Pippi Longstocking's look helps her stand out from other characters in literature. Pippi has bright red hair that is almost always tied in braids and sticking straight out the side of her head. Her clothes are raggedy and feature patches all over them. Like many redheads, Pippi also has freckles all over her face.
Pippi Longstocking's first book, "Pippi Longstocking," was released in 1945. One year later, "Pippi Goes on Board" was released and in 1948, "Pippi in the South Seas" was released. The success of the books quickly led to a movie production in 1949 that was based on all 3 books.
A 1969 television series made in Sweden saw a lot of success and was imported to the US as short films. The language was dubbed over, and fans eager to see the original series got a DVD release in 2002.
The success of the imports led to multiple US productions of the story, including the film "The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking" and an animated series titled "Pippi Longstocking."
Many people refer to the main character as simply Pippi Longstocking, but throughout the text of the books, it is revealed that the character's full name is really Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraimsdaughter Longstocking. The name includes a section that says "Ephraim's Daughter," and Ephraim is actually Captain Longstocking, her father that is constantly at sea.
Pippi is a witty girl who talks back to adults and likes to go on different adventures. She processes a great strength that is used to move horses, cars, and show off when she gets the chance. Pippi also enjoys swimming and uses her strength to show amazing swim skills. She lives with a pet monkey named Mr. Nilsson and also owns a horse named Little Old Man.
The popularity of Pippi Longstocking has spread across pop culture. There was a Japanese stage musical based off of the character, and she has been commonly referred to in shows like "Seinfeld," "The Simpsons," and the "Animaniacs." The Pippi Longstocking style is also a popular Halloween costume, especially for people making their own costumes at home.