. Ken was based on their son Kenneth Handler.
