One of the pleasures of 2014 was being in Perry, Iowa, where I taught cartooning classes at the elementary school, and then give a keynote address to the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner. I often think of Perry and it would be fun to return.
It was a celebration of cartoonists from Iowa, and seeing as I was born in Iowa City, I qualified! Also joining me was my friend, fellow cartoonist Dave Carpenter, who lives and works in Iowa.
I stayed at the Hotel Pattee in the V.T. "Snick" Hamlin room. Hamlin (1900-1993) was the creator of the Alley Oop comic strip. He was born in Perry. The room, appropriately, has Oop's dinosaur "Dinny" on the wall and the name of Alley Oop's residence, the "Land of Moo." As you can see, above Dinny is a row of comic book pages from some Alley Oop comics. These were made into a wallpaper mural that lines the top of the walls of the bedroom/living area.
Here are a few photos. It's well worth a stopover if you are in the area.
The walls are decorated with Alley Oop memorabilia and articles.
I read from my Library of American Comics Essential ALLEY OOP book while there.
Related:
ALLEY OOP by Jack and Carole Bender on GoComics
R.C. Harvey: "A Stretch in the Bone Age: The Life and Cartooning Genius of V.T. Hamlin"
Dark Horse: ALLEY OOP: THE COMPLETE SUNDAYS VOLUME 1, 1934-1936
Ugh!!! I know it's four years later but I couldn't be more disappointed that I was totally unaware of this event. I would so loved to have driven up from Des Moines and seen you and my friend, Dave Carpenter. I'm sure it was a wonderful event and you two did yours proud.___If you're ever back this way you gotta let me know :-) Take care, Mike. --- Bucky
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