MAX THE MOUSE

Cressey's flavorless, faux-naive silly business begins when Mrs. Cat finds an enormous mouse in her oven and the whole cat family freaks out in fright. But when a masked black-cat burglar comes down the chimney, Max the Mouse chases it away and the cats and mice (Max's family) share cream cheese and crackers. The fact that the cats are unclothed and go round on all fours makes them seem more like pets in the house than rightful tenants--but Cole's cartoons are too standardized to make anything of the incongruity.