Alphonse and Gaston

Alphonse and Gaston were early American comic stars created by Frederick Burr Opper in 1901. A pair of exceedingly polite French men (physically contrasting in the fashion later associated with Mutt and Jeff), they appeared in recurring single panels in Hearst newspapers. Their trademark was their obsession with etiquette, bowing courteously to each other: "After you, my dear Alphonse." "No, after you, my dear Gaston." 
In their prime, the characters were adapted to silent films and the stage. They later appeared mostly as guest or supporting characters in Opper's other strips (like Happy Hooligan) before fading by the 1920s. Their trademark politeness was later borrowed by the Goofy Gophers in the Looney Tunes shorts.
==References==
* When Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleupagus realize they can't both enter Snuffy's cave at the same time in Episode 1585, Big Bird bows and says "After you, my dear Alphonso."
* The gag is reused in the home video release Big Bird's Story Time.
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Category:Comics References