Oddly Compelling: The Denis Kitchen Story

The shmoo (plural: shmoos, also shmoon) is a fictional cartoon creature created by Al Capp, which first appeared in the comic strip Li'l Abner on August 31, 1948. Shmoos are described as cute bowling-pin-shaped creatures that breed exponentially, consume nothing, and eagerly provide everything that humankind wants. They are said to love humans so much they live only to serve them, producing milk (bottled) and eggs (packaged). If glanced at with hunger, they die of sheer happiness to be eaten, and taste like pork when roasted, chicken when fried, and steak when broiled. The character created a fad that lasted into the 1950s, including merchandise, songs, fan clubs, and appearances on magazine covers. The parable of the shmoo has been interpreted in many different ways, both at the time and in later analysis.