Maxine Greeting card

A Place for Mom has discovered the undeniable appeal of the Maxine cartoon and how she does a fabulous job representing female senior citizens.

Maxine is, quite simply, relatable. She pokes fun at aging and real life issues in an acceptable way. Her appeal is obvious every time we post one of her cartoons to the as we get phenomenal engagement from our audience, including off-the-chart shares, likes and comments.

So what’s the story behind this fictional character? Read on to learn more about why America decided to make her a celebrity.

What Makes Maxine Tick?

To answer that question: Her following, quite simply. Hallmark launched Shoebox in 1986, along with the Maxine character, and took America by storm. According to Hallmark, “Nobody knew that Maxine’s crabby character, gracing the covers of a few Shoebox cards, would become famous. But it didn’t take long to see that Maxine’s irreverent quips about aging, the workplace, retirement, political correctness, and of course sex (or the lack of it) had struck a cord.”

Americans have purchased more than 220 million Maxine greeting cards, and Maxine is still the first—and only—greeting card character to move from the card aisle, directly into popular culture. “Perpetually one of Hallmark’s top-performing characters, today Maxine has her own books, comic strip, calendars, and website. Her likeness—and attitude—have also appeared on everything from t-shirts to paper towels, ” Hallmark boasts.

A Place for Mom Favorite

It’s no secret that our readers like inspirational images. Add a little humor to those with an iconic, wise-cracking character and you have Maxine! 10, 000 people are easily reached when we post Maxine’s wisdom to Facebook.

One of our Facebook readers comments, “I just love her! Always good for a smile.” Another jests, “How is she so smart?” Obviously Maxine is a hit when it comes to personifying anyone who’s real and tells-it-like-it-is.

Visit the page for more Maxine humor and senior living news, trends and tips.