OK, so this comic strip from December of last year isn’t exactly “rare.” It’s Arlo and Janis sitting on the sofa, for cryin’ out loud. However, there is something out of the ordinary going on here. Can you tell what it is? That’s right! In the third panel, Arlo’s dialog runs to four lines. It is an unwritten rule here (where all rules are unwritten!) that dialog in a comic strip not run for more than three lines. You’d be surprised how easy this really is. Dialog tends to be terse and to the point, and much of what I write is dialog. I believe punchy dialog actually lends authenticity; remember that, would-be comic strip artists, and writers of all stripes.
I bring up dialog, because I periodically get emails from readers who complain (always nicely!) that they have a particularly difficult time reading the text in Arlo & Janis. I don’t doubt they have problems. Newspapers so reduce all comic strips these days that they’ve become almost impossible to read, particularly for the demographic that is keeping newspapers afloat. I do wonder, though, if A&J is particularly unintelligible. I look at other strips in the newspapers, and I don’t see many of them being any easier to read. I like to think it’s because Arlo & Janis is the one they want to read. Anyway, I have two points about this subject. 1) I am aware of the problem. I have gone to a thicker lettering pen, but I think this sometimes makes me squeeze the lettering, which probably is the worst thing I could do. I have experimented with computer fonts made from my own lettering. This is promising, but I haven’t been able to develop one yet that really pleases me. Perhaps I need to expand the three-line rule to four lines. In short, I am working on it. 2) I would like your observations and suggestions on this matter. It might help.
316 responses to “A Rare Arlo & Janis”
The Whizbang bra holster was inspiring too, Old Bear. Thank you. Now I have to show it to JohnW to convince him I will not shoot one off or him, which is what he thinks. He was a sniper and is a Viet Nam vet but not for America, one of our UK allies, and yes, Ghost, he still maintains his permits and goes and qualifies as required by their laws. So, not all our allies are wrong or did not fight with America, are not against us.
But I have to respect that and I do, very much. Just as I respect all of you here who served for America, from Sand to all the others in all our conflicts.
Love, Jackie
Jackie, when I have time, I’ll discuss the Tueller Principle as it applies to the FlashBang and other means of deploying a defensive firearm.
sand, a 21B? I’d hate to think of you as a “river rustler”. 🙂
Good for you Jackie. And as far as good shoes, you might consider getting custom insoles to make them even more comfortable to walk in. My ex had heel spurs so bad she had trouble standing up in the morning. Then our primary care doctor sent her to get orthotics and that solved her problem.
The New Balance store put diabetic orthotics into each pair for me, good ones. My son in law is a orthotist and a prosthesist designer and has his own practice in Illinois. He of course believes that I should have orthotics, the foot rehab and podiatrist said no, I didn’t need them, just get proper shoes.
By the way, I had just bought 20 pairs of new shoes, some of which had not yet been worn and I am going to give them away. The podiatrist said that was what had caused my foot problem.
Mark, I once had bone spurs removed by my orthopedist in Houston on both feet at same time.
I could not walk for three months! I asked why he didn’t tell me how painful it would be or do just one foot at a time? He said I would not have agreed to surgery or would not come back for second foot.
When he went to the federal pen for writing illegal drug prescriptions for money I was totally thrilled that retribution had arrived.
Love, Jackie
Jackie, if you are giving them away, try a women’s shelter. Many who go to those places have to leave home in nothing more than they are wearing at the time. Also good place to offer clothes.
I have already enriched women’s shelters locally with all the clothes I have lost out of and all my mom’s clothes and if Bill doesn’t keep slamming us I am going to go empty a warehouse of my mother in laws clothes and apartment and donate that as well.
Our women’s shelter in one town also has a thrift shop that benefits the shelter and we have two shelters in another town south of me. I believe in helping other women, I have watched several of my own friends being battered and three lost their lives. I know, the result of staying with men they probably shouldn’t have married anyway but it still left a mark on me that made me know that women from all walks of life are abused and battered. It knows no societal limits unfortunately.
Those shoes will be going to the shelters, along with a few more truck loads of stuff. I am downsizing in more ways than weight and I own too much stuff. I know, I know, Arlo says this all the time and I agree. We do own too much, especially me.
Love, Jackie
The Parade of Homes ended on Sunday and we are busy with moving stuff out of the house where we have been living. This weekend will be very busy in moving furniture. The HP will be dismantled at some point and this may be my last comment for at least a week or until we get everything moved, plugged in and put back together. We will also be trying to get this house ready to rent out. Are leg cramps a symptom of dehydration?
Dear Jackie, you have really been around the block a few times with the foot problems and the new shoes! I would LOVE to find a pair of good, comfortable walking shoes. But I have looked for years and never have been really pleased or satisfied. I have been to every shoe store within 15 or 20 miles … have had New Balance … just now am wearing new, lightweight canvas sneakers from WalMart; I’ve added foam innersoles; feels pretty good. What the heck kind of shoes did you buy 20 pairs of and now you have to give them away? I am very curious to know so I can avoid them.
Yes, leg cramps are a symptom. A minimum of 1 qt Gatoraide before I go to bed tonight.
Jerry in FL, and bananas are also good for low potassium/leg cramps. Good night and good luck with moving.
