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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

Mars Needs Rodents

By Jimmy Johnson

Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
This comic strip ran here a couple of years ago, but I thought I’d show it again, because it seems every other day now, the Mars rover Curiosity is sending back images of what seem to be crabs, women, the golden arches of McDonald’s. Well, at least that last one is feasible. I came across an effort to explain this the other day. It seems our brains are wired to perceive patterns in an effort to interpret our immediate environment. That should make sense to us. Every day I create a weird pen doodle, and you think, “It’s a homely man with a big nose!”

Recent Posts

Ghost of Christmas Past

This holiday Arlo & Janis comic strip from 2022 is similar in concept to the new strip that ran yesterday. I thought the latter ...

Spearhead

I have produced a number of comic strips related to Veteran’s Day. Especially in latter years, I have tried to emphasize the universal experience ...

Dark Passage

Remember: it’s that weekend. The return to standard time can be a bit of a shock in the late afternoon, but I rather enjoy ...

What’s old is old, again

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to build a web site, but there are similarities. Everything needs to be just right, or ...

Back to the ol’ drawing board

I don’t have a lot of time this morning. I wasn’t going to post anything, but I’m tired of looking at that old photograph ...

Thursday’s Child

On Sunday, I teased you with the suggestion there are more changes coming here. There are. They will appear soon, and I think you’ll ...

111 responses to “Mars Needs Rodents”

  1.  Avatar

    Y’all will say there is nothing left to eat but I eliminated Fried foods, potatoes, rice, pasta, most breads, sugars, desserts, most salts, most meats except chicken.

    I am left with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, some dairy, eggs, fish, chicken, water, unsweetened iced tea and Diet Coke. I need to lose that Coke.

    I seem to end up with a lot of food on my plate and I don’t work out hard at all.

  2. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    All this talk of food and diet. What does JJ offer up? A daily delight mentioning pumpkin pie and it’s companion ice cream. Magical!

  3. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    Found this gem after the above food post. Seems to blend with the food theme and modern living. http://www.gocomics.com/moderately-confused/2015/10/23

  4. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    We’ve discussed this here a couple of times previously…”jack-o’-lantern” pumpkins are not the same as “pie making” pumpkins. Not that I’m being pedantic. I firmly believe that facts should never be allowed to ruin a good joke. Jay Leno made a career of that.

    Anonie, I read just the other day that Diet Coke sales dropped 8% in 3Q, on top of sharp drops in the first two quarters of this year. The suspected reason is that people are concerned about the possible health effects of the aspartame used as an artificial sweetener. But the article also noted that Coke Zero sales are up 8% for the same period. I think I may see the problem.

  5. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    I was just wondering if Arlo still does jack-o’- lanterns, and judging by today’s cartoon, he does. I know he has done jack-o’-lantern gags previously, but Janis would probably kill him if he went this far.

    http://36.media.tumblr.com/uFlnyxJUFengjuxcmWGsvAIio1_540.jpg

  6. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    OK, that probably won The Tasteless Jack-O’-Lantern Photo of the Day Award.

  7. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Thanks a lot. I just cleaned up after one of the kitties threw up their breakfast. It is funny. Ghost, muscle weighs more than fat. The best shape I was ever in I weighed 20 pounds more than I do now.

  8. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    Ghost Sweetie, I’ll see your Tasteless Photo and raise you an Even Worse Video!

    https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=queso+dip+and+guacamole&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-004

    To the weight watchers, hang in there! I have watched my sister do the diet rollercoaster thing for years. She has gone to Weight Watchers meetings on and off for a long time, and even when not going tries to follow their plan, but if she gains a pound gets discouraged and binges on an entire bag of Oreos or Publix cupcakes or the like, gains even more weight, rinse, repeat. Even when she can stay on the program she drinks Diet Coke with Splenda, which isn’t all that good for her. I wish I could help her, but she’s a grown-up so there’s not a lot I can do.

  9. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Debbe
    America’s Test Kitchen found the canned pumpkin is just as good as scooping it yourself.
    Because of the water content I (their suggestion) spread it on several layers of paper
    towel and covers with several more. That dries it so it just peels right off and batter is not too wet.

    The artificial sweeteners in diet soda/pop/tonic/cola/coke/sodapop send wrong messages to body so might actually inhibit weight loss.

  10. Mindy from Indy Avatar

    Oh, that isn’t the most tasteless jack o’ lantern out there. Search for sexy pumpkin ( or jack o’ lantern) – just don’t say you weren’t warned.

    And just because he was too cute today, my outside silver tiger, another neighborhood co-op.
    https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t31.0-8/12182646_10156290665425454_5863825514032591899_o.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoibCJ9

  11. TruckerRon Avatar

    We’ve got two threads running in the village today!