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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

No Present Like the Time

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
You’ll remember this recent A&J episode. I hope you will! It appeared last month in newspapers. No, I’m not quite that hard-up for classic strips yet, but I want to illustrate something. This is why I can’t get ahead of deadlines, no matter how much I’d like to or how hard I try. The work expands to fill the time allotted! I first drew this yawner at a leisurely pace, well ahead of my weekly deadline, except I wasn’t quite satisfied with it. I didn’t like the last panel, which originally was this:

Janis’ body language was off slightly, and body language, to a comic, is almost as important as the written language. Oh, it was close. Under the pressure of deadline, I would have let it pass, but given the time, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I drew a fifth panel, to replace the above. So, I spent an arguably inordinate amount of time fretting about this one strip, and the next thing you know I’m racing to finish the others. Business as usual. By now, you’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking: I’d be a better cartoonist if I’d only take more time with my work. Well, that’s another topic, albeit related.

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74 responses to “No Present Like the Time”

  1. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Lady Mindy, one doesn’t even to particularly believe in the existence of Hell to hope there will be a special place in it for people like that.

    And if you can’t yell at friends when you need to yell, who can you yell at?

  2. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    I’m so sorry, Mindy, that they were denied the chance to be with her. The husband and children truly have a bizarre notion of relationships and love.

  3. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Mindy from Indy, my condolences to your aunt. It sometimes seems like that kind of illness brings out the absolute worst in people. Hang in there, and don’t let these people drag you down. We know you aren’t yelling at us, just in our presence, because you trust us. Thank you for that.

  4. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    You tell’m Mindy.

  5. Galliglo in Ohio Avatar
    Galliglo in Ohio

    Mindy, I am not eloquent… So – love, hugs, and prayers…

  6. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Mindy we are ALL family – you yell as loud and as often as you need in our presence.
    I thought I heard an atmospheric disturbance about the time you posted.

    I’ve learned…. That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the
    strength to help him in some other way. AR

  7. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    emb, it’s 48 degrees and the sun is up on Abbey Road. People are out jogging and riding bikes to work. I never see Bobbies on bicycles as Roger Miller said. I wonder if they don’t do that anymore.

  8. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe 😉 Because I felt like I needed a Knopfler moment.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo-J1wf2KHc

  9. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers….

    Indy Mindy, you vent all you want….we’re fam damily, remember? I am sorry for your loss and sorry that your aunt and her 94 year old mother were not allowed to be there…some people are just born to be a$$holes. Sp, like Gal, love, hugs and prayers from me to you.

    Jerry, I can’t top Denise’s answer (pun intended)…and Mark’s too.

    And I learned something from Steve today regarding roosters…..thanks, never knew that.

    GR 😉 love “Sultans of Swing”, out of curiosity, I Wiki’d it and also learned some interesting factoids. Check it out, guitar George…..

    So, The Boss finally gets things moving by sending in his main man, got the augers all in sync, we’re down to 17 fans being down, nothing like a catastrophe to pull one’s head out of their a$$.

    Thanks cxp for keeping us updated, copied and pasted, on emb. Great memories there.

    gotta go

    ya’ll have a blessed day

    =^…^=

  10. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    I was just thinking about Roger Miller the other day, Jerry!

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