Shoe (comic strip) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shoe |
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Shoe logo
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| Author(s) | Jeff MacNelly (1977–2000) Chris Cassatt, Gary Brookins, Ben Lansing, Susie MacNelly |
| Website | http://shoecomics.com |
| Current status/schedule | Daily & Sunday |
| Launch date | September 13, 1977 |
| Syndicate(s) | Tribune Media Services (1977–August 2008) King Features (2008–present) |
| Genre(s) | Humor |
Shoe is a funny comic strip from America. It's all about a group of newspaper workers who are also birds! The comic was created by cartoonist Jeff MacNelly. He wrote and drew it from September 13, 1977, until he passed away in 2000.
After Jeff MacNelly's last strip on July 9, 2000, other artists took over. Chris Cassatt, Gary Brookins, Ben Lansing, and Susie MacNelly (Jeff's wife) now continue the comic.
Even though Shoe isn't mainly about politics like some other comics, it often makes jokes about social and political topics. This happens especially when Senator Batson D. Belfry shows up. Shoe even had its own comic book in Norway for a short time in 1987. It was called "Sjur" and featured old newspaper strips. Later, in 1989, it appeared in a Calvin & Hobbes magazine in Norway under the name "Krax."
Jeff MacNelly won a big award for Shoe in 1979. It was called the Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society.
Meet the Characters of Shoe
The Shoe comic strip shows the daily adventures of newspaper employees and their families. All the characters are birds that act like humans. They live in a made-up place called Treetops, in East Virginia. Sometimes, during hunting season, you might even see "hunting dogs." These are actually hounds with rifles, which is a funny play on words!
| Character Name | Bird Type | About Them |
| P. Martin "Shoe" Shoemaker | Purple martin | He's the boss, or editor, of The Treetops Tattler-Tribune newspaper. He often smokes cigars. Shoe has many funny stories about his ex-wives. He's a lot like Mr. Dithers from the Blondie comic. |
| Prof. Cosmo Fishhawk (called the "Perfessor") | osprey |
Cosmo is a very smart but not-so-successful osprey columnist. He's not great with computers and doesn't understand women very well. He always wears a tweed jacket and a striped tie. His desk is always piled high with papers! Even though the comic is called Shoe, Cosmo is often the main character. Many strips are about his life. |
| Roz Specklehen | Unknown |
She's a waitress and probably owns the local diner, called Roz's Roost. Many of the characters meet there. |
| Skyler | skylark |
Skyler is Cosmo's nephew. Cosmo is raising him. Skyler is also smart but doesn't always do well. A running joke is that he accidentally goes to Marine boot camp every summer. Then he writes funny letters to his Uncle Cosmo. |
| Sen. Batson D. Belfry | Unknown |
He's a politician who avoids answering questions directly. His name is a funny way of saying "bats in the belfry," which means someone is a bit crazy. |
| Irving "Irv" Seagull | gull |
He's the local repairman. His name sounds like a gas station chain. |
| Loon | loon |
Loon delivers mail and newspapers. Jokes are often made about his flying skills. He's based on a real Navy pilot who was a prisoner of war. |
| Wiz | Merlin |
Wiz is like a wizard for computers! He wears a pointed hat and a star-covered robe, and carries a magic wand. The Perfessor often calls him to fix his office computer. Wiz once told him, "Okay, first, let's get your fist out of the computer screen." |
| Muffy Hollandaise | Unknown |
She used to be an intern at The Treetops Tattler-Tribune. After many years, she came back in 2024 as a news anchor for Treetops Channel 5. |
| Biz | Unknown | Biz is a very old bird, over 90 years old! You often see him at Roz's Roost. He likes to complain about things that happen when you get old. |
| Mort | vulture | Mort runs Mort's Mortuary, which is the local funeral home. |
| Madame ZooDoo | Unknown | She's the local psychic who uses a crystal ball to tell fortunes. |
| Older Characters Not Seen Anymore | ||
| Bumpkins | stork(?) |
Bumpkins was the "Perfessor"'s manservant or butler. He was inherited by the Perfessor. |
