Naive Son

by

March 15, 1999

Here’s an oldie from the Ides of March, 1999. It is the first in a week-long series featuring son Gene, which you can see in its entirety by clicking on the date above. Not long before this strip ran, Janis went from her original long hair to a shorter cut. Here, I still was struggling with how best to depict the new ‘do, and I still am. For me, cartoon hair is the toughest thing to draw. I’ve never been very satisfied with any of my efforts. I hate Arlo’s hair, but by now he wouldn’t be Arlo otherwise.

113 thoughts on “Naive Son”

  3. Re 3-18-21 real-time cartoon: I recently commented on what I felt, based on experience, was the fallacy of the old saw “Flattery will get you nowhere.” My observation was that flattery will indeed get you just about anywhere you want to be, as long as it is appropriate and offered with sincerity. And as they say in Hollywood, “Once you learn how to fake sincerely, you’ve got it made!” 😀

  6. Here in Utah: All Utah adults will be eligible to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine starting March 24, Gov. Spencer Cox announced Thursday.
     
    I hope all of you who want vaccines are getting them!

  8. Leave Arlo’s hair alone, & stop hating it. I’ve been happy w/ most of Janis’s dos also. Peace,

    This may be a repeat. I finished typing & it simply vanished. Anyway, you should stop hating Arlo’s distinct hair, & Janis’s various dos have been fine. Peace,

  10. This is the next site I bumped into:

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/animals/how-banana-slugs-help-forests-to-grow/vi-BB1eHZmu?ocid=msedgntp

    The banana slug is the U Calif Santa Cruz’s mascot. UCSC president tried to veto that years ago, but student body was adamant. At basketball games, players crawl out, complete w/ antennae, which I presume they shed for the game itself. Have heard that they routinely lose, but that UCSC is a fine, innovative school. Apologies for any stomachs the video has turned.
    Bon appetit.

  13. I have been there when the river was solid with cranes for miles. Tbe bird racket can be heaed from miles away, overwhems everything.

  18. This has been a lean nesting spring. Disclosure: I don’t track all sites, but little action at several favorites. But this morning, there is a pair in Baltimore.
    https://explore.org/livecams/birds/peregrine-falcon-chesapeake-conservancy
    Who do the Chesapeake birders, think they are, not listing a location? Believe they were once the only site. Most primitive site: one fixed focus webcam, no closeups, no panning. But we may get some action. It’s midseason already. Now back to see about Reilly. Peace,

  22. Mark: Jackie and I ate there back in 2017, not too long after they had opened. In fact, when they learned where we were from, the entire staff surrounded our table, asking our opinions of the food and soliciting suggestions for improvement. It was quite good, especially for them having only been open for a short time. We have planned several times to go back again, but things kept intervening. You’re review has encouraged us to do that soon.

  23. Happy first day of spring 2021 from Eufaula, y’all. And, miracle des miracles, it dawned bright and pleasant here today. There’s not a cloud in the sky at the moment, and it’s 61 degrees and on the way to a high of 65. And the “buttercups” started blooming in the front yard the first of this week.
    I had to take care of some early morning business, and it was so nice that when I finished, I took a few minutes and invested a couple of dollars at the coin-op to give Bullet a much-needed bath. Oklahoma seems to be a bit hard on vehicles*, and keeping them clean is particularly tough…autumn and winter bring rain and mud; spring and summer bring dust and bugs. But even a quick scrub made Bullet look better and me feel better.
    *A couple of days ago, I was pricing a set of new shoes for Bullet and when we got to discussing tread warranties, the salesman interjected, “Of course, in Oklahoma** you can deduct about 10,000 miles to get a reasonable estimate of how long the tires will actually last.”
    **Oklahoma’s motto: “Wearing your tires out for you, so you won’t have to, since 1907.” 😀

    • It doesn’t help that the “roads” in Jackie’s subdivision are worse than most golf cart trails I’ve seen. They would be better off scraping off all the asphalt and just graveling over the dirt.

  24. Looks like I’m me today, so I’ll report that here in my mountain valley (4510 ft elevation) we’re getting some much needed rain showers today. Up at the ski resorts (8000 ft and higher) they’re getting snow. We didn’t get the big storms like Colorado this week, and we need every bit of precipitation we can get!

