People, Meet Weepul

It all started with a pom and a dream...

You’ve probably seen Weepuls before — in the 1980s the large ones were everywhere and in the 90s the smaller variety could be found stuck to the top of every secretary’s computer monitor. Despite their popularity, few people seem to know the name Weepul and even less know how these fuzzy critters came to be.

According to a 1988 article in the Daily Oklahoman, Weepuls were invented by Tom Blundell in 1971 in Oklahoma City. Blundell explained that the first Weepuls were made from “materials he and his parents used to make coasters with and hairspray can covers.” Eventually Blundell added pipe cleaner antenna, felt feet, and those classic googly eyes to his creation, but it wasn’t until he attended an advertising specialty show that the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. By attaching ribbons with messages printed on them, his creation became easier to market (and use for corporate promotions).

Perhaps it was because Weepuls were invented in Oklahoma, but when I was a kid those adorable creatures were everywhere. In elementary school I often participated in fundraisers where we were asked to sell books and food and Weepuls were always one of the most coveted rewards. I earned my first Weepul, a yellow one with blue feet, by selling an entire case of cheese to friends and relatives, but mostly my parents.

According to the article I found, Bipo (Blundell’s company) was producing and shipping 60,000 Weepuls a day in 1988. 95% of those were the small 1 1/2” version. Curiously, along with the 8” version, the article also mentions a 3” version which I don’t think I’ve ever seen.

With so many of them produced, the smaller Weepuls are relatively common and inexpensive. Occasionally the ones I find in the wild are missing their feet (they’re probably still stuck to a monitor somewhere). The larger ones had their own set of problems. The eyeballs tended to fall off over time, and the pipe cleaner antenna could break if adjusted one too many times. It wasn’t overadjustment that removed the antenna from my blue Weepul but rather our old dog, Roscoe.

While slightly more rare, there are plenty of the larger Weepuls out there. I recently found this one on eBay for $30 — complete with eyes, antenna, feet, and a “Country Kitchen” promotional tag still attached to it.

More than five decades later, Weepuls are still being produced and can be purchased directly from the company’s website, Weepuls.com. If like me you would prefer a vintage one and are looking for one online, be sure to include Weeple, Wuppie, and Wuppet in your search.