While popularity waned in the 1920s as Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment and a new decade began in the U.S., the story of the Kewpies does not end here. Since their initial surge of popularity, the Kewpies have demonstrated a lingering, if not always particularly prominent, presence in Americana. O’Neill expanded their reach beyond magazines, launching a Sunday comic strip syndicated by McClure Syndicate on December 2, 1917. Though it ran for only nine months, ending on July 28, 1918, she later revived the strip on November 25, 1934, with this second iteration lasting until February 6, 1937.

“The Kewpies” Sunday comic strip, 1936

Kuddle Kewpie, undated (Photo Credit: The Spruce / Denise Van Patten)

Though the original Kewpie dolls were made in Germany, production later moved to the U.S. under the Cameo Doll Company. From the 1920s up until the 1980s Cameo introduced a variety of new forms for the Kewpie dolls, like fully-jointed dolls and this soft-bodied Kuddle Kewpie.

Kewpie and Doodle Dog, c. 2005 (Photo Credit: The Spruce / Denise Van Patten)

In 1982, Jesco obtained the Kewpie licensing rights. As recently as 2005, an outgrowth of Jesco called Charisma Dolls sold a 15-inch porcelain Kewpie doll walking its “Doodle Dog.”

Morinaga Dry Milk & Kewpie Doll, c. 1920 (Photo Credit: Steve Sundberg)

Perhaps the most interesting branch of the Kewpies’ legacy, however, takes us abroad–to Japan. Soon after German factories first started manufacturing bisque Kewpie dolls, approximately between 1913 and 1915, Japan began making their own unlicensed, knockoff versions. From 1913 to 1923, Japan was the world’s largest producer of celluloid toys, and Japanese-made celluloid Kewpie dolls were exported worldwide.

Japanese Kewpie postcard, c. 1933/1935 (Photo Credit: PinkTentacle)

The cherubic characters became an instant hit in Japan. As the dolls spread, so did their image. They began appearing in illustrations of all kinds, often even taking on Japanese clothing and culture. A wide variety of Japanese postcards from the 1920s and 1930s, for example, depict Kewpies in traditional Japanese garb, engaging in traditional activities. Eventually the Kewpies would become such a cultural phenomenon that the nickname kewpie-san—used to describe something childlike—found a lasting place in the Japanese language.

Early Kewpie Mayonnaise Bottle, 1925 (Photo Credit: Kewpie Corporation)

Around the same time, Kewpies also started appearing in advertisements and as mascots for Japanese brands–some licensed, some not. The most successful of these brands was not a toy company, but a food manufacturer.

As the story goes, in the 1910s, Toichiro Nakashima, an intern for Japan’s Department of Agriculture and Commerce, traveled to the U.S., where he encountered mayonnaise. Inspired by its nutritional value, he aimed to make mayonnaise a household staple in Japan. In 1925, he launched Kewpie Mayonnaise, an egg-yolk-based formula designed to improve public health.

Japanese advertisement for Kewpie Mayonnaise, 1932 (Photo Credit: PinkTentacle)

Recognizing the popularity of Kewpie dolls, Nakashima reportedly struck a licensing deal with O’Neill, using the cherubic figures to market his brand. At the time, he also acquired the exclusive rights to commercial use of the Kewpie likeness in Japan and other Asian markets.

Kewpie Mayonnaise Bottle, 2025 (Photo Credit: Kewpie Corporation)

In 1957, Nakashima’s company was officially renamed the Kewpie Corporation. Although the process by which this occurred is poorly documented, in 2014 Kewpie Corporation became the sole owner of the Kewpie doll rights.

Sonny Angels, Animal Series 1, 2025 (Photo Credit: Dreams Inc.)

Fast forward almost 100 years, and you can still find Kewpies and their influence in a wide variety of cultures and forms. Asian groceries in the U.S., for example, still stock their shelves with Kewpie Mayonnaise. But the products perhaps most illustrative of the staying power of the Kewpie image are Sonny Angels: wildly popular, 3 inch tall vinyl figurines created by the Japanese company, Dreams.

While Sonny Angels technically have no relation to the Kewpie brand, their design takes heavy inspiration from O’Neill’s Kewpies. Besides one key, yet visually subtle, difference (Kewpies are genderless, while Sonny Angels are little boys), Sonny Angels clearly aim to harness the stubbornly popular visual iconography of the Kewpie. They also borrow from–and indeed inflate–the expansive, ensemble-like nature of the Kewpie universe, with over 650 kinds of Sonny Angels, each dressed in different themed costumes based on their “series.”

In this way, what may once have been a “fad” has once again ignited the popular imagination. Whether Sonny Angels carry the same subtly subversive cultural critiques as their century-old ancestors is perhaps doubtful—but their overwhelming prevalence is at the very least evidence of the power of the cute, innocent icon in the popular imagination.

In a world full of media and merchandise, the most effective messages are often the quietest. The Kewpie’s story shows how charm, familiarity, and subtle design can shape beliefs—and build trust—without ever raising its voice. As a cultural figure, the Kewpie offers a sharp reminder: sometimes the softest icons carry the most lasting influence.

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A Kewpish Legacy