Alpha-Bits
Encyclopedia
Alpha-Bits, also known as Frosted Alpha-Bits, is a breakfast cereal
made by Post Cereals
, which contains frosted alphabet
-shaped corn cereal bits. Post Cereals also started producing Marshmallow Alpha-Bits in 1990.
Alpha-Bits cereal was invented by a father of seven named Thomas M. Quigley who worked for Post Cereals. The cereal was introduced in 1958, and was taken off the market in 2006. However, Alpha-Bits reappeared for sale in January 2008 with a new formulation, touting "0% Sugar!" as a "Limited Edition" cereal. The old recipe was reintroduced later in 2008.
Beginning in 1964, the mascot for Alpha-Bits was a postman
(Post
Man) named Loveable Truly, who was originally voiced by insult comic
Jack E. Leonard
in a Southern accent. Loveable Truly was also a character in the 1960s cartoon show Linus the Lionhearted
on CBS
, along with other Post Cereals mascots at the time (including Sugar Bear
of Golden Crisp
, then called Sugar Crisp). Since then, mascots have included the Alpha-Bits Wizard, who appeared near children in kitchens. In Canada
, the last Alpha-Bits mascot was Alpha, a computer
who "makes bits". He continues to be used as of 2010. The Canadian Alpha at first resembled IBM
PCs, but recent versions have begun to look like Macintosh
es. In the 1980s there was yet another mascot named Alfie the Alpha-Bits Cereal Wonder Dog.
Michael Jackson
and the Jackson Five starred in a series of Alpha-Bits musical TV commercials in 1973.
made by Post Cereals
, containing frosted alphabet
-shaped corn cereal bits and marshmallows. Marshmallow Alpha-Bits was introduced in 1990. This version of the original Alpha-Bits cereal is basically the same, except it contains marshmallow
vowels. The marshmallows included pink A's, yellow E's, purple I's, orange O's, green U's, and, later, blue Y's. Over time, the marshmallows have gone through various changes such as super-swirls, two-in-one and splits in their colors. As of 2011, Marshmallow Alpha-Bits is not in production.
The Invention of Marshmallow Alpha-Bits is not commonly known, but was invented by a small time entrepreneur named Andrew R. Miller, and his cousin, Andrew W. Peterson, a chef at a local restaurant in upstate New York
. The pair sold the idea to Post in 1989.
In August 2005, Post Cereals
introduced sugar free Alpha-Bits Cereal http://www.kraft.com/newsroom/05182005a.html. Every variation of the Alpha-Bits line is now made completely with whole grains and three grams of fiber per serving.
Breakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
made by Post Cereals
Post Cereals
Post Foods, LLC, also known as Post Cereals is a food company that was founded by C.W. Post in 1895 with the first Postum, a "cereal beverage," developed by Post in Battle Creek, Michigan. The first cereal, Grape-Nuts, was developed in 1897. Post has its headquarters in the Bank of America Plaza...
, which contains frosted alphabet
Alphabet
An alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
-shaped corn cereal bits. Post Cereals also started producing Marshmallow Alpha-Bits in 1990.
Alpha-Bits cereal was invented by a father of seven named Thomas M. Quigley who worked for Post Cereals. The cereal was introduced in 1958, and was taken off the market in 2006. However, Alpha-Bits reappeared for sale in January 2008 with a new formulation, touting "0% Sugar!" as a "Limited Edition" cereal. The old recipe was reintroduced later in 2008.
Beginning in 1964, the mascot for Alpha-Bits was a postman
Mail carrier
A mail carrier, mailman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman , postman/postwoman , letter carrier or postie is an employee of the post office or postal service, who delivers mail and parcel post to residences and businesses...
(Post
Post Cereals
Post Foods, LLC, also known as Post Cereals is a food company that was founded by C.W. Post in 1895 with the first Postum, a "cereal beverage," developed by Post in Battle Creek, Michigan. The first cereal, Grape-Nuts, was developed in 1897. Post has its headquarters in the Bank of America Plaza...
Man) named Loveable Truly, who was originally voiced by insult comic
Insult comedy
Insult comedy is a comedy genre in which the act consists mainly of offensive insults directed at the performer's audience and/or other performers....
Jack E. Leonard
Jack E. Leonard
Jack E. Leonard was an American comedian who made frequent appearances on television variety and game shows.-Biography:...
in a Southern accent. Loveable Truly was also a character in the 1960s cartoon show Linus the Lionhearted
Linus the Lionhearted
Linus the Lionhearted was an animated cartoon featuring a main character of the same name. The character was created in 1960 by the Ed Graham advertising agency, originally as a series of ads for General Foods' Post Cereals. At first, Linus was the spokesman for the short-lived Post cereal "Heart...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, along with other Post Cereals mascots at the time (including Sugar Bear
Sugar Bear
Sugar Bear is the advertising cartoon mascot of Post Super Sugar Crisp cereal, appearing in commercials for the cereal.-History:...
of Golden Crisp
Golden Crisp
Golden Crisp is a breakfast cereal made by Post Cereals and introduced in 1949 as Sugar Crisp. It consists of sweetened puffed wheat.In a 2008 comparison of the nutritional value of 27 cereals, U.S...
