While cavemen may not be the most prolific of characters used in entertainment and advertising, they sure can be memorable. For instance, Geico Insurance recently utilized cavemen in an advertising campaign, the characters even made it into a short-lived TV sitcom. And, there are always reruns of The Flintstones airing, but that’s about it for those who appreciate Neolithic escapades.

Over the years, cavemen have graced both print and film media. Among the longest lived characters is Alley Oop, who was created in 1933 by V.T. Hamlin. The strip continues to this day and is syndicated worldwide by Newspaper Enterprise Association. While the comic strip once appeared in 800 newspapers, it still sees print in over 600 newspapers, an impressive showing for a character three quarters of a century old!

The strip revolves around Alley Oop, a caveman who travels from his Stone Age home in the land of Moo to the 21st century in a time machine. His fantastic adventures are completed with the inclusion of his girlfriend Ooola and his pet dinosaur Dinny.

What better way to celebrate Alley Oop’s 75th anniversary than with Hake’s Americana & Collectibles, an auction house with experience in Alley Oop collectibles. In their current auction, Hake’s is offering a rare Alley Oop premium figure produced by RW Kerr Company in 1946. Kerr, noted among collectors for their series of Captain Marvel Family statuettes, produced this figure from a blend of unknown resins, perfectly capturing the spirit of the irrepressible caveman. Complete with flocked hair and trunks, Oop holds his signature stone war hammer. The front of the figure’s base bears his incised name while the back has the name of comic strip syndicate NEA Service Inc. Extremely rare complete, this figure is among the rarest comic character figures; only four examples are known, with only one other example complete with the club.  

Hake’s Americana’s current auction will close next week, September 2-4, 2008. You can learn more about the figure at hakes.com. Don’t forget to check out the over 2,500+ items on the website.