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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Cookie Mobster

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
I’m sorry! It’s been a very busy few days. I have not abandoned you here. In fact, the new Web site of which we spoke earlier this year is going into production finally. We’ll see. I actually have a cookie jar such as the one above. It’s battery operated and plays a recording of a chattering dolphin when opened. I’ve had it for years, and I love it. Unfortunately, I don’t keep many cookies in it anymore. It has occurred to me that much of the furniture in Arlo & Janis is similar to pieces in my own household: the sofa, the orange table with the Queen Anne legs, the simple mannish bedroom furniture, all exist in my real world. I guess that makes sense. The sofa I don’t actually have any longer, but I did have one very similar when I began to draw the strip. It turned out to be such a good comic-strip settee—low, simple, easy to render—that I’ve kept it all these years. It probably could use re-upholstering by now!

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327 responses to “Cookie Mobster”

  1. emb Avatar
    emb

    “The barber is so near blind he thinks Herman is standing, and that Herman’s knee is a customer sitting in the chair.”

    I figured that out, eventually. 1. Perhaps because I had my 6-mo. checkup Wed., first took the barber to be a dentist. 2. His use of the word “son” threw me for a second; the two almost look ~ mirror images. 3. I couldn’t figure out what the “dentist” was holding. 4. Then I realized that was a bib on the “patient’s” knee, and the thing came together, with the obvious assumption that the barber thought it was a kid in the chair; it wouldn’t have been a grownup’s head down there.

    I’ve seen more clearly drawn cartoons in general, even more clearly drawn Hermans. emb

  2. emb Avatar
    emb

    Considering that he expects to shave something he cannot see, shades of Sweeny Todd. Stanley Holloway did that song superbly. Peace, emb

  3. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Ghost, I agree, because Stevie Nicks.

  4. Debbie in Alabama Avatar
    Debbie in Alabama

    emb,
    That was probably the reason for the iodine. We would take a bottle of baby oil and mix in the iodine. Shake and then bake! Either that or coppertone oil.

  5. Charlotte in NH Avatar
    Charlotte in NH

    David in Austin, your story is remarkable. I truly hope that this “second chance” will stretch out for a long way and bring you lots of joy.

  6. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Knew I was going to get teased about life choices and that is fine, I am happy guys and yes, that is the Dana I want, Ghost. You got the right boat. And no, I am not sailing her across the Atlantic, I will be sailing her in the Pacific and Pacific northwest to begin with. If I can put this deal together, I can use her half the year and take her to other locations if I choose, so long as I bring her back. Her name is Magic. And my little micro cruiser is the Scamp by Gig Harbor Boats in Washington and her name is Cookies. One is 12 feet and the other 24 feet, both trailerable.

    Getting to live out dreams starts to really matter when you get my age I am afraid.

    Got a great note from my hostess for July who is a marine biologist, as is her husband, quoting John Steinbeck on the three most important things in life, having fun, eating well and a clean house as the least important. I like her already, Steinbeck on house cleaning!

    And no, I didn’t buy a skipper with the boat, in fact current owner is still thinking about this chance to keep his boat, which I hope he will decide to do. I could just buy it but that isn’t what he wants to do. This is going to be a substitute for the Ford pickup with the big engine, same costs actually. And no, I am not practicing checkbook gratification!

    Had dinner and going to go walk a second mile around loop down to lake and back to house. I am building up to two miles twice a day like I used to do. I feel great and plan to feel better, so no raining on my parade. I am a big girl so kid away, it makes me laugh.

  7. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Jackie, I may tease you (gently) about your life choices, but I would never disparage them. You’ve certainly earned the right to make them.

    “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” Henry David Thoreau

  8. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    The man also had some welts. We have dark skies, thunder and have had some rain, but nothing major yet. The grass does need the rain. The April showers are starting late this year. I don’t know a yardarm from a bowspit so I’ll have to talk about something else.

  9. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    I think that I left out an “r”, not that I would know.

  10. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Would never argue with Thoreau. He is right of course and the price is indeed high but I paid it.

