Over many autumns, I’ve drawn several variations of this gag set-up, including one this year. This one from 2011 is one of my favorites. The first winter after Arlo & Janis began its run in newspapers, I lived in a small cabin on the Tennessee River that was heated exclusively by a central wood-burning fireplace. I gained a wealth of knowledge about chopping wood, starting fires and banking coals, but it was the only such year. I never again lived without at least auxiliary heat, but artistically the experience served me well.
Remember: the auction of original A&J comic strips ends today at 3 p.m. CST. Simply click on the “Clearance Sale” banner above to check out the proceedings.
53 responses to “Leapin’ Lizards!”
I wouldn’t mind accidentally having them in the house so much, if I could be assured they wouldn’t somehow hop on my face in bed
My Dad decided at the age of 60, that a good way to save money was to put in a wood burning furnace, with the present oil burning furnace as a backup. He spent a tremendous amount of time finding sources of wood, splitting it, as well as getting up in the middle of the night to stoke the fire. I was scared that the chimney would catch fire and the whole house would go up in flames.
Just a couple of years later, my Mom died in a car accident and my Dad fixed up the house to sell. The family that bought it really fixed it up and I am pretty sure that the wood burner went out with the garbage.
One of my favorites, Jimmy. Surprise can make you do amazing things. I once walked face first into a large spider web and nearly took a screen door off its hinges, along with the frame it was attached to.
I live in SW Florida. During the prep for Hurricane Irma, I know at least 3 lizards made it into the house. One of them refused to leave a bench I brought in. He moved back out with the bench too. 🙂
No shortage of lizards here in west central Florida. The ones that get in the house; free cat toys.
The funniest critter experience I have had was when I was at Boy Scout summer camp with my grandson. I got up before sunrise and walked out of the tent. I had a headlamp on and I ran into a spider web just outside the door. The headlamp was pointing down and the spider was crawling back up the web that was attached to my headlamp. It wasn’t very big at first, but as it got closer to me I noticed that it was growing larger and had huge fangs dripping blood and had death in it’s eyes. I did my best kung fu moves all while trying not to scream like little girl at the top of my lungs. I barely escaped with my life…
Now, was the lizard the CAUSE of Janis losing her pants? Mayhap she was already partially disrobed [for another reason] when the li’l critter happened to scurry past.
I’ve always thought the former was what was meant by JJ; the latter thought came much later.
There is an expression “jumping out of one’s pants.” Yahoo Answers polled people and someone wrote “My BF in a good way, spiders and snakes in a bad way”
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080303073743AAMntW2
Using their monstrous nest site for a snack.
https://explore.org/livecams/raptor-resource-project/decorah-eagles-north-nest
Peace,
Seems likely the lizard ran up her pants leg. Look at how open one is in panel 3. Peace,
One of my first surprises in the Peace Corps (Philippines, post-retirement) was that House Lizards are valued. From high on a wall, they watch for the next meal (sometimes even noisily racing each other). After a few weeks I rarely noticed.
As others have stated, pretty much the same here in Florida; happily, no mosquito net required, though.
Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce: [about an unexploded bomb at the 4077] Are those the right instructions, Henry?
Lt. Col. Henry Blake: I hope so.
Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce: I hope so, too. Otherwise I’m coming back in the next life as a squirrel and run right up your pants leg!
Here in southern California, small lizards are quite common, although people who live in really urban areas probably never see them. My old cat, Gully Foyle, considered them to be great cat toys and on occasion snacks. I’m sure Leo would agree, but he isn’t allowed out, and hasn’t met any yet.
Laughing at the funny stories brought to mind by the old comic strip! As for what happened, the first panel emphasized the OLD firewood (probably infested with bugs, etc.). The second panel shows full coffee cups, to settle down with. The third panel shows Janis’s feet stretched out for the warmth of the fire, with a prominent opening in the ankle of her trousers. The lizard came in with the firewood, woke up, ran to the hiding place in the pants, that’s when she ripped off the pants and ran screaming, I imagine, up the stairs. I might do the same myself — a story for later.
Wood only gets burned in outdoor fireplaces at my nkuse. Per me and my insurance company.
In Oklahoma we get recluse spiders, black widows, skinks and snakes, mice in wood piles.
I have had logs in my fireplace.
Just read Monty comic who got bitten by an angry squirrel today in a Christmas tree. Funny given the Hawkeye comment above.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwzH716KfE0
Auction ended and I won the two strips I wanted. Thank you Jimmy. My Christmas gift to me.
Jimmy, I got my first choice, but I do have some acute pangs of regret over the “Sweater Girl” that got away, as well as the oddly compelling “Pound of Feathers.”
Ken, Jackie pleads innocent for denying you your two choices. Hers were two others. 🙂
A Simple Little Christmas Story
Jackie and I have decided to make this a simple but very happy Christmas for us. Much of our time has been taken up with travelling back and forth to doctor appointments and treatment sessions. Fortunately, the music subscription service we have in all the vehicles is running special holiday music channels, and we have been able to listen to hours of beautiful Christmas music as we travel.
However, there is one song she cannot abide, and she changes the channel every time it comes up in the rotation, regardless of the artist performing it. A short while ago as I was returning with Dickens from his grooming session, I heard a previously unheard version, and said to myself, “Self, she’s gonna like this one.” (As you recall in yesterday’s discussion, she mentioned listening to Cajun music on AM radio back in the day.) I just played it for her, and I was right…she loved it. So, here is, as far as I recall, the Village’s first holiday song of this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW_cRlRtE3I
LOL. Jackie, I agree that’s the only version of that song I would willingly listen to.
We of good taste agree.
went to fla to see patriots play this past weekend `yuk
came home today to single digit wind chill in boston yuk again
missed auction yuk again
looks like Janis has her granny undies on in frame 4.. what were they doing?
Much too high-cut at the sides to be “granny panties”, by my lights.