on this U.S. postage stamp, the Skipper, a white-bearded conductor on an electric trolly, throws out an anchor to help pull the trolly up Homan’s Hill

Toonerville FolksFontaine Fox

The situation

In his one-panel gags, Fox doesn’t need to tell a story, since the humor is in the situation as seen looking down from a distance so that his children look almost like insects.

Repertory company

The Skipper, who runs the small electric trolley to meet all the trains. Mickey (Himself) McGuire, who commands his side of the tracks. The Terrible-Tempered Mr. Bang, who lashes out at any annoyance. Egbert the Ogre, with a face that could stop a clock. Aunt Eppie Hogg, the fattest woman in three counties. “Teeny” Tompkins, the world’s smallest football player. “Snake Tongue” Tompkins. Little Woo Woo Wortle who has never been spanked. “Flytrap” Finnegan. “Two Cane Tillie,” the famous horsewoman. “Snag” Sanders, the famous mustache artist. “Sneezer” Wilkins, the world’s worst hay-fever sufferer. Granpa Sims, the hidebound Republican. Flem Proddy, local inventor. Ert Wimp, motorcycle patrolman. “Hee-Haw” Hoskins. “Handle-bar” Hank. Uncle “Chew” Wilson, the two-quid man. Old Man Eustace with his camouflaged bean shooter. Cynthia (Nosey) Snoop, got a boil on her nose from sticking it into everybody’s business. Everyone knows small towns are full of odd and unique characters, but Toonerville has more than many, almost like stick figures in loose-fitting clothes with their ears flapping.

The Skipper

The Skipper, who runs the Toonerville Trolley that meets all trains, sporting an engineer’s hat and corncob pipe protruding from a bulbous nose hanging over a bushy beard, plays the saxophone in time with the trolley’s groans and squeaks.

Flem Proddy

Added a third wheel to Uncle Ben Whortle’s velocipede, invented a machine to put top soil into second story window boxes. Also a snow-ball throwing crossbow and mud-guarding disks that encircle the ankles.

Mickey (Himself) Roonie a.k.a. McGuire

Mickey played the town bully, Mickey, in the movies, when movies were silent, but the cartoonist wasn’t silent; he sued, so Mickey took the name Roonie.

Punctuation

Spoken lines always end with exclamation points. Large loopy question marks appear over the heads of observers.