From March of 1996, still on the phone. Many of your comments yesterday were interesting. I know we have had a similar conversation before, but these days I am contemplating doing something more, or different, with the “second cast” of A&J. Bill Bickel’s suggestion was a good one: turn the Sunday strip over to Gene, et al. As he noted, this would not be unprecedented in the history of newspaper comics. “Buz Sawyer and His Pal Roscoe Sweeney” springs immediately to my mind. When I was a boy reading The Atlanta Journal, I preferred the humorous Sunday antics of Roscoe and his “Baby Sister” to the daily adventures of Navy pilot Buz Sawyer. However, there are a couple of problems as far as A&J and Gene are concerned. The lives of the coast people have been a continuing kind of story. To confine them to a single day, even a Sunday, would change all that, I think. More important, this solution is very “old school” in a time when the industry is reading tea leaves and pushing the envelope. Apropos, Neal in Bawstun suggested making the adventures of Gene and Mary Lou into a Web-only comic. I think that is a good suggestion, too. (My editor Reed just choked on his morning croissant.)
50 responses to “The Egghead”
88° today, 67° forecast for the morrow. Have to love this season, take it off, put it on.
Like the current character rotation in the strip. Reminds me of our house where most days it just us five; with the occasional visit by the extended family and friends. Rather see a return of Arlo’s sailing dreams/fantasies, nothing wrong with Walter Mitty(isms).
Yes, bring back the boat. And a sailing tee shirt. I miss the boats.
We had wind warnings yesterday on coast, tonight it’s fog. I haven’t looked at tomorrow. But water is short distance from cottages.
Hope all of you are safe tonight, especially Mississippi, Alabama, Florida I think getting severe.
Debbe, talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time: https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtl1/v/t1.0-0/s480x480/12742019_964583500304891_4936333553670933682_n.jpg?oh=40275ad0710c9e68b295820a18b2e82c&oe=5789F3F3
Closest rain is Montgomery. Prediction for midnight is a no-show.
Mark, that is hilarious.
emb, I want to suggest a book named “Charlatan” by Pope Brock.
Debbe 😉 If that “pontoon boat, a lake, and a semi full moon many years ago on a clear night” and the song reference combine to mean what I think it does, hubba hubba, hon! 😉
I hope no stranger was watching from the shore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jzx664u5DA
emb -etal
There was a plaque somewhere in The Cities showing
45* 00′ 00″ don’t know if it is still there.
GR6
One of my all time favorites from my favorite Licorice Stick player
like him better than Benny G even.
Thanks
They don’t seem to have much rain here. More like dust and drought. My poor pickup is covered, salt too. Dickens and I woke to what we thought was rain or hail but was plumbing it seems.
Good morning Villagers…
And, it’s my day….everyone should have their own day and mine is April Fool’s Day 🙂
Mark, choked on my coffee on that one, saved it to my screen saver….very funny, thanks!
I wish Mother Nature would make her mind up….down to the mid 30’s tonight, high today…50 something.
Flossie, you nailed it!
Now I want a croissant with REAL butter, but will settle for an English muffin with peanut butter and a Hazelnut/chocolate cream smeared on it….yum.
Ya’ll have a blessed day….
Sandcastler…good to see you feeling better, or are you?
GR 😉 it was a private audience…almost married that guy, until he mentioned prenup..till death do us part is what I believe in….and I could make that happen 🙂 I showed him the door.
Another earworm I woke up to…there is something Freudian going on during my sleep and I can’t remember my dreams….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b35SkJdDGV4
…got milk
http://cheezburger.com/8584239616
Sandcastler,
I actually caught myself in the grocery a few days ago muttering “puppy-biscuit.” I was not, however, carrying a Walther PPK.
Happy 1 April ’16.
http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/
Jerry and Debbe, somebody sent me that pic on Facebook. I thought it was too good not to share here. Glad you liked it.
Debbe 😉 Yeah, nothing says “love and devotion” like “prenuptial agreement”…not.
Some occupations get a very bad name. Being a sports agent has to be one of them. Everybody thinks they’re greedy and dishonest.
When I attended Purdue I became friends with one of the basketball players who also lived in my dorm. He also came from Fort Wayne so he would come and read my daily FW newspaper that I had delivered. He was a great guy and friend who later became an agent. His name was Eugene Parker.
Last night Gene passed away at age of 60. He died as one of the most successful Sports agents in the business. And he was honest
I agree with everyone who said stuff like “It’s your strip”. However, just a thought: When you portray the coast people recently, you seem to feel it is important to connect them to A&J. You know, they are visiting, they are phoning, etc. If it makes it any easier, I don’t see that as necessary. Just as an example, look at Doonesbury and the end of the original For Better or for Worse. Many story lines that sometimes connect, but not always.
BTW, I would also cite as a “Sunday is different” strip “Non Sequitor”. But I agree that one day a week would be sad for the coast folks. I’d rather see a coast storyline for a while and then an ‘inland’ story line. Or if you just had 1-day gags, then I would have no problem with interspersing them. But then, I’m not thinking up the gags and drawing them.
Continued thanks for WHATEVER you choose to do!
I don’t see any problem with varying subject matter in the strip… both “casts” are part of the same continuity, and it is fun keeping up with everyone. I’d much rather have you write humor about whichever group you’re more interested in on a given day than force it on just the main cast when you’re not inspired.
P.S. As a thirty-something from the South, your strip is the most consistently enjoyable in all the funny pages. My dad’s favorite, too.
As a senior Southern woman I have given up all strips except this one. They just don’t make me laugh much any more. JJ does.
Jackie, so you are looking for Roger Rabbit?
emb
Madam Butterfly on MPR Saturday
All you others will have to listen on line.
http://www.classicalmpr.org/listen
Sat. noon CDT
This is hilarious
Anna Russell: The Ring Cycle: An Analysis
Anna Russell, voice and piano/The Anna Russell Album
Sony 47252 (21:50)
Also had Spike Jones
Alan Sherman – Hello Mudder
Listen here – the whole program is an hour.
http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2011/04/01/april_fools