George Lerner (1922–1995) was an American inventor known for inventing the toy Mr.
[1] Lerner was born in Brooklyn, New York and worked during his lifetime as an artist, graphic designer, and model maker.
[2] In 1949, he designed and produced a first generation set of plastic face pieces.
[3] The toy did not take off at first because post-World War II consumers didn't like the idea of wasting food by playing with it.
[6] In 1964 and 1975, George Lerner's original designs got their plastic head and size upgrades respectively, in order to comply with government issued safety regulations.