Wolfman's' Donna still in the business

Things to Do

Wolfman's' Donna still in the business

Donna Anderson still operates the furniture business in Gainesville, Ga., that she and her father made famous with their ubiquitous 'Donna and the Wolfman' TV commercials in Atlanta.

Donna Anderson watches video clips of legendary TV commercials she and her late father made in the 1980s for the furniture store she still runs in Gainesville.

There were Atlanta Braves games during the '80s when it seemed there were more "Donna and the Wolfman" ads on the telecast than there were people in the stadium. These are some of the souvenirs Anderson collected.

At Gallery Furniture in Gainesville, Donna Anderson recalls her father Doyle Rodger, who died five years ago. When she was a senior at Campbell High School in Smyrna, she says classmates would ask 'Hey Donna, where's the Wolfman?' "

Business at the furniture store is down about one-third due to the recession, says Anderson, "just like everybody else's."

Donna Anderson saved a pile of letters from customers and people who watched the TV commercials.

Donna Anderson estimates she and her father made more than 500 commercials over 20 years, and they played all over local TV. Her furniture store office is filled with props from old commercials, plaques and pictures of her and her family.

Donna and the Wolfman shooting a commercial at the WB studios in May 2001. In the early days, the commercials were shot in Ted Turner s studios and aired mainly on TBS. "We were definitely a product of Ted Turner," says Anderson.

Donna was 15 in 1981 when her father asked her to join him in the TV ads he had been doing solo.

1 / 8

Donna Anderson watches video clips of legendary TV commercials she and her late father made in the 1980s for the furniture store she still runs in Gainesville.