Now that I have your attention, take a look at this old comic strip from 1985, less than six weeks after the debut of Arlo & Janis. Don’t the characters look weird? But that’s not why I’m showing you this particular strip. I’m showing you this strip, because it is the only A&J strip ever changed or rejected by syndicate editors because of risqué content. United Media editors in New York struck the words “without a bra.” Apparently, other cartoonists have groaning file drawers filled with material rejected by an editor for salaciousness, and the annoyed cartoonists take their revenge by publishing this forbidden material on their own Web sites, to the delight of readers. If you believe my reputation, you would think that I would have the groaningest file drawers of all. I am sorry to disappoint you. I am at a loss to explain this.
Arlo & Janis, Uncensored!
By Jimmy Johnson
Recent Posts
Ghost of Christmas Past
This holiday Arlo & Janis comic strip from 2022 is similar in concept to the new strip that ran yesterday. I thought the latter ...
Spearhead
I have produced a number of comic strips related to Veteran’s Day. Especially in latter years, I have tried to emphasize the universal experience ...
Dark Passage
Remember: it’s that weekend. The return to standard time can be a bit of a shock in the late afternoon, but I rather enjoy ...
What’s old is old, again
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to build a web site, but there are similarities. Everything needs to be just right, or ...
Back to the ol’ drawing board
I don’t have a lot of time this morning. I wasn’t going to post anything, but I’m tired of looking at that old photograph ...
Thursday’s Child
On Sunday, I teased you with the suggestion there are more changes coming here. There are. They will appear soon, and I think you’ll ...
266 responses to “Arlo & Janis, Uncensored!”
today’s grin
http://cheezburger.com/8503620608
Today’s A&J is spot on even with the wife and I in our 70’s.
Mark, while you can’t fix stupid , in certain cases it’s a one time occurance.
sandcastler(tm), I guess you could say it fixed itself. That’s why those books about The Darwin Awards are popular.
Mark, a system theorist might call it a self submerging system.
Ghost Sweetie, I have no doubt that you could out-do Harlan any time! 😉
It’s funny that you should post the Raymond J Johnson Jr video just now, as my sister mentioned it the other day, and we were trying to remember all the names in it. And yes, 9CL is indeed insipid. I wonder why I’m still reading it.
Mindy, as a friend of mine says, breathe in, breathe out, move on. Hugs.
Thank you, Jean dear!
Nor can I tell you why I still look in on 9CL, other than it’s possibly an example of Hope triumphing over Experience…which is what some say about second marriages, but I wouldn’t know about that. 🙂
But seriously, how could one build a story arc around teenage sexual fantasies and make it dull?
Lady Mindy, as one who has undergone transitions of ownership twice (which was two too many) in my work career, I feel your pain.
Indeed.
http://media.cagle.com/142/2014/06/05/149394_600.jpg
Mindy from Indy, from one who has been there, you will make it through this. In 12 years, I worked for 5 security companies. When one gets too bad, the competition takes over the contract and they then cherry-pick who gets offered a position. So I was a constant while the employers were the revolving door. I worked through one company buy-out, which took place after the head of the company assured the president of our division that we would never be sold. (That company head is now enjoying a long stay at a Federal steel-bar hotel). And some other things later that I won’t talk about here. Believe me, just stick it out and things will get better.
As long as you can order delivery meals those federal hotels are not too bad. Loon swears there is even one for women that has a golf course.
Today’s real-time strip can be in A&J, Uncensored!
I saw Harlan last month at LASFS. He’s just as sharp and interesting as ever, but he’s using a walker because of his stroke. So’s Jerry Pournelle, who was in the audience. BTW, for all of you remembering D-Day today, remember that two days ago was the anniversary of Midway. Just two years and two days separate the two, and without the first, we may not have been able to assign enough resources to Europe to make the second work.
I never fail to watch those guys jumping out of the landing craft into water over their head, wearing 100 lbs of gear and knowing that if they don’t drown they are likely to be shot before they got to the beach without wondering how they did that. The greatest generation is an understatement. I used to know lots of WWII vets. Now I don’t know any. Cherish them if you do.
Sideburns, I’m confused by your statement re D-day and Midway. Midway predated D-Day, but your comment implies that D-Day made Midway possible. I believe it should be the other way around. Also, thank the radio intercept and codebreakers who made our plans at Midway possible. They are the ones who found out who, what and where so we could be ready for them, and even then our poor quality equipment almost defeated us anyway.
OB, I agree–the Village is good.
On reflection, I can’t really understand why editors in 1985 would have had a problem with the phrase “without a bra” (or would have thought readers would have had a problem with it). Even prior to then, I can recall walking down the streets of San Francisco once and remarking to my companion that I would hate to have to try to make a living there selling bras. She agreed.
Oh, but you say, that was not in fly-over America. Well, in the same time frame I can remember attending business conventions in the Deep South (which was about as fly-over as you could get at that time) and noticing that among attendees from the area the below photo is a good illustration of what was considered a proper length skirt for business attire by women well into their 40’s.
http://www.fashionimal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/fashion-of-the-80s-mini-skirt.jpg
I still have pictures I made at some of those meetings which show that at least half of the skirts were actually worn even shorter.
Don’t feel as if I stop by often enough for my vote to count, but whatever you all decide, it will likely stay “the Village” in my heart.
I am too young for WWII, just turning 65 this year (and isn’t Medicare enrollment a trip!) but I often wonder if I would be brave enough to have been a part of it. Amazing men and women who achieved miracles! They have my gratitude and respect. Two great museums in my area – one in New Orleans (WWII museum) and one in Fredricksburg, TX (Museum of the Pacific War). There’s also one in Houston (in TX we pronounce it H-You-Stun) that I haven’t had the chance to visit as yet.
My generation was the Vietnam War, celebrating its 50th anniversary. Probably more unappreciated heroes from this war than from any other. They also have my gratitude and respect. The peace we enjoy today has a big price tag.
Judy, my brother lives in the Hill Country outside Fredericksburg, we have visited the museum there twice, and there is much that we still haven’t had time to see. Well worth a visit indeed.
News from Jackie! She has had a wonderful trip to BC, there will be a column about it in the magazine soon, she misses us, and I am to tell Ghost that she is down 76 pounds and still losing! Yay!
Mark, I wrote that without the first, we may not have been able to assign enough forces to Europe for the second. As only D-Day took place in Europe, that implies that it was the second. Sorry if I confused you.
I’d also like to point out that our basic strategy in WW II was “Get Hitler first.” That means that the Pacific Theater never had top priority until VE Day, but we still managed to create the biggest fleet of ships that the world has ever seen, not counting what was in the Atlantic.
Ghost: And we had to have very good posture with those skirts!
Judy, when I turned 65, I found myself enrolled in Medicare Plan D and funds being taken from my Social Security “check” to pay for it. I get all of my medical care from the VA, meaning that I don’t have any need for any part of Medicare. I had to go down to the Social Security office, fill out the paperwork and wait for over two months to get that stopped, and there’s no way I’ll ever get that money back. Not everybody wants (or even needs) Medicare, but it’s a matter of opting out of certain parts of it. Once you’re old enough you’re stuck with it until you complain. I know how great it is for those who need it, but I do wish that they’d ask about Plan D instead of just sticking you with it. (If nothing else, send out a form you can use to opt out, with a warning that you’ll be enrolled unless you send back the form.)
Does anyone else here enjoy “Adventures in Odyssey”? I accidentally found it on an AM station in Oregon while hauling newsprint south to Los Angeles; have been hooked since.
American Pharoah did it!
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=34958078