  26. The roads where l live are no existence no one maintains as they are private not county

    I once sprained my ankle out walking my dog by falling in a pot hole. I finally got up holding onto my Newfoundland who dragged me home.

    • This post was from Jackie. Her name and address were displaying when she started typing the post, but had changed to mine by the time she finished it. Everyone might need to recheck the info before clicking on “Post Comment”. – Ghost

  27. Re 3-21-21 real-time cartoon: I thought beer was the drink of procrastinators…you have to keep stopping what you’re doing to go the bathroom, and eventually you’ll go to sleep.

      • I used to enjoy an occasional “theme beer” with my meals when eating out…Japanese beer with sushi, Mexican beer with Tex-Mex, bock beer with steak, etc. But that’s been a while. Another casualty of the ‘rona virus, I suppose.

  28. About the Sunday funny, there is a slower more complicated way to brew tea called “a proper cup” that does not use tea bags but loose tea, a teapot,strainer, heating cup with boiling water, possible sugar and cream at room temp, plus timer.

    Believe me, Arlo’s teabag is simpler and faster.

  34. Glad to hear that there had been 2 eggs / Decorah North nest, but something apparently happened to them, & I’ve seen the nest empty. Often an eagle seems to be incubating there, but I just now watched a pair change places, & saw no eggs in the nest. Hard wiring gone awry? Be interesting to have the sponsoring outfit clarify.
    Peace,

    • I just looked at the comments on the Decorah North Explore site and someone had posted a screen shot showing both eggs. I think the nest bowl is deeper than usual this year and some of the material has been blocking our view. Extra fluff was probably a good thing when they had all that snow.

  37. Question for JJ: I’ve just gone through another cartoon’s total GoComics file and saw a lot of duplication, repeating older strips. I was wondering if the powers-that-be control how much new stuff must be included in any given comic over the period of, say, a month. That is, are you bound to provide, say, 20 new strips each month with a maximum of 8-11 repeats?

  38. Mark (Alabama readers) I have been reading a lot of novels set in Alabama lately and oddly. Not one author but several.

    Plots seem to be recounting of everything their grandmothers told them about their family plus all the town gossip. I wonder if anyone in Alabama speaks to them now?

    Remember the book your SIL gave me she’d worked on? The lady who had been married eleven times? It was on Kindle too! Set in Alabama!

    Jimmy, not an insult to living in Alabama. According to novels the women are all ex-beauty queen gorgeous and the men successful rich doctors and lawyers who went to Auburn, Alabama and maybe Vanderbilt.

    And everyone knows words to Sweet Home Alabama.

  39. By the way, Jackie. One place you won’t be eating is First Watch. The franchisee closed all the Oklahoma restaurants. No reason given.

  40. We just had shrimp poboys at White River which I had been craving. Great bargain with salad and hush puppies but sadly nothing like a New Orleans version.

    I would go to New Orleans and Magazine Street for oysters or shrimp at Casimento’s. Best poboys including half and half version.

  41. Glad to hear those eagle eggs must be deep down. They’ve been incubating for maybe 2 weeks.
    Prayers answered. There’s a Balt. peregrine incubating.
    Peace,

  42. Mark we tried Flavors of Louisiana and liked it. Have you eaten at any of the other poboy or Cajun places yet? There are several new ones I saw on Yelp and Trip Advisor.

    We are never there on weekends or nights anymore or we’d invite you out. We have to go back tomorrow in fact again.

    • No I haven’t. What got me into the Flavors of Louisiana was an urge for catfish and not wanting to make a long trek to either of the White River places. I had the catfish basket at Flavors and really enjoyed it. They gave me an extra piece of catfish, which I appreciated because it was very good. I had the red beans and rice when I found out the fried green tomatoes wouldn’t be on the menu till at least May. And the roll was excellent, almost tasted like a beignet without the sugar on it. The Cajun Ed’s is so close I pass it a lot, but I haven’t been in. Reckon I’ll have to try it soon.

