Four Color #176

In this 1947 humor tale from Four Color #176, Mac’s latest invention—a machine that makes ice—leads him into an unlikely partnership with a doctor chasing his own sandwich-making dream. Together, they open a skating rink, hiring Spike Etaks as instructor, but Mac’s plans start to slide when he notices Spike spending more time skating with Tillie than running the rink.

Tillie’s determined to impress Mrs. Biltops by baking a cake for her sale, but her usual crutch—her mother’s help—is gone. With her baking attempts going hilariously wrong, she turns to Mac, who’s never baked a thing but might just have a knack for turning disaster into dessert.

Tillie Jones sees musical potential in Mac and rallies him into forming a band, with herself as the lead singer and Mac writing their first tune, "Pick a Paper Hat." As their rehearsals grow louder and more chaotic, the group is repeatedly kicked out of their members' homes—until they finally find a new stage in a barn, where the music can finally take flight.