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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Elf on the Shelf

By Jimmy Johnson

I might be rushing things a week or two with the above A&J classic from ten years ago, but I’m getting into a bit of the holiday mood. Thanksgiving can do that to me. You’ll notice things look a bit different here, today; I’ll be tinkering behind the scenes some this week. I’ll try to keep such distractions to a minimum, but don’t be surprised to see the maintenance page go up now and then.

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 ...

18 responses to “Elf on the Shelf”

  1. Jon in Denver Avatar

    That’s it? He puts the tree in the stand and he’s done? Get real. I just spent 4 days decorating all the trees and bushes in our backyard. Granted, my wife has worked equally had inside the house. Of course, today my outside décor is buried under 12 inches of snow but it will reappear in a couple of days.
    As to the tree, the deal is I put it up and put the lights on it and Yvonne does the ornaments, garland, etc. Since we started using an artificial tree the lights stay with the tree, but each year there are several bulbs that need replacing. I don’t care, I love it. There is no more beautiful time of year.
    Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas and Happy Hannicka to all.

    1. Matt Avatar
      Matt

      That’s how they roll. See A&J 4/24/2011… if you can find it!

      1. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
        curmudgeonly ex-professor

        I [don’t] see what you mean, one might say.
        The gocomics site skips that date for A&J. Was there some singular reason?

  2. Steve From Royal Oak, MI Avatar

    Thanksgiving being so late throws Christmas decoration off, but since my commute is only 10 minutes, I may be able to do some after work.
    I’m doing well with the diet and have been trying to continue to walk. I still have a couple of months of dieting before I see a difference in the walking speed. I am hoping that it is not arthritis, but I will press on

  3. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    “The Elf on the Shelf…spying on children since 2005.”
    That’s not at all creepy (or 1984-ish), is it?

  4. Bob Caruthers Avatar
    Bob Caruthers

    Jimmy!
    Got our class reunion coming up! David Lee is tying to get in touch with you. Give me or DL a shout so we can talk you into coming. Would love to see you.
    Bob

  5. Llee Avatar
    Llee

    Elf on the shelf is a tattle-tale.

  6. emb Avatar
    emb

    This, I think, is a different site but it has the same maps I spent 2 hr on this morning, before the laptop would no long go to “next”. All kinds of info. Disclaimer: Depending on the info, it may push one or another of your buttons [e.g., gender pay gap, where the billionaires are, where US aid goes, which nations give 52 weeks of paid post-partum leave & which give none [though some employers may. Interesting that 2 of those share a long, transcontinental border,] which has the greatest per capita ownership of firearms, which favor beer, which wine, which “spirits”, which teetotal, which have the least press censorship & which the most, highest literacy rates, highest average IQs, per capita water use, and 40-some I could not access. One maps predominant religions, some with hatching [e.g., USA shows Catholic/Protestant mix]. It doesn’t map “nones,” or actual religious observance, which would be hard to investigate.

    https://www.farandwide.com/s/amazing-world-maps-74d6186e6d0e414b
    Peace,

  7. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    Little details speak volumes. Arlo’s hat hair is the little detail.

    Happy Hollandaise to Villagers everywhere.

  8. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Happy Turkey Day
    .
    We are having Corned Beef.
    .
    One News program claimed 1/3 of people/respondents were having no meat for TG. (Hard to believe)

    1. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
      curmudgeonly ex-professor

      Lucky you! I wish I, too, were having corned beef. Turkey, while a cartload better than chicken, just isn’t in the same room as a corned beef dish.

    2. Sideburns Avatar

      Old Bear, why would anybody dedicate a day to celebrating the turkey, a bird that is commonly used as a synonym for stupidity and who’s name is often used as an insult? I prefer to celebrate Thanksgiving, and give thanks for all the good things in life.

  9. TruckerRon Avatar

    One of the joys of trucking was, during the holiday season, finding turkey drumsticks and thighs for sale at the better truck stops. Dark meat rules! And having a fridge and a food warmer meant good eating for days.

  10. Ghost Avatar
    Ghost

    I know a very funny joke about the Pilgrims and us eating turkey for Thanksgiving, but there’s no way I could clean up the punchline enough to be able to tell it here. I do, however, have an only-slightly-naughty Christmas Eve joke, so you’ll have to be content to wait until December 24th to hear that one.
    I hope everyone has a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving…and that’s no joke.

  11. emb Avatar
    emb

    The clean one I like, and may have posted here yrs back.
    New Yorker cartoon: Indians & Pilgrims are seated outdoors around feast, and Indian raises his mug in toast, “Skoal!”
    Peace,

    1. Ruth Anne in Winter Park Avatar
      Ruth Anne in Winter Park

      Good one!

  12. Wisconsin Dan Avatar
    Wisconsin Dan

    Happy Thanksgiving Jimmy!

  13. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Sideburns
    We are thankful that there are Turkeys out there dumber than we are!

    And Turkeys really are that dumb.