Family Circus: Will you open this, Mommy? I'm not sure it's done enough to eat.

This cartoon is hilarious because Jeffy wants to know whether the banana is ripe or not.

Also, there's something about the way the banana is situated in the center of the panel, set against the stark white background that strikes me as oddly compelling. It's as though the banana is not just a banana. It is a source of life. More than that, it is a totem of sorts, representing not just a source of life, but the source of life. And Jeffy, Thel, the dog licking its lips and, yes, us, we all revolve around it. I dare say, I think Billy may have found the central symbol of his new religious system, if only he's paying attention.