Li'l Abner Meets the Shmoo (Vol. 14 in series) 1948, by Al Capp. Hard cover edition.  2nd printing.

The most popular of Capp's hundreds of distinctive characters was the Shmoo. This lovable little creature loved mankind so much that it would sacrifice itself and turn into a ham steak, a gallon of milk or a dozen eggs: whatever its owner desired. Its whiskers made nice toothpicks and its eyes could be recycled as buttons. Most important, a Shmoo could reproduce faster than a rabbit. Thus, if you had one Shmoo, you were set. You didn't need to work at all. Thus did the apparent book for mankind become its curse and the powers that be decreed that all Shmoos must be exterminated. Capp's insightful morality tale was so popular that it spawned an unprecedented merchandising bonanza.

Two introductions, by David Schreiner and by science fiction writer Harlan Ellison, are illustrated with various Shmoo toys manufactured. The large back cover photograph shows a selection of Shmoo merchandise in color from the Denis Kitchen collection. Also featured in this volume: Flying Sausages (parody of "Flying Saucers," a term first coined a few months earlier; Fearless Fosdick, Nightmare Alice, Salomey, Adam Lazonga, Moonbeam McSwine, Cousin Weak-Eyes and Marryin' Sam.

Note: Each hardcover edition of Kitchen Sink's Li'l Abner features a different Dogpatch character on its respective spine, above the volume number. On a bookshelf a full line-up of characters can be viewed, distinguishing the hardcovers from their narrower and plainer paperback counterparts. Volume 14 was the only hardcover edition of Li'l Abner that was reprinted. Offered here is the 2nd printing. The front and back covers and spine all differ in the two printings. This edition features several Shmoos on the spine (while the 1st printing has a single Shmoo on the spine). All hardcover editions also feature colored end papers (in this case featuring a repeating pattern of Shmoos). Finally it should be noted that hardcover editions of Li'l Abner are quite rare. While paperback edition print runs ranged from 3,000 to 15,000 copies, the vast majority of hard covers were printed in editions of only 500 or 600 copies.

We also have Shmoo postcards and Shmoo Pins. See also our Shmoo Facts Sheet for some amazing statistics about this character's popularity.

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