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

Est. 1985

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More Computer-Generated Humor

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
Judging from the appearance of this simple Sunday cartoon from May, 2007, I was in a hurry when I drew it. Believe it or not, it happens. Its saving grace is the joke, though; I like it. It’s humorous and—I like to think—original. That’s what you shoot for. Many times over my career, I’ve had conversations with people who ask a variation of the question, “So, you could, like, draw six months ahead and take six months off?!” Technically, the answer is, Yes. The question almost always is asked with the breath of incredulity, and I know they’re wishing they could work that way. Perhaps they could. I can’t. I can’t get so much as a week ahead, and I do try. For 30 years, I have tried. At least I am reconciled to the fact that’s the way it is. I’m just lucky to have this gig at all.

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221 responses to “More Computer-Generated Humor”

  1. Jackie monies Avatar
    Jackie monies

    All of America is traveling! I know better than try without reservations. Finally in hotel, another suite and this one has pool sized jacuzzi which I am using alone. I am that tired.

    Forgot to say I have decided to join WW and get my personal trainer back as soon as I get home. My stockbroker looked like he’s had a face lift and taken 20 years off his age by hard training with personal trainer three times a week. I have four months and then I will have to do on my own for 2 or 3 months.

  2. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    This blog has been unavailable, at least to me, for the past several hours.

    I’ll hold you to the WW decision, Jackie. I don’t think I need a face lift, but the smart diet and moderately hard training on my own has definitely paid dividends.

    Debbe 😉 I hope your Mom has improved.

    sand, I’m already working up a plan to validate your sundress hypothesis.

  3. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    GR6, et al.: I, too, have not been able to get this site on Internet Explorer for about 5 or 6 hours, it seems. Now, using Mozilla Firefox, I got here, but could get the comments only by clicking “102 comments” and not by clicking the latest contribution. That’s better than nothing.

    Anyone have a clue? JJ?

  4. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers…..

    Yes, it is good news that my Mom got to go ‘home’ to the nursing home. She was dismissed at 4ish. My baby sister took her back. Have not been able to talk with her. Had problems at #1 hen house.

    I stopped in as The Boss wants me to check on ‘the teens’…and the three adults. And it’s the same old whinning and drama….Davey (remember The Boss’s ex son-in-law) and Andrew were yelling at me as soon as I got out of the car. “Debbe get in there and tell them to get going, they’re driving us nuts.” The teens were standing at the doorway, and as soon as I turned around to look at them, they scattered. I’m tiny, but mighty….but I did go in and talked to them.

    Left to go home, turned on the highway, about a half mile down the road I turned on my right blinker, car behind me turned too……didn’t like it, followed me all the way down to the gravel road, then turned around…..unmarked state cop didn’t want to get his car dirty. Then Rachel calls to tell me there’s an unmarked state car going up and down the highway. Got to watch those rascals….I guess they are wondering what all the activity is about at the hen house.

    THEN, ‘Skittles; (Dakota) calls me at home whining about another teenager (who I feel suffers immensely from short person complex). I let him whine, came up with solution, the ‘kid’ will come and help me pack eggs tpday. None of the other teens like him, and I really don’t either…he’s got this big chip on his shoulder that I just may knock off today.

    (note to self: take prescription bottle of anti-stress pills with you today.)

    Husband still at his brother’s, watching ball games. So I fixed scrambled eggs with cheese and smoked grillers wrapped in floured tortillas for Ian and me….I don’t like eggs anymore…ate about half of it. Fell asleep in recliner…again. Woke up, and went to bed at 11ish. Dang I lead an exciting life.

    Thanks for letting me share that with ya’lll

    Happy Caturday……………………

    GR 😉 and Denise, I have a wonderful brother-in-law who I am sure will be looking into why the nursing home ‘missed’ this call. He and my sister live right in town too.

  5. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Nancy….will be cheering Arizona on tonight…..I should still be awake at tip off, it’s the last quarter I have a hard time staying awake 🙂

  6. sandcastlerâ„¢ Avatar
    sandcastlerâ„¢

    GR6, just be certain your test mode does not make you appear to be winking; you don’t want skewed results.

  7. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    Debbe and Ghost, that’s welcome news you both have on the medical front! I get the feeling, Debbe, that you are kind of everybody’s Mom, go-to person, calm head, and wise woman all rolled into one.

    In today’s real-time strip, I can see how Meg and her Mom have some personality traits in common1

  8. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    sand, speaking of winks: there’s a television commercial for an apple ale that features a crusty, dour-looking fellow. At the end of it, his eyes twinkle and he gives a barely-there wink. For some reason, that just tickles me no end…

  9. emb Avatar
    emb

    Old bear: I’ve copied the URL; now all I need is the two hours.

