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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Ever the Gentleman

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"

Since I didn’t post on Sunday, I’m showing you this old A&J classic from Valentine’s Day, 2007. While we’re at it, I might as well wish you a Happy George Washington’s Birthday, aka Presidents Day. Where I come from, George Washington’s Birthday always meant “white sales,” when the woman of the house (Naturally!) could get good deals on sheets and towels. Why this was the case, I have no idea. But let’s talk about cartoons.

As some of you are aware, there are a lot of comics on the gocomics.com Web site, where you find today’s Arlo & Janis online. Many of these comics are Web-exclusive; they do not appear in newspapers. The consensus is, these efforts are a transitional frontier, their creators trail-blazers for aspiring cartoonists of the future. To be honest, my knowledge of this frontier hardly is exhaustive and probably not better than that of many of you reading this. However, I did want to mention three that I like. I think they’re charming. When you have a chance, check out “The Sunshine State” by Graham Nolan, “Connie to the Wonnie” by Connie Sun, and last but not least “Wallace the Brave” by Will Henry. Let me know what you think. Do you have any favorites?

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123 responses to “Ever the Gentleman”

  1. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    So, Janis isn’t Arlo’s primary home entertainment center?

  2. Ray Avatar
    Ray

    It’s interesting that the syndicates are doing web-only comics. Of course folks have been doing web comics as a hobby for over 15 years, and some of them have even turned it into their sole source of income.

    I still think of gocomics as a place to read my newspaper strips without buying newspapers.

  3.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    This retro cartoon struck home then. Now it’s just the past.

    Honestly Jimmy you are all I read any more. I even gave up on Bloom County again. No one grabs me.

  4. Linden Lentz Avatar
    Linden Lentz

    I have recently discovered Fowl Language by Brian Gordon. It portrays what life with a 2 year old and a 5 year old is like in the 21st century. Truth makes the best humor. http://www.fowllanguagecomics.com/

    Yes! I like “Fowl Language,” too. — JJ

  5. Linden Lentz Avatar
    Linden Lentz

    I forgot to mention that he is using a patronage model to fund his growing career. https://www.patreon.com/fowllanguage?ty=h

  6. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    At least Arlo didn’t have the TV on “during”.

    In addition to A&J, I use gocomics.com for…

    1. Dilbert (in solidarity with my fellow office drones)

    2. The “new” Bloom County (about once a week, which unfortunately is less often he now has a strip that is up to his old standards)

    3. That is Priceless (more hits than misses)

    I’ll have to give Jimmy’s mentions a try.

  7.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    That is why I gave up on Bloom County again. It is substandard the old. Started better and lost momentum.
    Dillbert never appealed, no way to relate, never an office drone. I know it is beloved.

    I loved Two Cows and A Chicken but his quirky humor was not for everyone. Strip ended. Art and drawing was incredible at times but all his was, even on greeting cards.

    For the last year AJ my sole sustenance except thar foray back to Bloom County. I miss our Southern genre but those guys are gone, mostly permanently as deceased, even the younger ones.

  8. Boise Ed Avatar
    Boise Ed

    Thanks, JJ. “The Sunshine State” seems pretty good, and I’ve added it to my GoComics page. THe other two, not so much, IMHO.

  9.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Off to my daily run to Lowe’s. The porch has a lot of rot and it has to be repaired before Lowe’s can install new white tin roof. My widow hood seems spent in repairing the honey do list that honey never did, causing yet more incredible further damage to deal with.

    That’s what love was, letting him build and sail boats while the house fell apart. He’d say my dogs destroyed it all, his sailing partner said those dogs were hell on fascia boards and roof soffits.

  10. John in Richmond Texas Avatar
    John in Richmond Texas

    I couldn’t believe it, when I saw this in Sunshine State – yes, that’s actually acceptable in Scrabble http://www.gocomics.com/sunshine-state/2015/11/02. Also for web only I follow C’est la Vie

  11. John in Richmond Texas Avatar
    John in Richmond Texas

    Hey Mark in TTown, I saw your shout out yesterday, I answered at the end of yesterday, to not interrupt the flow here today

  12. Steve From Royal Oak, MI Avatar

    Ghost I had the radio on “during” one time on Christmas Eve and “I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” came on. I can’t help but giggle like a 12 year old whenever it comes on any more.

  13. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Steve, I do have to admit there have been times when a lady friend and I have had nothing on but the radio. (I know, that’s an ancient joke; so sue me.) Also, I believe it’s the title of a C&W song, but there’s been a C&W song named for just about everything. (My personal fav: “I Don’t Want a Mansion in the Valley, I Just Want a Shack Up in the Hills”)

    Hope you enjoyed your “Christmas present”. 😉

  14.  Avatar

    John in Richmond, are you determined to settle down with one single woman? And why? And surely you have managed to get further than a dinner date in that time?

    You need to move along cow poke. There are hundreds of desperate women out there. I see them every day. Round up a few more calves. (I almost said heifers)

    I have already gotten in trouble today for saying Mrs. Clinton was the definition of frumpy and while she looked abominable in all she wears she’d look even worse with no clothes.

  15. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Many years ago I wrote “Have You Left the One You Left Me For?” A few years later I heard that line on the radio. I guess that it’s an obvious catch phrase.

  16. Cousin Keith Johnson Avatar
    Cousin Keith Johnson

    Get Fuzzy is one of my gocomics bookmarks. The story rarely wavers: dumb but know-t-all cat vs. owner and dumb but good-hearted dog. Of course they all talk.

    I also like Faux Pas, which is a family friendly, very disney-esque drawn talking animals cartoon.

  17. Bookworm Avatar
    Bookworm

    I’ll second “Connie to the Wonnie” and “Fowl Language” and add “Sketchy Chics”, http://www.gocomics.com/sketchy-chics . The artwork there is so bold. It just started Nov 30 last year, and was real regular until this month, when, for some reason, it hasn’t been updated very often.

  18. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    Anyone know why gocomics.com keeps listing strips which haven’t been updated in, say, 6 months or even 2 years? There are a few and I can’t help but think it’d make the alphabetical search page cleaner to get rid of the dead wood.
    JJ, is there something in the contract which prevents such?

  19. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    John in Richmond, TX, glad things are settling out for you then. And that you are having a good time. Dancing in the street? Wait, there’s a song there too, isn’t there?

  20. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Haven’t looked at any of Jimmy’s suggestions before. Sunshine State looks promising. And this one is very true: http://www.gocomics.com/sunshine-state/2016/02/08

  21. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Fowl Language looks good too. But why do all the women in Sketchy Chics look like Sally from A Nightmare Before Christmas?

    http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81i2QJGmRbL._SL1500_.jpg

  22. TruckerRon Avatar

    Mark in TTown: Could the artist have been traumatized (or inspired?) by watching that movie as a kid?

  23. Mary in Ohio Avatar
    Mary in Ohio

    All 3 of those comics are on my feed. They are very different, but I get the biggest kick out of the Manatee bartender in Sunshine State. Don’t know why – I just love him !

  24. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    I liked Sunshine State. The ones that Jimmy and others mentioned were OK, but they were obviously written for an audience that does not include me…not a parent, not a single gal, not a neurotic “chic”, etc. 🙂

    I know Jimmy expressed no desire to revisit it, but you know what I’d really like to see as a current cartoon? Lost Key.