Etch A Sketch Creator Dies

Andre Cassagnes, inventor of the classic "Etch A Sketch" toy, has died in France at the age of 86.

The Associated Press reports that Cassagnes, originally an electrical technician, died Jan. 16 in a Paris suburb. Cassagnes' idea for the Etch A Sketch emerged when he discovered pencil marks had transferred to a light switch plate after he removed a translucent decal from the plate. Ohio Art, the company that makes the famous toy, discovered Cassagnes idea at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1959. The Etch A Sketch debuted to great success in holiday sales in 1960, and has remained a perennial favorite ever since.

The Etch A Sketch's enjoyed resurgences in its popularity from its cameo roles in both the "Toy Story" series of films and the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney.