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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

“I’m figuratively dyin’ here!”

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
I limp to the end of this week with a rather generic offering from 1993. However, I’m beginning a project which should have an indirect affect on what we do here. “The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum” at the Ohio State University has accepted my donation of several dozen original Arlo & Janis comic strips, going back to when the strip began. In the next few weeks, I’ll be rooting through pretty much everything I’ve drawn since 1985. I’m going to pick out a couple of strips from each year to give to the folks in Columbus, but I’ll keep an eye out for anything that might interest us here, as well. Who knows what lurks? I certainly don’t remember. Now, somebody please explain what Boxing Day is.

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158 responses to ““I’m figuratively dyin’ here!””

  1. Bill in Paducah Avatar

    Congrats Jimmy – Columbus is about a six hour drive from Paducah and this summer I drove up and back in a day to see the Watterson/Thompson exhibits. What a treat! It was also very cool to see a lot of the other artwork they had stored there.

  2. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Just ran across this when I was looking for something else.

    http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/07/trial-by-fire?mbid=ob_ppc_trialbyfire

    Peace? emb

  3. Robert in WA Avatar
    Robert in WA

    Happy Boxing Day. Boxing Day is a British tradition for the servants. All of their servants had to work on Christmas Day so they were given the day after Christmas off to celebrate with their families. To them it was as big as Christmas. I lived in New Zealand several years and discovered to them it is part of the holiday package. Now it seems as a day to clean up all of the boxes from Christmas here.

  4. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Here’s what Writer’s Almanac says:

    “In England this date is called Boxing Day, with offerings for the poor collected in church boxes. Gratuities are given to the postman or gardener or cleaning lady for services rendered the previous year, and children go begging from door to door, as on Halloween in America.”

    Which reminds me, we/I have the best newspaper deliverers ever. Must write a check.

  5. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    I suppose I am a bad person, because somehow I yesterday failed to attend what is by most accounts a thoroughly stupid movie to show the Norks that I support “Freedom of Speech”. You know, the Constitutionally enumerated right to say most anything one wishes, so long as one does not say it on a school campus, and/or say anything that might conceivably hurt the feelings of at least one person of exquisitely delicate sensibilities. [See Postmodern Doctrine of “I-Personally-Don’t-Approve-So-There-Should-Be-A-Law-Against-It”]

    As Arlo says, “Everybody’s so serious these days.”

  6. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Today’s TIP comic, by Millais, is titled simply ‘A flood.’ I don’t get the title TIP gave it, but I’m part of the out group.

    http://www.gocomics.com/that-is-priceless/

  7. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Ghost:

    ‘See Postmodern Doctrine of “I-Personally-Don’t-Approve-So-There-Should-Be-A-Law-Against-It” ‘

    Amen. Postmodernism also includes the notion, ‘Science is just one way of looking at things.’ Of course, it’s true; there are other ways. But science is the best way to answer some pretty important questions about this physical universe. And we are a part of that universe.

    Peace, emb

  8. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    emb, in recent years there have been recalls of many types of strollers, child seats, baby beds, etc. So the TIP person is playing off that.

  9. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    True, emb. Various forms of that “doctrine” seems to be burrowing into the fabric of our society in many ways besides legal rights. There seem to be many who hold that “I have the right to my opinion, no matter how silly, ignorant, biased and unsupported by the facts it is, and, by the way, it is as equally valid as any other opinion.”

    Also, it’s ironic that some that proclaim the value of tolerance toward others are the most intolerant among us.

  10. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Ok, so now I’m free to say that it looks like a dumb movie that I have no intention of seeing. But I would if I wanted to!

  11. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Right.

  12. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Santa Claus brought me a black oxide finished multi-tool by SOG Specialty Knives. (A multi-tool is what a Swiss Army knife hopes to be when it grows up.) Somehow, however, I still have 79 items on my Amazon Wish List. šŸ™

  13. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    For some reason, today’s A&J cartoon reminds me of Jimmy Buffett’s 1973 album, “A White Sport Coat And A Pink Crustacean”.

  14. sandcastlerā„¢ Avatar
    sandcastlerā„¢

    Boxing Day in the British Army is the day where the officers serve as mess stewards to the enlisted personnel.

    GR6, I carry an original 1980’s Leatherman PST on my belt. She is very plain by modern design, but a personal friend I don’t wish to replace. I also have a great folding Buck knife that is my other belt buddy. I also have a Swiss key on the key ring, just in case. Fun fact, a PST is one of the only non regulation items you can bring to Ranger school. I’ve always been surprised that the military has never made the PST standard issue.

  15. hc Avatar
    hc

    I posted a response to Boxing Day at 6:26 this morning (yes – up at that hour the day after Christmas) for Debbe – but the answers above are pretty close to it too.
    It’s the Canadians who are milking it for a whole week! Who’d they learn that from? or to keep the pedantic happy, From Whom did they learn that?

  16. sandcastlerā„¢ Avatar
    sandcastlerā„¢

    hc, maybe Tim Horton. He is the hockey player who made donuts the Canadian National Pastry. šŸ˜‰

  17. Ursen Avatar
    Ursen

    Had shrimp and ham for lunch and no problems with any of the kitties. A surprise since one of them floats to the counter or table anytime she thinks she can get by with it.

  18. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Now I know I’m old! I can’t remember why I walked into a room but my wife, doing a crossword puzzle, asked me who played Wally Cleaver and I didn’t even have to think about it.

  19. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    sand, my pocket-clipped, assisted opening Kershaw Cyro II is my current EDC knife, but I have a Buck folder that lives in my car’s glove box. Either will very efficiently open an envelope. šŸ™‚

    As they say in Texas, “A man with a knife in his pocket or on his belt is not armed, he is just dressed.”

  20. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    “The human brain is truly amazing. Half the time I can’t remember where I left my car keys ten minutes ago, but I can remember all the words to ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ theme song.” – Dave Barry

  21. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Those of you who have concern for Jackie may want to check this link from time to time for further details.

    http://www.gillfirstnational.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1485642

  22. sandcastlerā„¢ Avatar
    sandcastlerā„¢

    GR6, this well dressed Texan thanks you for the above link.

    Ursen,
    We have a paratrooper cat. He has learned the easy path from loft to downstairs is through the railing. He does a graceful pushoff and a perfect four-point landing on the sofa.

  23. Mindy from Indy Avatar
    Mindy from Indy

    Jerry – You are not getting old. I forget the science-y stuff behind it, but our brains connect objects with rooms. Crossing a threshold leaves the object you wanted connected to the other room, so you “forget.” Which is also why you remember the object as so as you turn around and re-cross the threshold. Apparently, this happens during video games too.

    Blacklist insists on a nibble – not to eat, but to turn her nose up at it.

    And my Boxing Day has been the most appropriate of all – boxing up and wrapping Christmas presents. (Ours is tomorrow.)

    Hugs to all.

  24. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    As for video games I peaked at Pong and, another admission, I have no idea what a “hashtag” is unless it’s that squiggly thing that they’re putting on most things these days.