Many Events Will Mark the 75th Anniversary of 'Alley Oop'

By: E&P Staff The 75th anniversary of "Alley Oop," which is coming Aug. 7, will be marked by a storyline in the comic and other events.

In the storyline by current "Alley Oop" cartoonists Jack and Carole Bender, King Guz issues a proclamation that every Moo citizen is invited to celebrate Moo's 75th birthday with an Aug. 7 party. But Aug. 7 is also Alley Oop's birthday, and the time-traveling caveman thinks everyone has forgotten him.

Also, kid readers are being invited to celebrate the anniversary by sending their dinosaur drawings to the strip's cartoonists by Sept. 30. The Benders will choose drawings from each age level (2-17) for a chance to appear this fall in the comic, which is distributed by United Media's Newspaper Enterprise Association syndicate.

In addition, several comics from NEA and other syndicates will pay tribute to "Alley Oop." United said they'll include "Frank & Ernest," "The Born Loser," "Moderately Confused," "Gasoline Alley," "Beetle Bailey," "B.C.," and "Dick Tracy."

As E&P previously reported, one event marking the anniversary is an Aug. 7 airing of the documentary "Caveman: V.T. Hamlin & Alley Oop" at the Iowa Historical Museum in Des Moines. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the Benders, Mark Lambert (the film's producer), and Max Allan Collins (the director). Iowa Public Television is airing the documentary on Aug. 6 and Aug. 10.

The Chamber of Commerce in Iraan (the Texas town where V.T. Hamlin was working when he came up with the idea for "Alley Oop" in the 1920s) will mark the anniversary with an Aug. 7 ceremony at Alley Oop Fantasy Land Park. There'll be a "Mr. Alley Oop and Miss Ooola Stone Age Costume Contest," a pet competition, commemorative T-shirts, and more.

On Aug. 9, the Pawnee County Historical Society in Pawnee, Okla., will celebrate the anniversary at an event that includes an appearance by the Benders. Pawnee County is the location of the Bender studio, where much of "Alley Oop" is created.

Then, on Sept. 10, the University of Missouri Library in Columbia opens an exhibit showcasing all the cartoonists who have worked on "Alley Oop" -- including the aforementioned Hamlin and the Benders as well as Dave Graue. There will also be another showing of the "Alley Oop" documentary, followed by a Q&A with the Benders and Lambert.

And the Pauls Valley, Okla.-based Toy & Action Figure Museum (home of the Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection and the Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame) is throwing "Alley Oop" a two-day anniversary party Sept. 19-20 that includes a dinosaur-drawing contest for youngsters and other events. The Benders will be in Pauls Valley to visit local schools to speak about cartooning and review young artists' portfolios.