Miss Charlotte, they were Easy Spirits, Aerosoles and Naturalizers, plus a pair of Columbia hiking boots, some miscellaneous ballet slipper type flats that are in style right now, some flip flops I got up in the Desolation Sound area because I ended up taking most of shoes out of suitcases anyway and forgetting them. I will keep as souvenirs actually. But not the slides, the clogs and the flats, they all go, along with about 20 pairs of older shoes I had kept and not given away in the earlier purges.
Remember that comment I made about excess? I am the most excessive. I have been banned from carrying the shoe suitcase and the luggage rack carts forever. Doesn’t fit in with new life style actually, boats are small although the one in Canada was plenty big, as Ghost keeps pointing out. I have lived in apartments with worse kitchens and baths.
Am now restricted to a bikini bottom, a tee shirt and I carry my toothbrush in one hand and purse in the other! Plus some warmer clothes to layer over in colder climates of course
Love, Jackie
I’ve spent weekends with companions who had only a bikini bottom, a tee shirt and a toothbrush. Much to be said for that, actually.
Debbe 😉 Written for someone sweet, like you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3bksUSPB4c
Jerry & Mark
As mark said bananas are also good for low potassium/leg cramps – I average 1
a day. But Dill Pickle Juice sure helps when you get cramps. About 2 fingers in a jelly glass.
(About 3 oz.) Takes 30 sec. to relieve cramp. I some times get finger or toe cramps. Finger cramp when doing fiddly work.
Your feet are the bodies foundation. Change shoes every day. Even if they are the same style-
Each pair wears just a little different thereby helping your feet.
Good luck with your move Jerry – Go down to the Library and check with us from time to time.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
Good morning Villagers….
Get ready Indy Mindy….AccuWeather says TS Bill is going to hit us (S IN) on Saturday. Flooding is predicted. The high tomorrow will be 80 degrees. Checked out the National Weather Service radar link, and it looks as though Bill is moving slowly.
GR 😉 thank you, sweet, yup at times…I do have my wiley ways 🙂
Sandcastler…there isn’t too much left in this life that shocks me anymore. Even Marks jpg pic of the orange crochet swimsuit….I could have worn that well in my day.
Jackie and Charlotte, there are two things I hate shopping for…shoes and purses. And I am going to have to do both pretty soon. I need to get new shoes for work, and considering I work on concrete, stand and walk a lot during the day, I need to invest in a good brand with a good insole, only to get trashed out with chicken poop dust.
I try to convince Ian to eat a banana a day….and so far it’s working. Andrew got sick yesterday at work, fluids son, fluids….ya got to hydrate your body. I took in some tea, then switched to water. I am going to go into Wal-Mart on payday (ugghh) and buy the powdered Power Aide with electrolyes and such….take that into work.
I am taking today off as I have to work the weekend. Thought about making it a straight seven day event, but my body says ‘stay at home’, not to mention my husband and son wouldn’t allow me to put in seven straight days.
later…………………
I used to eat a banana every day but I’ve quit. It’s probably time to get back in the habit.
Debbe, I could shock you with a picture of me in that crochet dress thingy. 😉
Sand: That I would love to see!
Bet Loon would like it also!
No good deed goes unpunished: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20150617/us–bad_samaritan_ticketed-69b11b7969.html
Sand, that looked like someone’s granny gone mad with a crochet needle at the senior citizen’s home. Sorry, I didn’t find it sexy, it just looked like a craft project. I know, you guys liked the project!
While checking out and trying to reschedule at the cardiologist’s office (and there were no appointments within range of when I’d be around) the scheduler had a very thin blouse on, was wearing a bra (I could see it lifting) and pokies so extreme they had little pokies of their own.
Ghost would have been ecstatic. I guess I don’t normally pay attention to women’s breasts that closely, this one made me look flat chested (where are all these top heavy women coming from?)
and large area with raised bumps about the size of a doughnut.
Well, maybe not too erotic, but graphic image.
Still raining in Oklahoma. The swamp is swampier out there.
Love, Jackie
Jimmy, today’s strip is great! 🙂 And did you see “over the hedge”- he’s got spongebob as well. Made me laugh even more. Thank you!
Strip is great! I was trying to wait for it to post last night and fell asleep doing leg lifts in bed.
Just got photos from friend, aerial, of Lake Texoma on the Texas-Oklahoma border. It is way beyond flood. The marina is under water where we all sail and the restaurant which is set way back on land is under water to the roof line.
The poster suggested we all go and take our tools, try to help them out when the water drops someday to recover from the flood damage. Our group has been going there to same place for years, private camp/cabins marina and I have friends who keep boats there. I am assuming the boats are still on top of water!
Love, Jackie
For reasons I don’t completely understand, Risdian women are into crocheting tops. It could be the short summers.
My brother shot me a text yesterday afternoon that his wife’s transplanted liver was failing. At 1:15 AM she passed away peacefully. I woke up from a deep sleep at exactly that time. Not sure if maybe her spirit was waving goodbye to me.
She had made strides and was almost sent home about a month or so ago. The last 9 months since the transplant has been a struggle, with crisis after crisis and miracle after miracle. A while back my brother confided that he wondered if he had made the correct decision in having the transplant and I told him that medicine is always pushing the boundaries and even if this did not turn out successful, the Doctors and transplant team have learned something for the next patient. 3 years ago she was given 3-6 months to live and he got 3 years….