History ComicStrip / Shoe

A [[PrintLongRunners long-running]] newspaper comic strip begun in 1977 by Jeff [=MacNelly=], ''Shoe'' 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.

* ToothyBird: Any of the characters can exhibit this trait, depending on facial expression.

* FullyDressedCartoonAnimal: Most of the cast, except for Cosmo (who is a HalfDressedCartoonAnimal in his normal attire, though he sometimes wears pants too), and the title character and Loon (who are AccessoryWearingCartoonAnimals).

A [[PrintLongRunners long-running]] newspaper comic strip begun in 1977 by Jeff [=MacNelly=], '''''Shoe''''' 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.

* FullyDressedCartoonAnimal: Most of the cast, except for Cosmo (who is a HalfDressedCartoonAnimal in his normal attire, though he sometimes wears pants too), and the he title character and Loon (who are AccessoryWearingCartoonAnimals).

* FullyDressedCartoonAnimal: The Perfesser, Roz, and some secondary characters. Nearly everyone else wears only shoes and/or accessories.

** Though Belfrey's stupidity could cross ideological lines. In one strip, his support of cuts to basic researchled the "Concerned Scientists of Planet Earth" to immerse him in a virtual reality version of the future. In other words, they slammed a full trash can over his head.

[=MacNelly=] worked on this strip and his lesser-known second strip, ''ComicStrip/{{Pluggers}}'', in addition to doing illustrations for DaveBarry 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''.

A [[PrintLongRunners 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.

* NonMammalMammaries: Occurs with every female bird that's ever appeared in the strip. Quoth TheComicsCurmudgeon:

[=MacNelly=] worked on this strip and his lesser-known second strip, ''{{Pluggers}}'', in addition to doing illustrations for DaveBarry 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''.

* FreudianSlip: In one strip, a female character and her husband honeymooned at "Viagra... I mean, Niagara Falls."

!Tropes present:

* BigEater: Older strips made Cosmo out to be this.
** A 2013 strip had Cosmo saying he has tried to lose his weight since July 4, 1958.

* NerdGlasses: Skyler

* AnthropomorphicShift: 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.

* JeopardyIntelligenceTest: In one strip, one character is watching Jeopardy! and getting all the answers right, but at the end another character leans over and says, "What is 'rerun'?"

* IAmNotShazam: Many readers have thought that the "Perfessor" is Shoe, as he is a bit more prominent than the actual title character.