"Up. Up, and away" ?

August 19, 2007 2:22 AM

Which cartoon character says "Up. Up, and away" ?

Which cartoon character says "Up. Up, and away" ?
El Kabong or Atom Ant? Or a third character?

posted by Coolcan2 to media & arts (23 comments total)

Dude.

Superman.
posted by dersins at 2:25 AM on August 19, 2007

link.
posted by dersins at 2:26 AM on August 19, 2007

Zomg? 0_o
I've never seen the cartoon superman say it.
posted by Coolcan2 at 2:29 AM on August 19, 2007

Atom Ant used to say: "Up and at 'em, Atom Ant!"
posted by AndrewStephens at 2:54 AM on August 19, 2007

Similar question
posted by Sufi at 2:54 AM on August 19, 2007

One of the answers in the thread Sufi links to gives a dead link, but fortunately the content is still available at the Internet Archive. It's a story on Superman from a 1988 issue of Time, and includes this:

Kirk Alyn, an agile dancer, began appearing in Saturday serials in 1948, letting his voice drop an octave each time he reached for his necktie and declared, "This looks like a job for Superman!"

When Alyn lifted his arms and cried, "Up, up, and away!" he would be replaced by an animated cartoon figure of Superman in flight.

Which is not to say that Alyn was the first to use "up, up and away!" as Superman (it seems likely that it would have originated in radio, per dersin's link, but I don't have proof of that), just evidence that it was said by Superman.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 4:46 AM on August 19, 2007

There's also a reference to it being a Superman catchphrase in the first Spider-Man movie. When Peter's trying to figure out how to "activate" his biological webslingers, one of the things he incants is "Up, up and away, web!"
posted by jozxyqk at 4:59 AM on August 19, 2007

Might Mouse was the cartoon character to use it.
posted by JJ86 at 5:19 AM on August 19, 2007

Mighty Mouse's catchphrase was "Here I come to save the day!"
posted by briank at 6:22 AM on August 19, 2007

Underdog said it too.
posted by caddis at 7:13 AM on August 19, 2007

Underdog said "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!" and "Hip hip hip and away I go!" I don't recall him using "Up and away."
posted by The Deej at 8:37 AM on August 19, 2007

Perhaps it was uttered by Super Chicken on occasion, then.
posted by miss lynnster at 8:44 AM on August 19, 2007

Dudes. Wikipedia.
posted by flabdablet at 10:14 AM on August 19, 2007

"You knew this job was dangerous when you took it." - Super Chicken (Henry Cabot Henhouse III).
posted by SPrintF at 10:14 AM on August 19, 2007

I think you might be right Deej.
posted by caddis at 10:38 AM on August 19, 2007

Dudes. Wikipedia.

Dude. Wikipedia article without citations.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 11:26 AM on August 19, 2007

The Deej, Underdog says this because of Superman's famous "Up, Up, and Away!" line.

I thought everyone knew this line was from Superman.
posted by lain at 11:28 AM on August 19, 2007

Dude. Wikipedia article without citations.

Citations are needed for dubious claims. This is inarguably true. As lain says:

I thought everyone knew this line was from Superman.
posted by languagehat at 12:55 PM on August 19, 2007

lain, yes indeed, Underdog was a spoof of Superman, making "Hip hip hip and away I go" the perfect spoof line, showing really how silly the Superman line is when you think about it. Like you, I thought it was commonly known to be Superman's line. It's like asking "Who was faster than a speeding bullet?" (No offense to the OP, of course.)
posted by The Deej at 12:58 PM on August 19, 2007

Radioactive Man says, "Up and Atom!" But Rainier Wolfcastle had trouble and stated, "Up and At Them!"
posted by fallenposters at 4:43 PM on August 19, 2007

It totally is from Superman. I just like to bring Super Chicken into conversation whenever possible.
posted by miss lynnster at 10:53 PM on August 19, 2007

There is also the episodes of Spongebob that feature Mermaidman and Barnacle boy. Mermaidman would say, "Up up and away!" upon take off.
posted by arishaun at 1:03 AM on August 20, 2007

It totally is from Superman. I just like to bring Super Chicken into conversation whenever possible.
posted by miss lynnster

Superchicken is the new Haimburgle.
posted by The Deej at 7:55 AM on August 20, 2007