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Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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{{work|wppage=Shoe (comic strip)}}
A [[Print Long Runners|long-running]] newspaper comic strip begun in 1977 by Jeff MacNelly. It centralizes on a cast of anthropomorphic bird characters, and is titled after a purple martin character named P. Martin Shoemaker, who runs a newspaper called ''The Treetops Tattler''. Other prominent characters include Prof. Cosmo Fishhawk (usually called "Perfessor"); Roz, the owner of a local treetop diner; Skyler, a younger bird; and Loon, a mail carrier and former pilot.
A [[Print Long Runners|long-running]] newspaper comic strip begun in 1977 by Jeff MacNelly, ''[[Shoe]]'' centers on a cast of anthropomorphic bird characters, and is named after a purple martin character named P. Martin Shoemaker, who runs a newspaper called ''The Treetops Tattler''. Other prominent characters include Prof. Cosmo Fishhawk (usually called "Perfessor"); Roz, the owner of a local treetop diner; Skyler, a younger bird; and Loon, a mail carrier and former pilot.


MacNelly worked on this strip and his lesser-known second strip, ''[[Pluggers]]'', in addition to doing illustrations for [[Dave Barry]] columns and several political cartoons. In 1997, he turned over ''Pluggers'' to Gary Brookins; following MacNelly's death in 2000, Brookins took most of the work that MacNelly had previously illustrated, with help from Chris Cassatt and MacNelly's wife, Susie, on ''Shoe''.
MacNelly worked on this strip and his lesser-known second strip, ''[[Pluggers]]'', in addition to doing illustrations for [[Dave Barry]] columns and several political cartoons. In 1997, he turned over ''Pluggers'' to Gary Brookins; following MacNelly's death in 2000, Brookins took most of the work that MacNelly had previously illustrated, with help from Chris Cassatt and MacNelly's wife, Susie, on ''Shoe''.
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The strip can be read [http://www.shoecomics.com/ here].
The strip can be read [http://www.shoecomics.com/ here].


{{tropelist}}
== Tropes present: ==
* [[Anthropomorphic Shift]]: According to the foreword of one book, the birds were initially a lot less humanlike, and "Roz's Roost" was little more than a bird feeder.
* [[Anthropomorphic Shift]]: According to the foreword of one book, the birds were initially a lot less humanlike, and "Roz's Roost" was little more than a bird feeder.
* [[Big Eater]]: Older strips made Cosmo out to be this.
* [[Big Eater]]: Older strips made Cosmo out to be this.
* [[Character Blog]]: Not so much a blog, but the ''Shoe'' website runs a ''Treetops Tattler'' section written in the character of Cosmo.
* [[Character Blog]]: Not so much a blog, but the ''Shoe'' website runs a ''Treetops Tattler'' section written in the character of Cosmo.
* [[Da Editor]]: The title character is this.
* [[Furry Reminder]]: Sometimes the punchline will actually rely on the fact that the main characters are all birds. Sometimes they even fly!
* [[Furry Reminder]]: Sometimes the punchline will actually rely on the fact that the main characters are all birds. Sometimes they even fly!
* [[Greasy Spoon]]: Roz's Roost.
* [[Greasy Spoon]]: Roz's Roost.
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* [[Non-Mammal Mammaries]]: Occurs with every female bird that's ever appeared in the strip. Quoth [[The Comics Curmudgeon]]:
* [[Non-Mammal Mammaries]]: Occurs with every female bird that's ever appeared in the strip. Quoth [[The Comics Curmudgeon]]:
{{quote|"I dunno, there's something about the combination of beaks and feathers with some distinctly, er, mammalian characteristics that just utterly [[Squick|squicks]] me out."}}
{{quote|"I dunno, there's something about the combination of beaks and feathers with some distinctly, er, mammalian characteristics that just utterly [[Squick|squicks]] me out."}}
* [[Print Long Runners]]: Begun in 1977 and hasn't stopped.
* [[Print Long Runners]]: Begun in 1977 and outlived its creator.
* [[Punny Name]]: One recurring character is Senator Batson D. Belfry.
* [[Punny Name]]: One recurring character is Senator Batson D. Belfry.
* [[Take That]]: As MacNelly was generally politically conservative, his portrayal of Senator Belfry is a barely disguised stand-in for Ted Kennedy (identical hairstyle, hints at womanizing, heavy drinking)
* [[Take That]]: As MacNelly was generally politically conservative, his portrayal of Senator Belfry is a barely disguised stand-in for Ted Kennedy (identical hairstyle, hints at womanizing, heavy drinking)
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[[Category:Print Long Runners]]
[[Category:Print Long Runners]]
[[Category:Shoe]]
[[Category:Shoe]]
[[Category:Comic Strip]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 1970s]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 1980s]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 1990s]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 2000s]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 2010s]]
[[Category:Newspaper Comics of the 2020s]]

Latest revision as of 13:25, 22 November 2022

A long-running newspaper comic strip begun in 1977 by Jeff MacNelly, Shoe centers on a cast of anthropomorphic bird characters, and is named after a purple martin character named P. Martin Shoemaker, who runs a newspaper called The Treetops Tattler. Other prominent characters include Prof. Cosmo Fishhawk (usually called "Perfessor"); Roz, the owner of a local treetop diner; Skyler, a younger bird; and Loon, a mail carrier and former pilot.

MacNelly worked on this strip and his lesser-known second strip, Pluggers, in addition to doing illustrations for Dave Barry columns and several political cartoons. In 1997, he turned over Pluggers to Gary Brookins; following MacNelly's death in 2000, Brookins took most of the work that MacNelly had previously illustrated, with help from Chris Cassatt and MacNelly's wife, Susie, on Shoe.

The strip can be read here.

Tropes used in Shoe include:

"I dunno, there's something about the combination of beaks and feathers with some distinctly, er, mammalian characteristics that just utterly squicks me out."

  • Print Long Runners: Begun in 1977 and outlived its creator.
  • Punny Name: One recurring character is Senator Batson D. Belfry.
  • Take That: As MacNelly was generally politically conservative, his portrayal of Senator Belfry is a barely disguised stand-in for Ted Kennedy (identical hairstyle, hints at womanizing, heavy drinking)