Elsie the Cow Comics #1 (1949)

In the whimsical world of Elsie the Cow Comics, Elmer the Lion-Hearted enters the country club's costume ball with a wildly impractical, self-designed suit that’s more obstacle than outfit—leading to a series of hilarious mishaps as he struggles to move, sit, and even sleep in it. Meanwhile, his daughter Elsie scrambles to find a costume of her own, eventually settling on a Hawaiian princess look inspired by a pineapple, only to face new challenges when her own outfit goes awry. The story follows their chaotic preparations with slapstick flair, building up to the big night with a parade of absurd costumes and escalating physical comedy.

When Elmer accidentally shrinks himself to mouse size after fiddling with a chemistry set, he flees to the mouse colony to avoid being seen by Elsie and the kids—only to be mistaken for a spy and nearly captured. After a series of mishaps and a surprising turn of events, he earns a second chance by promising to bring back better food, all while secretly planning to destroy the set that caused his predicament.

Elmer, convinced he’s smarter than the Longhorns, enters the wildly popular quiz show *Take It or Else* to prove it—only to panic when he can’t recall the answer to a joke question he’d memorized. As the game’s rules force contestants to either win or lose their belongings, Elmer’s confidence crumbles when the very joke he planned to use against Longhorn backfires spectacularly.

In "The Mattress," Elmer the cow can't sleep, leading his family to consult a series of increasingly absurd doctors—each prescribing bizarre, escalating treatments. After being told his problem lies in his soft mattress, Elmer tries every remedy, only to end up mysteriously missing one morning, prompting a frantic search that reveals a surprising twist.

Jo, a young cow, watches in disbelief as her father, Herbert, boasts about lifting a massive dumbbell—only to reveal it’s actually a lightweight prop. When his girlfriend Beulah arrives and he effortlessly lifts it, Jo bursts in with the truth, exposing Herbert’s fake strength. The story ends with Jo smirking as her father’s cover is blown, leaving the gym with a mix of embarrassment and quiet triumph.

In a lighthearted moment, Beauregard stumbles upon a mysterious hunk of glass and convinces himself it’s a wishing glass capable of revealing tomorrow’s fortunes—much to Lefty’s amusement. As he tries to convince a skeptical friend to buy it for a dime, the glass remains stubbornly silent, leaving Beauregard to wonder if it’s truly magic or just a piece of junk.