Doing Alley Oop is a dream job we were lucky to have, but make no mistake about it, it is an enormous job. The deadlines never go away, and there’s no such thing as weekend. For the most part, we worked seven days a week, 365 days a year. Being our own bosses meant we could set our own schedule, but taking a day off meant working twice as hard the next day.
Jack and I met right at the time that Jack signed the contract to be the official artist of Alley Oop, and he hired me soon after to do the lettering. We owe our lives together to that caveman!
original August 14, 2018 post:
Longtime “Alley Oop” cartoonists Carole and Jack Bender are retiring from the “Alley Oop” comic strip. The last original Alley Oop from the Benders will appear on September 1st.
Jack Bender started on the comic as the illustrator (taking over for Dave Graue, who remained as the writer) in 1991. After Dave retired from writing in 2001, Jack’s wife Carole Bender became the writer. (Dave was tragically killed in a car accident a few months after he retired).
The strip was originally created by V.T. Hamlin in 1932.
Andrews McMeel Syndication says the strip will go into reruns through the end of the year as they decide next steps for the comic.
I am wondering what happen to his comfortable sweatshirt!