The Very First Shoe Book

Avon, 1978-11-01. Paperback. Good. Avon Books [Published Date: 1978]. Soft cover, 121 pp. Stated First Avon Books Printing, November 1978. In good condition. Illustrated paper covers have light bumping and creasing to edges and corners and light overall scuffing, aging and soiling. Binding tight. Pages lightly aged but otherwise unmarked. NOT Ex-Library. NO remainder marks. Black and white and color illustrations [From Foreword] When we first asked Jeff MacNelly to develop a comic strip for us, his laconic reply was. "I've got enough to do." And so he did - a daily editorial cartoon, spot art for his newspaper, illustrations for a syndicated feature. In the cartooning business, his regimen was more than a full plate. It was a groaning board. It is a commonplace observation in the arts, however, that the most talented people are the most productive people, and the easiest to work with. And so it proved to be with Jeff. He took to Shoe like, well, a bird to flight. As fuzzy notions were translated into stunning reality by his drawings, we found ourselves saying repeatedly. "That's it exactly!" The family of characters grew and prospered - P. Martin Shoemaker, the Perfesser, Loon, Roz, Irving Seagull, and the rest. Shoe made its debut on September 12, 1977. Since then it has spread around the world, appearing now in 440 newspapers. In this short span of life, it has become the most popular new comic strip in years. Its sly sophistication and anthropomorphic magic seem to appeal to readers of all ages, in all circumstances. I suspect that, 122 pages hence, you will understand why. Happy Landings!