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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

‘Lost Key’ Found

By Jimmy Johnson

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(Cartoonist’s note: I resolved to freshen up the post-summer fare here, but I ran across this old thing in the archives and thought you might like to see it again. I think I’ve run this only once; most of you probably have never seen it. So, complete with original commentary by way of explanation, I give you “Lost Key.”)

Today, I will begin posting episodes of Lost Key, a comic strip idea I kicked around in the late 1980s. These cartoons have been seen by very few people, perhaps less than a dozen. I was surprised when I realized these strips go back further than I remembered. I’m not showing them because I’m particularly proud of them. The artwork hardly is stellar and many of the gags are shallow. However, I do think you’ll find them interesting. In fairness to myself, Arlo and Janis was crudely drawn in those days compared to now, and the artwork in Lost Key actually represented an effort to stretch myself in that area. As for the writing, it takes time for characters to develop voice and personality, and only two weeks of Lost Key were ever drawn. It’s impossible to say what Lost Key might have become. It also will help to keep in mind as you digest the humor that these strips are from the 80s, more than 20 years ago.
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15 responses to “‘Lost Key’ Found”

  1. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    My first thought on seeing this was that you were giving someone else’s strip a wider audience, as you have done before. It doesn’t look anything like Arlo and Janis. Thanks for the look at something completely different.

  2. John Kelly Avatar
    John Kelly

    I thought I was the only one who thought of the 80s as “20 years ago”. I’m still surprised when I see things from the 90s in my Buy Sell group advertised as “antique”.

  3. DaveP Avatar
    DaveP

    interesting!
    appears to be from the “felt pen” era of drawing.

  4. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    John Kelley, it surprised me to find that there is a Federal regulation that says anything called an antique must be at least 100 years old. Less than that and it can be called vintage. That’s a good thing, as I’d rather be called vintage than an antique because I predate the 1980’s.

  5. DJJG7 Avatar
    DJJG7

    What fun! Thanks, Jimmy! I love the tacky woodwork—

  6. Canuckguy NB Avatar
    Canuckguy NB

    But one has to be familiar with the 40’s and 50’s to get this. So safe to say, 60+ years ago mindset.

  7. Adrian Avatar
    Adrian

    You ran these back in August 2010. (I downloaded them is how I remember.) Now the 80’s are more than 30 years ago. But saying “more than 20 years ago” is technically true too I suppose.

  8. Ruth Avatar
    Ruth

    At first glance I thought it was Gus, Gene’s father-in-law. Wonder if this was the inspiration for him and his business at the coast.

  9. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    Yep, even the end of the ’80s is 30 years ago.

    Are these characters somehow related to the A&J group or are these characters totally separate?

  10. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    Does she resemble the mother in Dennis the Menace?

  11. Bryan Avatar
    Bryan

    Cool, I remember when young Mr. Johnson ran these 8 years ago.

  12. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Today’s strip looks like the weather outside here.

  13. Joseph Avatar
    Joseph

    I hate to break it to you Jimmy, but the eighties were thirty years ago – coming up on forty.

    Yeah, we’re old…

  14. dave Avatar
    dave

    Does it mean I’ve been hanging out here to long, if I can remember the last time you posted this strip? 😉