    Now I get to live it. Love you and you can tease me any time my friend. I like being able to sometimes tease back as well. Perhaps not as wittily as you and not as erudite either but it is fun to try.

  11. NK in AZ Avatar
    NK in AZ

    Just checking in on a lovely day here in SO AZ. (Not trying to rub anything in, just sayin’.) I finished reading mockingbird comments before coming here and am wondering if 411 comments might be a record. Anyone know?

  12. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Nancy, several years ago JJ took some time off around the year-end holidays, and I believe we went way over 600. And possibly over 500 another time or two. But that was when we seemed to have more regular commenters.

  13. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    I love you, too, Jackie, and I’d only ask two things of you…that you be happy and be careful.

    And tease away. 🙂

  14. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    ^°^°^°^°^°^ thinking back on those lazy days in Memphis. Elvis was living in Graceland. That little Shephard girl was still in high school. Life was stretched out in front of me. Then things intruded.

  15. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    emb, thank you for the T. hudsonicus information. They truly are a delight to watch. I must confess to a fondness for Sciurus niger, though. They can be quite companionable.

    Ghost, that’s wonderful news about your second surgery. Your ability to recover so quickly must be the result of clean living, huh?

    Jimmy, we will greet the birth of the new baby. I wish we could all get together to wet the baby’s head! 😉

  16. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Wait, what baby? Jimmy is having a child? Who? Where? How did I miss that one?

    Not sure Ghost’s fitness is due to clean living but perhaps to continuously living life. And Sand, I confess to be very fond of the song Elvis Presley Blues by Jimmy Buffet, an insightful look at the King not seen by many perhaps.

    Me, I plan to go like Elsie in Cabaret perhaps, except I do neither drugs nor liquor. I wish my husband had died on a sailboat far at sea than on life support in intensive care. Personally, I wouldn’t find that a bad way to go.

    And I doubt it will happen because I will have good sailors to make sure I finally learn to sail and can actually sail a boat myself, not just crew or buy one. Different aspirations in life in old age.

    The young never appreciate what they have of course. But then I think I am preaching to the choir here.

  17. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Yes, Denise, that’s what it is, the clean living. Yeah, that’s the ticket. 😉

    Seriously, my personal motto is “Never give up.” So far I haven’t.

  18. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Jackie, here’s another song about Elvis for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owKfw0WDo-o

    Be careful and be happy. I already know you are grateful, because you express it every time you write on here. Thank you for the good example.

  19. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Jackie, from your stories of the septuagenarian and octogenarian solo blue-water sailors you know, I have no doubt you’ll pull it off.

  20. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    And a sea-going song for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOXyfKBDzOY

  21. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    Jackie, Jimmy B. can do a very good Elvis impression. Another little known Buffett fact. He wrote Margaritaville for Elvis who died before recording it; Jimmy then recorded it and the franchise was born.

  22. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Speaking of Jimmy Buffett, one of the best things I ever did was to memorize the words to his “The A$$hole Song”. Singing that in my head has gotten me through many a mangers’ meeting presided over by various vice presidents.

  23. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Debbe, number 1 on this collection is for you: http://twistedsifter.com/2013/05/50-faces-in-everyday-places/

  24. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Mark, they were all beautiful and wonderful songs. The Gordon Bok was absolutely stunning song, it made me cry in truth. You must actually get it I think. You are a wonderful friend and I love all the artists and music you teach me about. Tupelo was beautiful also.

    No Sand, I did not know that Buffet trivia about Elvis. I love his Cinco de Mayo in Memphis also but had no idea about Margaritaville trivia. I own all the Buffet books down here on shelf to my left in office but don’t follow all the blogs or comments on him. It is funny, he was living and working in New Orleans same time I lived in Quarter, I walked back and forth to the Federal building from my house which was deep in Quarter, past all the clubs and entertainers daily. I think surely our paths crossed somewhere?

    I was in old Federal building down by Lafayette Square and had to step over the winos going to and from work, then step over them again going home sometimes. Were you there in New Orleans in the 60’s and 70’s too or were you in Viet Nam that entire time?