| Alley Oop | |
|---|---|
 On April 9, 1939, Alley Oop was transported from the Bone Age into the 20th century. | |
| Author(s) | V. T. Hamlin (creator) Dave Graue Jack Bender and Carole Bender Joey Alison Sayers and Jonathan Lemon |
| Current status/schedule | Running |
| Launch date | December 5, 1932 |
| Syndicate(s) | Bonnet-Brown (1932–33) Newspaper Enterprise Association (1933–2011) Universal Uclick/Andrews-McMeel Syndication (2011–present) |
| Publisher(s) | Whitman, Dragon Lady Press, Kitchen Sink Press, Dark Horse |
| Genre(s) | Humor, adventure, prehistoric, science fiction |
Alley Oop is a syndicated comic strip created December 5, 1932, by American cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew the strip through four decades for Newspaper Enterprise Association. Hamlin introduced a cast of colorful characters and his storylines entertained with a combination of adventure, fantasy, and humor. Alley Oop, the strip's title character, is a sturdy citizen in the prehistoric kingdom of Moo. He rides his pet dinosaur Dinny, carries a stone axe, and wears only a fur loincloth.
Alley Oop's name was most likely derived from the French phrase allez, hop! In the 1933 press release that accompanied the launching of the strip with its new distributor NEA, Hamlin was quoted as saying "I really can't recall just how I struck upon the name 'Alley Oop', although it might be from the fact that the name is a French term used by tumblers. Alley Oop really is a roughhouse tumbler."[1] The name of Alley's girlfriend, Ooola, was a play on a different French phrase: oh là là.[2]
- ^ "Fossils Gave Hamlin Idea For a New Comic" (fee required). Franklin Evening Star. Franklin, IN. August 8, 1933. p. 2. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ Harvey, R.C. (May 21, 2012). "A Stretch in the Bone Age: The Life and Cartooning Genius of V.T. Hamlin". The Comics Journal. Retrieved November 8, 2021.