Yes, it’s Mary Lou, from the beach. Mary Lou has appeared in a series of cartoons four times in the past. The first time she appeared, she and Gene hit it off, resulting in pre-pubescent puppy love. The next year, Gene seeks out his pal upon returning to the beach only to find her enthralled with older boys. The last time she appeared, not counting the present series running in newspapers, she was, to use an apt old phrase, “in trouble.” Can anyone name the other time she appeared?

The longest and most ambitious series involving Mary Lou has run here on arloandjanis.com once before. Today, I’m beginning it again, and it will run concurrently with events in the newspaper. Try not to get confused!