The latest exhibit, "Novel Novelties", at the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum features a colorful collection of comic characters that showcases the artistry of former Monroe County resident Dorothy Bean (1917-1982), the growth of a post-World War II past-time, and a unique but short-lived Sparta business called “Novel, Inc.” which was established to capitalize on that fad.
The seeds of the exhibit were planted when the History Room received a curious research request last year. In February 2024, Mark Jerdee of Wilton contacted the History Room requesting any information about a former Sparta business which manufactured novelty plaster figurines. His sister, Linda Capaul of Tomah, owned a collection of figurines based on comic strip characters which had been hand-painted by their grandmother, Dorothy Bean, while employed by a Sparta company around 1950. Dorothy painted each of the 67 plaster figurines with great detail, giving a three-dimensional life to the comic strip characters.
History Room Director Jarrod Roll recalls his excitement when Mark’s research request came in. “Thanks to (History Room employee) Hannah Scholze’s keen eye while reviewing the 1950 Federal Census, we had recently learned of a previously unknown Sparta business called ‘Novel, Inc.’ which made plaster ‘novelties.’ We didn’t know much about this business but were intrigued, having never heard of it before. When I received Mark’s query asking about a Sparta business which made plaster figurines, I knew there had to be a connection.”
In April 2024 Linda and Mark brought their grandmother’s collection of colorful figurines to the History Room. Roll and his team immediately got to researching the painted plaster figurines and how they connect to Novel, Inc. They would learn quickly that the story these figurines told would by no means be straightforward.
The Sparta company “Novel, Inc.” was incorporated in 1947, two years after the end of World War II. Post-war America experienced an economic boom, resulting in many Americans having more disposable income and leisure time leading to a nationwide growth of hobbies including the "paint-it-yourself" fad. Capitalizing on this trend, twelve World War II veterans from Monroe County founded Novel, Inc. in Sparta, Wisconsin. The twelve investors purchased a plaster casting business in South Dakota and set up their production facility in a former Civilian Conservation Corps barracks on the south side of Sparta. The company manufactured unpainted plaster figurines, plaques, and other knickknacks and sold them in “Hobby Kits” alongside paint they sold under the name of "Wonderpaint" and "Novelglaze."
A 1948 newspaper article describes Novel Inc. as quickly growing due to “increasing demand for and interest in unpainted figurines.” They had aspirations of employing 25-50 people. “Now with more free time and spending money, Americans could afford to take up art hobbies,” explains Roll. “Novel, Inc. was just one of several hobby companies competing for the growing middle-class dollar.” Several articles and advertisements printed in Midwest newspapers during the late 1940s and early 1950s feature ads for paint-it-yourself products similar to those sold by Novel, Inc., as well as classes to learn the hobby.
One of those competing companies selling paint and plaster figurine kits during the paint-it-yourself hobby craze of the late 1940s and 1950s was Professional Art Products (PAP) of Chicago. In 1947, PAP obtained the license to manufacture and sell an assortment of 73 unpainted plaster figurines of comic strip characters from the Chicago Tribune for a line of “Color Your Favorite Comic Strip Character Figurines” paint kits.
Although PAP was a competitor of Novel, Inc., we know that nearly a full set of the PAP comic strip character figurines were hand-painted by Dorothy Bean as part of her job at Novel, Inc.—the painted figurines on display at the History Room. The 1950 Census, coupled with family history, show that Dorothy was employed by Novel, Inc. as an artist, painting samples to be used for product merchandising and paint guides for customers. Another two comic figurines that Dorothy painted while working for Novel, Inc. were actually licensed by another competing company. It would appear that Novel, Inc. was seeking additional sources of unpainted figurines from competing companies to sell as their own product in their “hobby kits,” augmenting the plaster pieces they were producing in Sparta.
However, other than Dorothy having painted nearly the full line of plaster comic characters as models, there is no evidence that Novel, Inc. ever sold these figures under their own brand. “We’re waiting to discover a licensed comic strip character figurine identical to the ones Dorothy painted with an actual ‘Novel, Inc.’ stamp on the bottom,” states Roll. “But so far none have turned up.”
There is tangential evidence that Novel, Inc. was planning on or engaged in selling the comic figurines. Novel, Inc. co-founder and primary salesman Armand Cimaroli worked out a deal with Professional Art Products to sell their line of comic strip character plaster figurines under his own brand “Cimaroli Sales Co.” His company’s stamp along with PAP’s can be seen on the bottom of a “Judy” figurine from the Gasoline Alley comic strip that is also part of the "Novel Novelties" exhibit. This “Judy” figurine is not one that Dorothy painted while employed by Novel, Inc. Rather, it is a plaster figurine painted by an unknown customer who purchased the figure commercially. A friend of the History Room found the anonymously painted figurine for sale on eBay in May 2025 and purchased it for the History Room’s collection because of its direct tie to Sparta, Wisconsin, through the “Cimaroli Sales” stamp on the base.
“Finding the ‘Judy’ figurine from this series with the ‘Cimaroli Sales, Sparta, Wis.’ stamp on the bottom connects these figures to Sparta, which is almost a direct tie to Novel, Inc.” explains Roll. “We know that in 1952 there was a lawsuit between Novel, Inc. and Armand Cimaroli, the company’s former co-founder and lead salesman, with Novel, Inc. claiming that he owed the company money for sales he made as a Novel, Inc. representative but gave to his own company ‘Cimaroli Sales.’”
At the same time Novel, Inc. is suing Armond Cimaroli for money owed, they are getting sued by vendors who claimed money was owed them. By March 1955, Novel, Inc. was classified as a "defunct corporation” and Armand Cimaroli had moved out of the county. Dorothy Bean, painter for Novel Inc., would find other employment and would draw upon her artistic abilities in the volunteer activities she often engaged in as well as rosemaling (Norwegian folk art painting) as a hobby.
According to family, Dorothy did not consider herself a professional artist, but she did keep these hand-painted comic figurines after leaving her employment with Novel Inc. and proudly displayed them in her home throughout her lifetime. Mark and Linda recall seeing the playfully colored figurines on a shelf at their grandparent’s home when they were children. “We were drawn to the figurines because they were so colorful,” reminisced Linda. “But we were always told to look but not touch them.” After their grandmother Dorothy Bean passed away in 1982, the figures were passed down to her daughter, Judy Jerdee, and later granddaughter Linda.
Now, thanks to Dorothy’s grandchildren, Mark Jerdee and Linda Capaul, these beautifully detailed and cheerful figurines are available for all to see at the History Room. The story of Novel, Inc. is also much more well-known. Special thanks to Linda Capaul and the Tomah Area History Museum for lending the painted figurines for this exhibit.
The exhibit, “Novel Novelties” is available to view during normal hours of operation, 9am-4pm, Tuesday-Saturday. Admission is free. The Monroe County Local History Room & Museum is located at 200 West Main St., Sparta. Please visit Facebook.com/MCLHR, monroe.co.local.history.room on Instagram, or MCLHR.org to learn more.
