Caveman: V. T. Hamlin & Alley Oop

Directed by Road to Perdition writer Max Allan Collins, Caveman examines the career of V. T. Hamlin and the creation of his long-running comic strip Alley Oop.

First appearing in 1932, the strip follows the prehistoric character Alley Oop, his pet dinosaur Dinny, and the citizens of the kingdom of Moo. Featuring interviews with Will Eisner and longtime Hamlin assistant Dave Graue, the film provides a wonderful depiction of the process of producing comic strips in the 20th century. Along with the graphic novel Road to Perdition, Collins has written numerous novels and comic strips, including a 15-year run on Dick Tracy. (53 mins., video)

Cosponsored by Ohio State’s Cartoon Research Library in conjunction with the 2007 Festival of Cartoon Art being held October 26–27 in Columbus. Please visit cartoons.osu.edu for more information.