A pithy comic strip about life, love, lust and puthy cats.

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Paw and Kitty

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
Welcome to what I’m calling “Thursday,” for lack of anything better. I’ve told you this before, but it has been a while. I think one of the best comic strips ever was “Polly and Her Pals,” by Cliff Sterrett. It began in 1912, and ran throughout the golden age of newspaper comics. Admittedly, it wasn’t always the funniest or most subtle of strips, but it should be noted that subtly was not a hallmark of the era. It was, however, one of the most graphically arresting, inventive and funnily drawn comic strips ever. The strip began life as a “pretty-girl” strip, featuring young Polly Perkins. Pretty-girl strips were a recognized and common genre of comic strips from the birth of comics through the 1960s. If you’ve ever seen early examples of Sterrett’s strips you would agree that some of Polly’s diaphanous fashions were graphically arresting indeed. However, her father Paw and his cat Kitty eventually took over the strip, as comic sidekicks are wont to do. I mention all this, and show you the above example, because I like to think of Arlo’s relationship with Ludwig as homage to the relationship of Paw and Kitty. Long after the advent of Ludwig, my Karmic reward was my cat “Boot,” who actually follows me all around the house and yard, as silent and as faithful as Kitty.

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123 responses to “Paw and Kitty”

  1. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Ghost, I wonder what the rest of that story was? From reading the story it doesn’t sound like a random act. Good thing for them, none of the other people mom threatened was armed with a handgun. Smith & Wesson beats a tire iron.

  2. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    Where but the Village would you in a single day come across: alligator meat, colonoscopies, diaphragms, seismic eruptions, vintage cartoons, and hip checking mother-daughter gangs. 😉

  3. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    Jackie has gone missing again. Maybe she is busy with all her other stuff, or more likely, her computer isn’t co operating out there on the road. Thinking of you, Jackie, and hoping all is going okay.

    That dad-blasted diaphraghm was the most aggravating and finicky method of birth control. We went without it when we thought we could get away with it … which must be why we have seven children. We — I — love them dearly and wouldn’t give any of them back. They are in their 50s also. We have twin girls, one of the “accidents” — thank heavens; they have been a joy.

  4. Jym Avatar
    Jym

    I’ve always loved _Polly_and_Her_Pals_, which I’ve only read in classic comic strip compilations, and the rendering of the cat is a big part of it. There’s really no resemblance to Krazy Kat except that both are done with a brush; this Kitty has something more feline going on, crossed with Sterrett’s bigfoot style.

  5. TruckerRon Avatar

    This dance number sent me running for the Kleenex™ box:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jvEniCbOJQ

  6. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Jackie is on road yet, but in motel in Tillman’s Corner near base. No one in uniform but lots of bars and t..s nearby, Cold. Back in minute.

  7. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    We once went to a management retreat at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear AL, and our boss told one of my fellow managers she would have to stay at a motel in Tilman’s Corner. She claimed she had honeymooned there but also claimed to not remember for which marriage.

  8. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Our honeymoon was at The Grand.

  9. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Tillman’s Corner – The Gateway to Theodore

    How’d you end up there, via New Orleans?

  10. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Did you cross the Huey P. Narrow bridge?

  11. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    This is not moving as fast as Garmin said it would but I have obviously. slowed down. Got late start and stopped for a late lunch, got to Blue Dog Cafe two minutes before kitchen cut off the gas to grill but got seated anyway, I am sweet old senior. Bartender female is waitperson/bartender at lunch, wants to be a wine rep. We got good service, I had my help tour the “museum’ and I ordered her catfish with crawfish etoufee topping, neither of which she had ever heard of nor tasted. Rodrigue died last year, his work will go up I am sure but painting over bar back is valued at around $160 thousand, that is. Don’t throw any beer bottles in there!

    Hit horrible slow slow crawling traffic which reminds me of why I hate I-10 and street signs are still not replaced in most of coast and sand is still piled high on rural side roads. Are you lucky
    to have houses and the coast seems to be bounding back finally but it was dark.

    Again avoided eating dessert, rice and bread, butter but blew calories on a despicable bad late breakfast/night in honor of Lewis Grizzard and Alabama, Mistake. Were lives not at stake I would eat better and stop an see some of y’all.

    Love, Jackie

  12. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    On the way back don’t stop in P’cola. Last week they raided 2 different houses that had about 100 cats each, not counting the dead ones.

  13. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Does any one here actually eat gator? I don’t know anyone from Louisiana who does but will poll the crew of Cajun males who cook for us at the Franklin Louisiana Bayou Teche wooden boat show. So far never seen any but they do lots of stuff like homemade boudain, sausage, courtebouillon and fresh cracklings in giant kettle and 50 gallons of oil. That is in April and fun event.

  14. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Think I’d take some, right. Jackie’s Cat House.

  15. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    From what I heard there are probably no survivors. The pictures of the houses were unbelievable. Once the home was empty the neighbors burned one of them down.

  16. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    My Cajun buddy prepares Alligator Sauce Piquante all the time. He undoubtedly has some stashed in his freezer. I’d FedEx you some, but he went out of town today and I’m not sure when he’ll be back.

  17. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    See where Jackie has been…

    http://www.bluedogcafe.com/

  18. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Is his name Amos Moses?

  19. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    See where Jackie is…

    http://tillmanscornerchamber.com/

  20. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Nah, he eats the gators, not vice versa.

  21. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    That’s the one Mark, about 45 minutes south of Thibodeaux, La.

  22. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Don’t forgot Ghost. He didn’t have a left hand.

  23. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Jackie, you are right there at the aforementioned Bass Pro shop if you want to try their gator. Hope you like it spicy though.

  24. sideburns Avatar

    Ghost, I used to know a man who declined an invitation to a management retreat on the grounds that he was planning to advance that day.