Aly Sloper character jug produced by John Humphreys Pottery of Staffordshire, England, circa 1990 in a limited edition of 1,000. Alexander "Ally" Sloper is the eponymous fictional character of the British comic strip Ally Sloper. First appearing in 1867, he is considered one of the earliest comic strip characters and he is regarded as the first recurring character in comics. Red-nosed and blustery, an archetypal lazy schemer often found "sloping" through alleys to avoid his landlord and other creditors, he was created for the British magazine "Judy" by writer and fledgling artist Charles H. Ross and inked and later fully illustrated by his French wife Emilie de Tessier under the pseudonym Marie Duval. The strips premiered in the August 14, 1867, issue of "Judy", a humor-magazine rival of the famous "Punch". The highly popular character was spun off into his own comic, "Ally Sloper's Half Holiday", in 1884. Commissioned by Pick-Kwik Wines & Spirits, this Aly Sloper character jug stands 6 1/2" tall and is an advertising piece for Pickwick Special Ale and has a black Pickwick Special Ale bottle for its handle.
 
Other John Humphries advertising jugs are also available.  Email us if you are interested in one.