, then called Sugar Crisp). Since then, mascots have included the Alpha-Bits Wizard, who appeared near children in kitchens. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the last Alpha-Bits mascot was Alpha, a computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
who "makes bits". He continues to be used as of 2010. The Canadian Alpha at first resembled IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
PCs, but recent versions have begun to look like Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
es. In the 1980s there was yet another mascot named Alfie the Alpha-Bits Cereal Wonder Dog.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and the Jackson Five starred in a series of Alpha-Bits musical TV commercials in 1973.
Marshmallow Alpha-Bits
Marshmallow Alpha-Bits was a breakfast cerealBreakfast cereal
A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
made by Post Cereals
Post Cereals
Post Foods, LLC, also known as Post Cereals is a food company that was founded by C.W. Post in 1895 with the first Postum, a "cereal beverage," developed by Post in Battle Creek, Michigan. The first cereal, Grape-Nuts, was developed in 1897. Post has its headquarters in the Bank of America Plaza...
, containing frosted alphabet
Alphabet
An alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
-shaped corn cereal bits and marshmallows. Marshmallow Alpha-Bits was introduced in 1990. This version of the original Alpha-Bits cereal is basically the same, except it contains marshmallow
Marshmallow
The marshmallow is a confection that, in its modern form, typically consists of sugar, corn syrup, water, gelatin that has been softened in hot water, dextrose, vanilla flavourings, and sometimes colouring, whipped to a spongy consistency. Some marshmallow recipes call for egg whites...
vowels. The marshmallows included pink A's, yellow E's, purple I's, orange O's, green U's, and, later, blue Y's. Over time, the marshmallows have gone through various changes such as super-swirls, two-in-one and splits in their colors. As of 2011, Marshmallow Alpha-Bits is not in production.
The Invention of Marshmallow Alpha-Bits is not commonly known, but was invented by a small time entrepreneur named Andrew R. Miller, and his cousin, Andrew W. Peterson, a chef at a local restaurant in upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The pair sold the idea to Post in 1989.
In August 2005, Post Cereals
Post Cereals
Post Foods, LLC, also known as Post Cereals is a food company that was founded by C.W. Post in 1895 with the first Postum, a "cereal beverage," developed by Post in Battle Creek, Michigan. The first cereal, Grape-Nuts, was developed in 1897. Post has its headquarters in the Bank of America Plaza...
introduced sugar free Alpha-Bits Cereal http://www.kraft.com/newsroom/05182005a.html. Every variation of the Alpha-Bits line is now made completely with whole grains and three grams of fiber per serving.
Taglines
- ...Tastiest cereal you've ever met -- it's just like eating up the alphabet!
- They're A-B-C-Delicious!
- Think smart. Think Alpha-Bits cereal. (Canada only)
- Alpha-Bits, you know you want them, come and have some!
- They're ice-cream-a-licious!
- Post Alpha-Bits cereal is a proud sponsor of ArthurArthur (TV series)Arthur is an American/Canadian animated educational television series for children, created by Cookie Jar Group and WGBH for the Public Broadcasting Service...
on PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
.
Appearances in the media
- A season 1 episode of Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
features Peter and Brian at the table, where Peter is eating a bowl of breakfast cerealBreakfast cerealA breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk , water, or yogurt, and sometimes fruit but sometimes eaten dry. Some cereals, such as oatmeal, may be served hot as porridge...
. Peter suddenly exclaims, "Oh my God! Brian, there's a message in my Alpha Bits! It says 'Ooooo!'" A visibly annoyed Brian looks up from his newspaper and says, "Peter, those are CheeriosCheeriosCheerios is a brand of breakfast cereal by General Mills introduced on May 1, 1941 as the first oat-based, ready-to-eat cold cereal. Originally named CheeriOats, the name was changed to Cheerios in 1945 because of a trade name dispute with Quaker Oats. The name fit the "O" shape of the cereal pieces...
." - This cereal can be seen in the 2003 movie Anger ManagementAnger ManagementAnger Management is a 2003 slapstick comedy film starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, directed by Peter Segal and written by David S. Dorfman...
. - In the All Grown Up!All Grown Up!All Grown Up! is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky and Gábor Csupó. After the success of All Growed Up, the Rugrats 10th anniversary special, Nickelodeon commissioned All Grown Up! as a spin-off series based on the episode.The series ran from April 12, 2003 to August...
episode Interview With a Campfire, Tommy says "Coming from the man who communicates with aliens in the Alpha-Bits commercial". - This cereal can be seen in the background of the opening scene of Houses of the HolyHouses of the HolyHouses of the Holy is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released by Atlantic Records on 28 March 1973. The album title is a dedication by the band to their fans who appeared at venues they dubbed "Houses of the Holy". It was the second Led Zeppelin album to not...
. - This cereal appears in Diary of a Wimpy KidDiary of a Wimpy Kid (film)Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Thor Freudenthal and based on Jeff Kinney's book of the same name. The film was released on March 19, 2010. It was released on DVD, iTunes, and Blu-ray on August 3, 2010.-Plot:...
where Greg rushed to breakfast in the beginning. He is seen pouring milk and Alpha Bits into his mouth. - This cereal is seen in Pretty Little LiarsPretty Little Liars (TV series)Pretty Little Liars is an American mystery-thriller teen drama television series created by Marlene King. Based on the popular series of novels written by Sara Shepard, the show premiered on June 8, 2010 on ABC Family...
when Emily pours it in her bowl to discover it's all A's.