First appearing in Al Capp's Li'l Abner comic strip in August 1948, the oddly shaped (and happily edible) Shmoo creature became anovernight phenomenon, spawning an unprecedented merchandising frenzy in the late40s and 50s. As part of the Dark Horse Archives series, all Shmoonewspaper strip appearances and storylines are being collected for the firsttime ever in a deluxe, oversized hardcover.In addition to every weeklyand Sunday Shmoo newspaper appearance from 1948 to 1976, this collection alsofeatures rare Al Capp photographs and Shmoo illustrations from its marketingheyday. It also has a brand-new wraparound cover by renowned illustrator PetePoplaski, as well as an introduction and story annotations by certifiedShmoo-ologist Denis Kitchen.