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

Est. 1985

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King of Leasts

By Jimmy Johnson

May 5, 2010


I’ve spoken about this before, but it is my understanding that Cinco de Mayo, Fifth of May, traditionally is not a big deal in Mexico, as St. Patrick’s Day is taken for granted in Ireland. The more exuberant celebrations take place in the lands of the respective diaspora, aided by the general citizenry, always up for an excuse to feast and party. I’ve always thought it ironic that Mexican restaurants in my part of the world are slammed every May 5 (except this year!) by establishment locals with no more connection to Mexico than an appreciation for Tex-Mex cooking, while the staff, mostly Mexican in origin, works its collective tails off. That’s not to say the restaurant owners and workers don’t celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I have a feeling that, for their own good reasons, they look forward to it every year. Feliz Cinco de Mayo, mis amigos, and here’s to a better 2021!


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32 responses to “King of Leasts”

  1. David in Granbury Avatar
    David in Granbury

    In the jungle, the mighty jungle…

    For Cinco de Mayo, it’s one of those occasions where any excuse for a holiday holds true. Though for it, Saint Patricks, and Mardi Gras I think the association with an excuse to drink also increases the popularity. 🙂

  2. joe d Avatar
    joe d

    Maybe we could postpone Cinco de Mayo till Cinco de July (sp?) and have a combined party for July 4?

  3. Steve From Royal Oak, MI Avatar

    Restaurants really look forward to Mother’s Day. I have seen several advertising curb side pick up on brunch. Of course if you do, you have to remember to wash any dishes… My wife’s command on her birthday or anniversary is “I don’t wash dishes!”

    I have recovered nicely from getting run over by a car. My back is nearly 100%. I still have a scab on my elbow and a slight discomfort in the uh lower cheek region. This morning when I took my shower it had bloomed a beautiful shade of purple. But is is not as sore. I am planning to walk 26.2 miles on Saturday at a local park about a mile from home. It has a lot of trees, but it also has a porta-john.

  4. Otis Avatar
    Otis

    Re: today’s gocomics

    Love this one. I’m forever reaching under her shirt (you hush now –just a little bit) when we hug. I like that bare skib connection.

    I expect she’ll start with the lotion now. ?

  5. Ray Avatar
    Ray

    Most Americans at least know that the “fourth of July” is more properly known as Independence Day, but would be hard pressed to tell you the significance of the fifth of May without looking it up. Yeah, I don’t remember either, it was some battle at some fort somewhere.

    1. Jimmy Johnson Avatar

      It was the defeat of the numerically overwhelming French army (yes, the French army) sent by Napoleon III to collect Mexico’s debt to France for its financial backing during the Mexican-American war. Napoleon III never liked the U.S. much.

  6. Terrence Feenstra Avatar
    Terrence Feenstra

    Jimmy – Would you be willing to sell me the original of today’s strip? Please, please, please! Thanks. Terry

    1. Jimmy Johnson Avatar

      Mmmmm, could be, wabbit!

  7. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Re 5-5-20 real-time cartoon: My first thought was that *hand* sanitation was the last thing Janis should have to worry about in that situation. 😉
    But in fairness to her, I myself have developed the habit of washing/sanitizing my hands every time I walk into the house, whether from the yard and from a grocery run. I suppose that’s part of the “new normal” many seem to be referencing these days.

    1. Jimmy Johnson Avatar

      I’m reluctant to jump into the fray at GoComics, but I’ll tell you guys: it’s hand lotion! Arlo’s been washing his hands umpteen times a day for six weeks.

      1. Ghost Avatar
        Ghost

        Oops! Well, I can see that. Now. 🙂
        I suspect that, due to recent events, any pump bottle has been imprinted into my brain as an image of “alcohol-based sanitizer”.

      2. Ken from Framingham Avatar
        Ken from Framingham

        I was just going to point out the controversy over at GoComics, and now I have the definite answer! I thought so!

  8. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    As far as I can recall (which, admittedly, has become a bit more of a heavy lift lately), I have never personally celebrated Cinco de Mayo. On the other hand, I celebrate good Tex-Mex food each and every time I get a chance.

    1. Jimmy Johnson Avatar

      I’m not sure how you celebrate it. I’m not going to a Mexican restaurant, to be sure. It’ll be packed with Gringos!

      1. Ghost Avatar
        Ghost

        True. But we’ve found a very good Tex-Mex cafe* in Tulsa where the lunch crowd appears to be about 75% Hispanic. Sadly, visiting there is something else the “new normal” has put at least a temporary stop to. Fortunately, over the years I have learned how to turn out fairly decent enchiladas.
        * Read, “joint”.

  9. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    From what I have read the “hand sanitizer” does not kill the virus, but I use it anyway.

  10. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    Re 5-5-20 classic cartoon: Ludwig must think Janis looks like a wildebeest from that angle. I don’t think that.

    1. Ghost Avatar
      Ghost

      Five days downstream (5-10-10) from the above classic cartoon is a *real* classic.

      1. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
        curmudgeonly ex-professor

        This is one of the few I never understood; explain, please.

        1. joe d Avatar
          joe d

          It took me a few tries to finally get it – it is a good one.

    2. Jimmy Johnson Avatar

      A haunch is a haunch!

  11. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    …And now for something completely different & immaterial:
    My MBH left our Christmas wreath hanging on the brick wall perpendicular to our front door. It remained long enough that a house wren built her nest on its top curve. Now she [the wren] has a bunch – I cannot count them all – of offspring and we are stepgrandbirdparents! Maybe she’ll reduce the local insect numbers significantly; that’d be a bonus.
    If you have a better term than “stepgrandbirdparents”, feel free to let me in on it. Perhaps, given the fact that we are octagenarians and the li’l peeps are only a week old, if that much, one might include “great-to-the-nth-power”.

    1. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
      curmudgeonly ex-professor

      In a Flemish town, why are both signs in English? Flemish – or even French – would be more appropriate. Yes, I know that a lot of people understand basic English, but the question remains.

      1. TruckerRon Avatar

        I wondered that as well… but our nation is uniquely monolingual. I still speak Japanese, slowly, and never mastered the written language past the most basic characters for navigating train stations and buses to get from A to B and doing some shopping.

  12. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Please remember May 8 – and say a prayer of thanksgiving.
    .
    .
    .
    For the youngsters – V-E Day.

  13. Steve From Royal Oak, MI Avatar

    Today’s Strip (5-6-2020) YOWSERS!!!!

  14. Bonnie from Gloucester MA Avatar
    Bonnie from Gloucester MA

    Va va voom!!! Janis is still the saucy little wench that we know and love. We know that Janis has been feeling a little insecure about aging lately (who doesn’t identify with that now and then!) but today’s strip really came out of nowhere. And the look on Arlo’s face is priceless. Well done, JJ.

    1. Jym Dyer Avatar
      Jym Dyer

      “Saucy little wench?” I think of her more as a self-tailing winch.

  15. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    I was going to do the math on Janis’s non-frumpy outfit, but I decided I respected her too much as a cartoon woman. Also, the debate over whether semi-transparent-yoga-pants-covered skin is equivalent to bare skin has not been settled.

  16. DJJG Avatar
    DJJG

    “Leo”?! Arlo called Ludwig Leo! Such a big pussy cat he was trying to be!