 |
| 1995 US postage stamp |
When I was a little girl, I read Li'l Abner comics regularly. I remembered that there was a creature in the strip called a shmoo, and as a child it fascinated me. Still does, and it occurred to me that the current generation has never even heard of a shmoo, since they didn't know about Li'l Abner, either. The shmoo, which you can read all about at the link I've provided, was a satirical creature in the comic strip that Al Capp created.
Shmoos are delicious to eat, and are eager to be eaten. If a human looks at one hungrily, it will happily immolate itself — either by jumping into a frying pan, after which they taste like chicken, or into a broiling pan, after which they taste like steak. When roasted they taste like pork, and when baked they taste like catfish. (Raw, they taste like oysters on the half-shell.) They also produce eggs (neatly packaged), milk (bottled, grade-A), and butter—no churning required. Their pelts make perfect boot leather or house timber, depending on how thick you slice it.What I didn't remember, and was fascinated to learn at that link, is that they were considered a menace to society, because since they were everywhere and free, nobody bought any goods any more and the economy collapsed, so they were exterminated. I must have stopped reading somewhere during the shmoo wars and never learned their ultimate fate. Al Capp must have had quite a field day with his shmoon (plural for shmoo). I think you'll enjoy it, if you are not already aware of them.
I guess if I live long enough, there will be some other mythical creature that captures my imagination as much as the shmoo did when I was a kid.
:-)
I read them whenever I could get a hold of a Sunday Paper. My parents didn't buy a paper often but when they did I read most everything but the sports section. I envy anyone that had access to reading materials at home. My Mother felt that reading was a waste of time...and she still does. If you had time to read you were not busy enough. Most likely she is why I read to my children before they were born...and why I am a book hoarder.:)
ReplyDeleteha. we had lil abner in the newspaper growing up i thing...so i am vaguely familiar....schmoo also was a cartoon as well...i just looked it up, he was on the flintstones...that is where i know him from most.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I know exactly who Daisy Mae and Li'l Abner are. I didn't know about the Schmoo though. Thank you - I wonder whether that was was triggered the animal who 'wanted to be eaten' in Douglas Adam's Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy?
ReplyDeletei've heard of them - and the schmoo, but never read any of the strips. :)
ReplyDeleteThis post brought back memories. Lol. There was a TV series based on it, too.
ReplyDeleteThe character from Li'l Abner that I remember is Joe Btfspik, who always had a rain cloud over his head. I often make reference to him when nothing is going right, and I say I have a cloud over my head.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read the comics that frequently - it was hard to get my turn at the "funny papers". I didn't remember the Schmoon.
Well I am glad I missed the Schmoo wars also. They were adorable.
ReplyDeleteMy brother swore he was kin to Joe Bitfspik as he was a walking Murphy's law. I miss the Sunday morning comics. Being a romantic, I liked Mary Worth. She was so nice and wise.
I was very aware of Lil Abner but did not follow it. Now I know why one of the kids in my class was called Schmoo!
ReplyDeleteThe comics were in our Saturday paper and it was always exciting to read Daisy Mae n Li'l Abner - I also was fascinated with the schmoo and could visualize them roaming as far as the eye could see. I have a photo (recently taken) of a young friend (young girl) in Italy dressed in jeans, polka dot blouse and polka dot scarf up on her head - now, I do remember when my sister dressed like that- and young "Caramella" thinks its cool to dress like the olde folks used to. he,he Lovely Post DJan - thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteOh man, I thought I knew everything about back then ... but while of course I've heard of L'il Abner I'm not familiar with the strip. Guess I've got some homework to do. Shmoo? Coulda sworn he was a pirate in Peter Pan. (But of course, it was Smee.)
ReplyDeleteHands up, I don't remember them either, but I read the write-up on Wikip. and I'm sure when I go downstairs and ask Larry, he will definitely remember. I'm not ever sure if we had them over here in England. One mo, I'll ask Jim ... ok, he thinks we may have had it, but doesn't remember it much either. Looks good though.
ReplyDeleteOMG! I forgot all about the schmoon!! I did remember Daisy Mae and Lil Abner very well, though. Things like this is when we realize how old we really are--LOL! ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't recall reading that comic strip; I will show my age by saying that I grew up reading Prince Valiant.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of a Schmoo. (my computer thinks it is spelled wrong) And I bet you wouldn't eat one even if they jumped in your pan. Because I know you are a vegetarian! They sound very handy to me though.
ReplyDeleteThis was where the idea of Sadie Hawkins dances came from. If you were a class sponsor at that large inner-city high school, then in the sophomore year of the class you sponsored, you were responsible for putting on the Sadies as we fondly called it. I did three of them. The girls all knew what Daisy Maes were--short shorts, really short shorts.
ReplyDeleteI remember Daisy Mae and Lil Abner but I had forgotten all about the Schmoo. And I totally missed the Schmoo wars. Comic strips back then were so much fun.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I remember Lil Abner and Daisy Mae very well. I used to read it all the time. I remember there was a blobby creature named Schmoo, but forgot what they were for. You've tickled my memories, DJan.
ReplyDeleteI never read Li'l Abner though I was fully aware of it in the comics each week. The Shmoo is a new one on me though. I might have been just a bit young to appreciate the strip. Same with Pogo. I was aware of it but never read it.
ReplyDeleteI never got past Archie. Cartoons were not a big part of my super busy teen years.
ReplyDelete