San Francisco Billy model. Doll measures 12 1/2x5 inches, 31.7x12.7 cm., in original plastic blister pack sliding case; original bands attached to back board. Some soiling, clouding of plastic and corner tears to box and sliding cover, 15 1/2x7 inches. Totem International, 1997.
First introduced in 1997 in a limited edition of 1,200 copies created to benefit an AIDS charity, Billy was so popular that London-based designer John McKitterick decided to mass market the doll. He was available in a number of different guises including Sailor Billy, Cowboy Billy, and other stereotypical gay figures. Accessories and various outfits could be ordered for him and his fellow gay doll friends Carlos and Tyson. No stranger to fame, Billy was the subject of a 1998 exhibition at the New Museum of Contemporary Art where numerous designers created costumes for him in support of a benefit auction for AIDS charity group LIFEBeat.
