In a message dated 7/25/01 3:02:51 AM, bpremack@WAVETECH.NET writes:

<< I vaguely recalled that Al

Capp's newspaper comic strip L'il Abner had some loveable creatures that

were called Schmoos.  They resembled an overstuffed pillow (sort of like 3

huge marshmellows), with a flexible body about 2' to 3' tall.  Their

personality was in accord with their appearance, devoid of any

distinguishing characteristics, but blandly mellow. >>

Budd,

I was once an ardent reader of L'il Abner; with a regularly featured
character like Daisy Mae, what pubescent boy wasn't?!  (For those unfortunate
enough, i.e., too young, to have missed this daily dose of titillation, Daisy
Mae was a terminally nubile hillbilly girl who overflowed her skimpy,
tattered, clinging blouse and painted-on short shorts) I have a peripheral
recollection of the Schmoo, but I would not call them lovable.  Repellent is
more like it.  With all deference to Dr. Hunter S. Thompson who coined the
phrase, they resembled Sausage Creatures.  Inexplicably, if I am not
mistaken, they only had eyes and no mouths, ears nor appendages.

Al Capp was an unrepented fa-a-a-a-r right winger, but I can't remember if
his politics ever wafted into his "art".

Rich