    • Motel 6 had a Veteran’s discount, but I don’t know if they still do. It’s the same as their Senior discount, and you only get one of the two. Also, Safeway has Military Appreciation Day, but you never know when they’re doing it. You just have to ask, I guess. My sister works there now, and lets me know.

      Weird! If I hadn’t checked, Mark, I’d have posted as you.

  51. By the way, the same email that had the VA discounts also said that veterans spouses will now be able to get the COVID vaccine at VA facilities, but it did not say what they needed or how they were to register for it.

  53. emb: First egg has hatched at Decorah North. They zoomed in really close when the hatchling was being fed and I could just barely see it moving through the pine needles/nest material.

  54. Jimmy’s predictor is too good. From what I see on the Alabama news sites, they have been hit pretty hard with tornadoes and flooding today. He better buy some lottery tickets.

  55. Weirdly i just finished a novel based on Tuscaloosa tornado that hit Mark and his neighborhood doing so much damage. Todays storms seem to duplicate.

  60. Anybody in the Village been affected by this weather?

    Been Symply the strangest wintuh evuh(sic) foah me heah in the Nawtheest. Only 3 Fargone plowable events in MA and about 8 in ME! The lake is almost ice out(Neuhaus evuh seen that afloat May!) Mist all over it and the garden is almost clear of snow and that is in Maine not MA!

    Stay safe folks!

  61. Just looking at map of Alabama to see if Jimmy was in area of this week’s tornadoes. Came across newspaper accounts of laST week’s storms on March 18 which seem to have not his ates.

    I may be wrong but Arlo and Janis appear to have had a real tornado. If so I am sorry Jimmy and hope you are not damaged.

  63. My late husband and his sailing partner were in Chesapeake sailing an event many years ago when partner upset a nesting osprey out in bay. They a anchored elsewhere but bird didn’t forget. It attacked again next morning as they left. Waiting for them.

  69. Larry MxMurty died yestetday. He was 84. A great writer.

    I was living in Houston when he lived there being royally wined and dined. When the social royals found themselves in his next books he became a pariah again as he had in his hometown.

  73. I saw that later Mark. My news feed now is filled with actors, musicians and writers who have passed away. It is depressing.

    On a positive note Martha Stewart looks prettier and sexier than ever and Jane Fonda is on a fashion magazine cover at 87.

    I will keep doing my leg lifts.

  76. Trucker I am erasing your name, email and website. I leave og and when I come back there, there you are again!

    It won’t even do that with my name! Here you are again! Is anyone else getting Truck
    er Ron as their blog identity?

    Jackie Monies

  77. If I post here enough times, do you suppose I could ever be Warren Buffett? Or even better, as far as I’m concerned, Jimmy Buffett?
    s/ Ghost

  78. As I start this I am still Old Bear

    As to 3/27/21 Cartoon – our Tippy was so light landing you never knew
    when he jumped in bed. Arnold on the other hand landed like a cat twice his
    weight.

  82. Got here and i was TruckerRon again. I changed to Jackie again and we will see if it sticks.

    I have been fearing Jimmy had damage due to the tornadoes. I certainly hope not and have no proof, just am a worrier.

    Getting an outing today to see my friend’s animal rescue Husky Halfway House. We donated our boutiques remaining inventory and displays, furniture. This will be hard for me to visit as it all happened with my broken leg. I will cry.

  85. I dropped Jimmy a FB message to see how he was doing, and got this reply: I had to be out of town for several days last week and I’ve been catching up since returning. I will have a post in the usual spot tomorrow. And I’m fine, tornado-wise.

    • Good to read that, Mark. Thanks for investigating. I tried, but found nothing on two search sites, so was hoping for a simple explanation.

      I am myself!

      • Glad you are doing well, too. I had my second dose of the Moderna Covid vaccine Friday afternoon. Outside of having the feeling of having been punched in the shoulder for two days and being very fatigued on Saturday, I’m ok.

        Oops, good thing I looked. My name is Nobody.

  87. Thank you Mark for Rick Bragg on McMurty and for verifying Jimmy was safe. I always wanted to stop in his bookstore when he returned to Texas, we were often in area.

    Unfortunately I was always over ruled.

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