Today, we go way back. No one has seen this A&J sunday comic since it first appeared in newspapers in 1986, when I’d only been drawing the strip for a little over a year. Looking through the old stuff, it caught my eye because of our conversations so far this week. Obviously, this is an early example of my work; it’s unusual in that it is entirely a visual gag. As I have mentioned, I did very little of this sort of thing in the early going. I’m sure when I drew this one, I was very proud of myself for stretching my chops. Yes, it could have been a little funnier, but you can say that about all of them.
Ice Follies
By Jimmy Johnson
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59 responses to “Ice Follies”
Good morning folks!
JJ, around here any ice cubes that hit the floor become cat toys for a moment, then get picked up before they can become mini-puddles. Of course, having a fridge with the freezer on the bottom helps stop the problem from the get-go.
Ghost, harking back to yesterday and your oyster stew recipe-I would try it but I’m the only one here who eats oysters any more. My grandmother made really good oyster stew, but my Mom sort of ruined it for me by dumping copious amounts of ketchup in her bowl. Not a really good look for oyster stew.
Gilbert used ‘bereft’ in a song in ‘The Gondoliers,’ but I cannot find it. We don’t know which of two republican [small ‘r’] gondolier brothers is actually the long lost king of Barateria, so they both are crowned. Being opposed to royalty [but now with misgivings], they sing a duet that includes the phrase ‘two kings of undue pride bereft’, but I don’t find it in my complete G&S book. Later.
Found it, first duet with chorus in Act II.
Marco & Giuseppe: Two kings, of undue pride bereft,
Who act in perfect unity,
Whom you can order right and left
With absolute impunity.
Who put their subjects at their ease
By doing all they can to please!
And thus, to earn their bread-and-cheese,
Seize every opportunity.
And thus, to earn their bread-and-cheese,
Seize every opportunity.
Ah! We act in perfect unity,
Ah! We act in perfect unity,
Chorus:
Of happiness the very pith
In Barataria you may see:
A monarchy that’s tempered with
Republican Equality!
Republican Equality!
Tempered with Equality! There will no be a quiz.
Gilbert used ‘bereft’ in a song in ‘The Gondoliers,’ but I cannot find it. We don’t know which of two republican [small ‘r’] gondolier brothers is actually the long lost king of Barateria, so they both are crowned. Being opposed to royalty [but now with misgivings], they sing a duet that includes the phrase ‘two kings of undue pride bereft’, but I don’t find it in my complete G&S book. Later.
Found it, first duet with chorus in Act II.
Marco & Giuseppe: Two kings, of undue pride bereft,
Who act in perfect unity,
Whom you can order right and left
With absolute impunity.
Who put their subjects at their ease
By doing all they can to please!
And thus, to earn their bread-and-cheese,
Seize every opportunity.
And thus, to earn their bread-and-cheese,
Seize every opportunity.
Ah! We act in perfect unity,
Ah! We act in perfect unity,
Chorus:
Of happiness the very pith
In Barataria you may see:
A monarchy that’s tempered with
Republican Equality!
Republican Equality!
Tempered with Equality! There will not be a quiz.
Thanks for the G and S, love their lyricism. Wish I had someone besides me who liked it. I keep saying when my oldest was about 9 her lament was being forced to go to the Houston Opera with me, so I dragged three unwilling hostages to be tortured and even light opera was too much for them.
In November we are going to Louisiana if not further on an oyster safari. It is a rare bivalve who finds its’ way to Oklahoma.
Love, Jackie
It looked like the play in the Super Bowl when Eli threw to David Tyree. Pretty nice drawing JJ.
I’m fairly sure that 1986 cartoon could relate to how Nature may have wired men’s brains to single-mindedly chase prey, but I don’t have time to think it out. Even if I am strangely drawn to pursue that line of thought.
Jean dear, my regard for ketchup as a condiment has actually increased as years have gone by, never having really cared for it as a kid. (Have I ever confessed that I prefer tartar sauce on French fries?) But ketchup in oyster stew? Ew!
Question: Is it possible to forecast the shape of a puddle that a melting ice cube will make?
Yay, a new Vintage A&J, from the year after I was born! I saw so little of them at the time, being involved in learning to walk and get out of my playpen- or so I hear. Strange, the one line I never hear at family reunions is “Susie, you were such a good baby.” Though I hear that I learned to sleep through the night after a month. Still do, even if I have to be put to bed by my nearest and dearest. Last thing I remember last night is “The Boss Of My Life sticking her head in the library door and saying, “Susan Anne Schroeder, it is 2 AM!!”
Ghost, if I ever find that $5 million in treasury bonds that everyone swears my dad left (can’t find any) will you marry me or at least let me keep you in style?
I LOVE tartar sauce on French fries but not on fish much and hate catsup with a passion, nothing worse as a condiment I think.
You don’t like Gilbert and Sullivan, opera and the ballet do you?
I already know you are articulate and well educated!
Love, Jackie Monies
Ghost, if I ever find that $5 million in treasury bonds that everyone swears my dad left (can’t find any) will you marry me or at least let me keep you in style?
I LOVE tartar sauce on French fries but not on fish much and hate catsup with a passion, nothing worse as a condiment I think.
You don’t like Gilbert and Sullivan, opera and the ballet do you?
I already know you are articulate and well educated!
Love, Jackie Monies
Dang. why is it doing that?
