I am really reluctant to get into age specifics, really reluctant, but I drew this cartoon in 1996. It was based almost directly on sweet misery I personally had experienced 30 years earlier. In the three decades between actual events and cartoon depiction, little had changed in society to invalidate the premise. Now, after just 20 more years, Gene and Ruth might as well be screaming into hand-cranked wall phones.
We are talking about Gene this week. For some reason, it always was easy to follow Gene with a camera when he lived with his parents. Many of the most memorable story lines in A&J have centered on Gene. Indeed, the very direction of his life was determined by events depicted years ago. His propensity for narrative continued as he grew up and moved on. However, the strip became two strips. I am not saying this was an impossible situation to maintain, but it was an inconvenient and distracting one, compounded by the fact that many people who favor comics about the title characters don’t like the strips about the son’s family, and vice versa. I don’t think of myself as having chosen sides, but—if I have to choose—I prefer writing stand-up for Arlo and Janis to writing screenplays for Gene’s brood. Most days. Also, it seems to me most readers prefer concentrating on the core. This is a terrible trap! Attempting to second-guess an audience is one of the most counterproductive things a creative person can do. Worse, with instant communication, sharing, comments and all that, interactivity has become expected. Young cartoonists see it as a necessity and a tool, probably quite correctly. There, would you look at that? I’ve wandered off onto an entirely different subject.
54 responses to “Hello, I Love You”
A giveaway to the age of the strip is the cordless phone Gene’s holding. It looks like a smaller WWII era walkie-talkie.
Just an opinion: Having a lot of Gene & family might risk getting into a soap opera strip at the expense of humor. I think JJ referred to same when he mentioned “writing screen plays” for the younger group.
If I want soap opera, I’ll go to Mary Worth.
If Jimmy ever did consider splitting A&J into two separate strips, I would’ve thought it would be A&J and the other being The Cat. I agree with everyone else that its nice to see most strips involving A&J with an occasional appearance of Gene, Mary Lou and the other supporting characters. They’re all part of the extended A&J family (Luddie too).
Well, I’m going to weigh in as another reader who does not mind strips that go away from the central characters now and then. I could cite a few, but it does not matter. As someone else said, it is your strip and I enjoy whatever you see fit to draw!
I like the idea of having Meg stay with A&J.
BTW, what happened to the discussion about the boat??? 🙂
Boat? What boat? 🙂
Jimmy:
Don’t worry about having to second guess this member of the faithful.
You write it, you draw it, I’ll love it.
Rick: Me, too.
c x-p: “If I want soap opera, I’ll go to Mary Worth.”
Luann is better soap.
Peace,
Mark, Gene’s phone is light years ahead of the fossil that Ruth is using. 🙂
“What is that thing coming out of the end, Grandpa? And why is Gene thinking that ‘nobody is at home?’ He’s calling Ruth’s phone, right?”
Of course, in 20 years, today’s cell phones will likely be viewed as the equivalent of using carrier pigeons…
Mark, I thought that you knew that I can run faster and jump higher. Unfortunately I require two batteries and one of them drains power about twice as fast as the other. Fortunately I no longer require an aluminum foil hat. The pink bunny following me around becomes irritating after awhile.
Jerry in FL, is that the one wearing shades and beating a drum?
On the plus side, be glad they aren’t the type batteries that set the Boeing aircraft and hoverboards ablaze. Emergency call to doc, “Doc, I’ve got problems!”, “Really, what seems to be the matter?”. “I’ve got bad heartburn!”. “So take Tums”. “No, Doctor. My pacemaker battery pack’s on fire!”
That’s the one.
Debbe 😉 Really reaching back for this one. I guess it can be for sandcastler™, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbrXHMYAz-E
JJ we love what you do – what ever you do.
If you just keep peeking in the windows you will be fine(d)
While we like Gene & family the strip is Arlo And Janis.
A phone call now and then would not be remiss.
A Christmas visit would be nice.
I heard a hilarious parody song today courtesy of one of my volunteer builders here at the boat shop. I was going to link it and will try and if I fail, please Mark, this is for Debbe.
“Ghost Chickens in the Sky”
https://youtu.be/Pkdci55adqk
For Debbe and her girls. We had some for lunch and dinner, fried and smoked.
Good morning Villagers…..
JJ….you draw, we read, we laugh….if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Keep up the great work.
Jackie, one of the teens had introduced that song to me, and it IS eggsactly that, hilarious. Did you see the questions I asked about Port A? The ferry?
Raining here, and from the looks of the national radar…it’s going to be a rainy day.
Jerry, I hope they never have to ‘jump’ start you….love the Pink Bunny joke 🙂
Ya’ll have a blessed day
GR 😉 putting the ivory keys aside today, for some reason I woke up with this song in my head. And yes, there was a pontoon boat, a lake, and a semi full moon many years ago on a clear night 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKrcvol1NsM
So true….
http://cheezburger.com/8762273792
Gal, here are the lyrics to Young’s ‘Hey, hey….” you can U- tube it if you want. When you said fade away, this song came to my mind. Hey, there’s a song in everything. I love music.
Hey Jimmy, how about more of Gene and less of Luddy?
Good thing Jackie was in Texas: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/multiple_tornado_touchdowns_ri.html#incart_river_home
Haven’t talked to my workmen yet today. I hope house is ok and pets.
Rick – Sacrilege! Luddy and Arlo get into too much fun!
Jackie, the article said North Tulsa, so that shouldn’t have been near you, should it?