    Meanwhile, here’s yesterday’s ‘Justin.’ Worthy of our superior tastes here in the Village.

    http://comicskingdom.com/dustin/2015-03-27

    Peace, emb

  10. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Here’s another artist who likes to play with the panels: http://comicskingdom.com/mother-goose-grimm/2015-03-23

  11. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    One side-effect of my eye procedure is that my right eye has been slightly teary and its pupil has been somewhat dilated since Thursday. I’m not sure how widely known it is that moist, dilated eyes can be a sign of sexual desire/arousal. (That was very evident in the case of one of my lady friends. She never did figure out how I could tell.)

    I’m not sure, though, how a woman who was aware of that would construe a long look from me right now. “Hi, I’m Ghost, and I’m partially attracted to you”, perhaps?

  12.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Oops, the commercial I mentioned above is for a hard apple CIDER, not an ale.

    Ghost, I knew about dilated pupils being a sign of arousal, but not about moisture. Hmmm, have to keep that info on file…

  13. Jackie monies Avatar
    Jackie monies

    Good morning, haven’t been able to get in here today. $trance stuff. On way home and in a good mood. Need to get my hair done and have three broken nails, I know it is not a tragedy in scope of things. Decided to go with WW online because I travel too much. Just added another trip this morning.

    The McD trick works and do not have a clue why I had not remembered.

    Ghost I know other tells but that is your department.

    Love Jackie

  14. sandcastlerâ„¢ Avatar
    sandcastlerâ„¢

    Jackie, I too have had entrance issues this morning.

  15. Evan Avatar
    Evan

    Sand, your above was contextually proper and totally aboveboard. But for some reason, it reminded me of this gem:

    http://www.gocomics.com/arloandjanis/2003/11/10

  16. emb Avatar
    emb

    My current way here is to go to the A&J site, try going to comments, fail, copy the A&J URL, go to OF site, which is in my favorites, watch [OF was winding down, nice], replace the OF URL w/ the A&J URL, go there, click on comments [which is where I’ve gotten the FAILED msg before, and here I am.

    Being here, I just went to Favorites, then to OF, and copied the URL so you’d have it. No predictions of course. If it goes as it did last year, they will open to the public in mid-April, but won’t start posting predictions for some days [weeks?].

    http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/webcam/oldFaithfulStreaming.html

    Peace, emb

  17. Jackie monies Avatar
    Jackie monies

    Great minds, Evan. I reread to see if there was something I missed.

  18. emb Avatar
    emb

    Evan, That is a gem. emb

  19. sandcastlerâ„¢ Avatar
    sandcastlerâ„¢

    For those with hair and the need for a multitool, this is a sweet answer to your craving. Only $9.99 at Amazon.
    http://boingboing.net/2015/03/27/multitool-in-a-hair-clip.html#more-375927

  20. Nancy Kirk in AZ Avatar
    Nancy Kirk in AZ

    Debbe, thanks for the good wishes for Arizona. Go Cats!! I’d surely like them to at least make it to the Final Four. I am just back from an extra choir rehearsal for our concert tomorrow afternoon, and a number of us (including me) had on UA colors.

    Also to Debbe: You do lead a hard life lots of days, but the Tales of the Hen House are as good as any soap opera!!

    To everyone: I couldn’t get to the comments on any computer yesterday evening, was gone this morning, but now it seems to be working properly.

    Evan: Laughing hysterically. Thanks!

  21. Rick in Shermantown, Ohio Avatar
    Rick in Shermantown, Ohio

    Perhaps Arlo does indeed come with a screensaver.

    It seems, though, that it activates only when Janis’ factory-installed endless loop reaches the pre-set limit of words.

  22. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Apparently there be dragons in the blogosphere yesterday and today.

    Did I mention my ophthalmologist told me I had to put on an eye patch when I go to bed. To protect my eye, I suppose. Unless she has a Hathaway Shirt Man fetish.

    Other tells, Jackie? 😉

  23. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    Another oops: “Anonymous” at 10:52 a.m. was me. I couldn’t get in on my phone so I went to the desktop, which doesn’t know who I am, it seems. 😉

  24. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Using Chrome, I am getting by going to history and picking a visit early yesterday. Then I just scroll down to the most recent posts. Went to the Northport Wally World and while walking through the parking lot, saw a P-51 and F-22 doing formation flight as part of the air show. Too cold and overcast for me today, but plan to go tomorrow. They also have a Marine Corps Osprey demonstration, B-25 and B-17, grand finale is the Blue Angels.