Mr. Potato Head® Kids play with the food they don't want to eat. George Lerner, an inventor who figured that vegetables with a little personality might have a better chance, created a set of silly face parts as bonuses for cereal box promotions. Hassenfeld Brothers (later Hasbro, Inc.) acquired his creation in 1952. The original package included eyes, nose, mouth, ears - 28 different plastic facial features in all - along with a Styrofoam head for kids to practice making wacky expressions. The Mr. Potato Head television commercial, the first ever for a toy, helped Hasbro earn more than $4 million in sales in just the first few months. A Mrs. Potato Head appeared in 1953, followed by brother Spud, sister Yam, various pets, and a car and trailer. Hasbro promoted the happy family in LIFE magazine. A plastic potato appeared in 1964. Already a celebrity, Mr. Potato Head starred in Toy Story in 1995 and Toy Story 2 in 1998. The only licensed toy among the main characters, he spoke with the voice of comedian Don Rickles. This exposure gave the big spud a new life on key chains, mugs, ball caps, Christmas ornaments, and boxer shorts.