My bottom freezer waits until you open drawer and then dumps the tray out in back of drawer instead of receptacle. And they still go on floor, I kick them under the fridge and my mom thinks it is leaking.
Jackie
I love this comic and I don’t think it could have been any funnier! It is great!
Jackie: Yes. And good luck with the T-bill search. 🙂
PS, I missed the Oyster stew recipe. Please re-post, pretty please??? 😀
I can never resist a lady named Ginger…especially when she says “pretty please”. 🙂
Ghost’s Oyster Stew
2 dozen raw oysters, in enough liquid to cover
1/2 stick butter or margarine
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
Dash of red cayenne pepper
2 pints Half & Half
Heat butter in a large cast iron skillet, sauté onions until tender, but not brown. Add oysters, liquid and the five seasonings; heat until edges of oysters curl just slightly. Add Half & Half, heating slowly, but do not boil. Serve with a lump of butter and dash of paprika. Makes 6 servings.
Thank you so much! Sounds like all I need to do now is “add butter”! No celery? I’d a thought you would have some finely chopped celery, but that’s ok with me. Now that our r-less months are behind us, I’m ready!
At our house it was oyster bisque severed with those little hexagonal oyster crackers. One of my first cooking jobs was picking through the oysters (we used the refrigerated ones in the pint jars) for pieces of shell.
OYSTER BISQUE 4 to 6 servings
3 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1 1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
dash of paprika
1 tbsp minced onion
1 cup top milk or light cream *
3 cups milk *
* my mom would just use a quart of whole milk
1 cup coarsely chopped oysters
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Combine tapioca, salt, pepper, paprika, onion and milk & cream in top of double boiler. Place over rapidly boiling water and cook 10 or 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add oysters and butter. Mix and keep hot over hot water 15 to 20 minutes to blend flavors thoroughly.
Serve in cups or bowls; garnish with parsley.
No, we didn’t sever anything! We just served it and enjoyed it 🙂
With all the disasters befalling us lately, I was wondering if you lost a finger in the bisque?
We are eating mixed greens sautéed, fresh sweet potatoes and spiral ham for lunch. I forgot to cook any corn muffins or such.
Fall garden is awesome, especially all those greens. Right now we have prolific mustard, swiss chards, turnips. Spinach and kales aren’t big enough yet.
And sweet tea for mama and my gardener, plain for me, in big old mason jars.
Love Jackie
I had a banana topped with Grape-nuts for lunch, and a cup of skim milk.
Hush, little baby don’t say a word,
Daddy’s gonna buy you a mockingbird,
And if that mockingbird don’t sing,
Daddy’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring don’t shine,
Daddy’s gonna buy you a bottle of wine.
And if that bottle of wine gets broke,
Daddy’s gonna buy you a billy goat.
And if that billy goat don’t run,
Daddy;s gonna buy you a BB gun.
And if that BB gu don’t shoot,
Daddy’s gonna buy you a swimming suit.
And if that swimming suit don’t fit,
Daddy’s gonna say, “Oh, heck, I quit!” – heard sung by a little girl on my noon walk
Prayers for and hugs to all our Villagers with ouchies both visible and invisible.
Jerry, Debbe knows what a henway is, I bet!
Jackie and Ghost, I also like tartar sauce on French fries. Thanks for confirming that my taste buds aren’t just wonky.
Jimmy, I have a sweet husband (he falls asleep after seven breaths and almost never has a restless night) who does bed checks on me (I often get up to read, knit, or embroider in the course of the night). Arlo might expect to find Janis up and texting, or perhaps gardening by moonlight!
Haven’t eaten a French fry since Junior High, and I hate ketchup (too many carbs) but I dip my brisket that I pick off my BBQ sandwich in a ramekin of Worcestershire sauce, mixed with butter if available. Not too familiar with tartar sauce. We used to get it in a little paper container for school lunches on Fridays when they served fish, but I just ate the salad and veggies anyway and tossed the rest – after asking if anybody else wanted my leftovers. Strangely, nobody ever did, except some boy would snarf my roll
Thank you, Ruth Anne, now I’ll have to make it twice to compare!
One of my favorite gumbos is made with a mixture of all the kinds of greens you can find, the more the better, some bitter, some mild. It is called Gumbo Z’herbes, Green Gumbo or Gumbo aux herbes.
It is a traditional recipe in south Louisiana and there are meatless and vegetarian versions, as well as those with meat. I would guess that those I ate were semi-vegetarian, that is you didn’t see the meat pieces. I make it with meat like pork or ham and chicken broth for liquid. In fact, I should make some ASAP with all the great greens.
It used to be hard to find this on a menu but with all the foodie people proliferating and new, adventurous chefs coming along, I would suspect they have adopted it.
Actually I LOVE eating in most of the new trendy places because emphasis is on originality, fresh produce, fresh ideas and not a pretentious rehash of “tried and true” or same old same old.
I would eat at Gene and Mary Lou’s bistro if I were in their area, or even driving through! It used to be a family joke when we were winding around some mountain on a one lane road that at the top there was a Four Star restaurant I had read about in Food and Wine magazine, located in an old silo and a dairy barn.
Often true.
Love, Jackie
I am more than happy to go with The Man In My Life and the rest of the family to new places he hears about. Usually the food is good and he and I visit the kitchen. I love visiting restaurant kitchens! I like to poke around in the walk in when everybody else is arguing about ingredients