Phyllis Diller Paper Dolls

I just received a lovely note from Miss Phyllis Diller approving the final designs for our upcoming Phyllis Diller Paper Doll book. In fact, she said David Wolfe's artwork was "magnificent"!

In February David and I had the extraordinary opportunity to meet Miss Diller in her Beverly Hills home. She was gracious, down-to-earth and she really is funny in real life. Sharp as a tack, she was quick to make a joke or laugh at one of ours. When David and I got ready to tour her closets, she jokingly told us to leave our bags behind so she could go through them when we were gone. After our meeting, complete with cocktails and caviar, Miss Diller's assistant, Shelly, led us throughout the house to various closets filled with racks of those zany outfits so identifiable to Phyllis Diller and her stand-up performances.

Shelly left us to rifle through the racks and choose outfits to photograph for paper doll book reference. While David fussed over costume selections, I perused the charming paintings, done by Phyllis Diller herself, lining the walls of the long hallway. Once David made a costume selection, he'd bring it out into the light of the hall (which overlooked a beautiful courtyard) and I held it up for him to photograph. I even bought one of her paintings! It's a portrait of a girl who looks just like me, with straight blonde hair and wearing a big pink hat. It was a wonderful day and such an honor to meet the legendary Phyllis Diller.

Based on the dozens of reference photos, David completed the artwork for the book. The front and back covers show three dolls, representing Miss Diller at various stages in her career, all with her signature wild hairstyles, and the colorful clothing pages show costumes worn for various TV appearances, on stage and movie roles. For extra fun, the paper doll book includes many of the classic one-line zingers that became legendary in Phyllis Diller's stand-up act and innumerable guest appearances on TV. Phyllis Diller Paper Dolls will be available in August, and advance orders are welcome from Paperdoll Review.