PLAYBOY: FOREVER FEMLIN 2025-03-25 Auction - 134 Price Results - Julien's Auctions in CA
Playboy | LeRoy Neiman Set of Three August 1955 Drawings of Prototype FemlinsPlayboy | LeRoy Neiman Set of Three September 1955 Drawings of Prototype FemlinsPlayboy | LeRoy Neiman Set of Three October 1955 Drawings of Prototype Femlins
Done
Gardena, CA, United States
Auction Details

PLAYBOY: FOREVER FEMLIN

LeRoy Neiman?s Femlin is an iconic cartoon character that first appeared in Playboy magazine in August 1955. Created by Neiman at the request of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, the Femlin (a combination of "female" and "gremlin") was a mischievous, pint-sized, scantily clad woman who often appeared in the magazine?s joke pages. Neiman, best known for his vibrant and expressive paintings of sports and entertainment figures, designed the Femlin as a playful, flirtatious character. Typically drawn in black-and-white with exaggerated, curvy features, the Femlin was depicted wearing only opera gloves, thigh-high stockings, and high heels. She often interacted with the props around her, like giant dice, playing cards, or champagne glasses, reinforcing the Playboy lifestyle of fun and indulgence. She generally appeared on the Party Jokes page as three related illustrations. Over the decades, the Femlin became a staple of the magazine, remaining in print for over 50 years. Neiman continued to draw her well into the 21st century, making her one of the longest-running features in Playboy. The character also inspired merchandise, figurines, and even limited-edition artworks. This sale contains some Femlin drawings so early that they are prototypes, i.e. works from the 50?s into the early 60?s that predate the famous recognizable image with gloves and stockings that most readers recognize. The earliest drawings in this collection (mid-1950?s) resemble carnival, harlequin, or burlesque nightlife showgirl characters. The next incarnation from the later 50?s resemble bombshell movie stars like Ava Gardner and Kim Novak, Marilyn Monroe. Starting in the early 60?s she starts to resemble the familiar sprite and by the mid-60?s she solidified into her well-known form and personality?flirty, playful, sweet.
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