Alpha-Bits

Alpha-Bits, also known as Frosted Alpha-Bits, is a breakfast cereal made by Post Foods, which contains frosted alphabet-shaped multi-grain (whole-grain oat and corn flour) 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.

Marshmallow Alpha-Bits, introduced in 1990, contained frosted alphabet-shaped corn cereal bits and marshmallows. This variation of the original Alpha-Bits cereal contained marshmallow vowels: pink A's, yellow E's, purple I's, orange O's, green U's, and, later, blue Y's. Over time, the marshmallows underwent changes such as super-swirls and splits in their colors. As of 2011, Marshmallow Alpha-Bits have been discontinued.

Marshmallow Alpha-Bits were invented by a small-time entrepreneur named Andrew R. Miller and his cousin Andrew W. Peterson, the latter of whom was 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 [1].

In some regions, such as the southeast, Marshmallow Alpha-Bits were removed from shelves by 2000.

Beginning in 1964, the mascot for Alpha-Bits was a postman, possibly a pun on "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).

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