Have I shown you this? It’s an idea I was fooling around with back at the turn of the century. You know, you used to hear that phrase used a lot before the century actually turned but not so much since. I guess all that century turning could get confusing. What was I talking about? Oh, yeah… this was going to be a fanciful strip about these kids who lived in the low country, sort of like son Gene’s family now. I dug this particular one out of some old stuff a few days ago, and it’s been lying around on my desk since. So, I thought I’d show it to you. The boys’ names are Skeeter and Nat. Get it? Skeeter and Nat!! Ha Ha! There are several more of these prototypical strips around somewhere, and if I find them, I’ll show them to you, too.
Saturday in the studio
By Jimmy Johnson
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194 responses to “Saturday in the studio”
Oh yeah, just remembered I had a cousin who grew up in Tallahassee who was called Skeeter. He was much older than me so I didn’t really know him. I cannot recall his real name!
Dear David, I am so disappointed. You are being very brave and patient … your turn will come soon, I am sure of it.
Jackie, and isn’t it funny that the “Southern” strips of Pogo and Li’l Abner were created by Northerners? Walt Kelly was from Connecticut and Al Capp was from New York. That link I posted for you earlier has a heading which says Vintage. If you click on that it gives you a chance to see old strips. The Barney Google on it is from January 1938. The modern selection contains most every syndicated strip which is not part of this site.
Sorry to hear you didn’t qualify, David. I certainly hope your turn comes soon, perhaps a willing living donor will turn up.
Among the Southern strips I miss are Kudzu with Rev. Will B. Dunn and other wonderful totally typical Southern characters. I always loved when they stood in front of the coffin and made remarks, like “Don’t he look good?”
I forgot Geech is gone too and Bloom County which I count as Southern strips too.
Wait, Jimmy why was it the syndicate didn’t want you to do a Southern strip?
Jackie, maybe they felt the field was crowded? Anyway, I think Jimmy slipped one past them, don’t you?
I used to read and enjoy Kudzu when it was printed in the Boston Globe, long before the Internet. The cartoonist died in a car crash — so sad.
Yes, Charlotte, he was working for the newspaper here in Tulsa, OK when that happened. I had no idea how we’d managed to get someone that great.
I would agree Jimmy snuck one past them too.
I lived in Tallahassee for 6 months in 1959 while my father went to school. My wife was in the same school but a grade ahead of me and we did not know each other, although I like to tell people that she was the little girl who was always kicking me in the shins. We didn’t really meet until 1997. I began this evening full of gloom and doom. Needless to say I have cancelled my Christmas 2015 trip to Paris. The recent events there put me in mind of Peter Sellers without the comedy. I happened to watch a program tonight which I expected to be a program about dying bravely, but actually Life Itself is about how to live. I was not a particular Roger Ebert fan, but this program is uplifting. I believe that it will continue to be shown on CNN for awhile so you my want to check it out.
I lived in Tallahassee for 6 months in 1959 while my father went to school.
There was more to that comment but it’s somewhere out there in the “cloud”. My wife and I went to the same school, but she was a grade ahead of me and I did not know her. We didn’t meet until 1997. I won’t type the rest again, but watch Life Itself on CNN if you have a chance. I found it uplifting.
Good morning Villagers….
David, I share your disappointment….. I’m so sorry….but, please don’t give up hope. Remember my “Important List”? “The worst thing to be without…hope.”
Freezing rain coming…..
later…..
Are their sisters named June Bug and Cicada?
Is A&J really a southern strip? Abner, Snuffy, and Pogo are/were specifically set in the South. First few years I had no idea where A&J was set, and the only southern thing [that struck me, at least] was Gus’s place, and that was years later.
Obviously was not this far north, but leaves turn and there is snow, there aren’t lots of Southern phrases or accents, and Jimmy’s dialog doesn’t follow the rule, “never use one syllable when two will do.” He didn’t have to sneak anything by anybody. That offshore rock where the mermaid sat, and Arlo’s gear when he rowed out there looked pretty Northeastern to me.
Peace, emb
emb, them there are stereotypes of southern life. People also have stereotypes of Minnesotians and Upers that are not accurate of the whole.
Let us just say that Arlo and Janis live in The Village, somewhere near a large metro area where they work, large enough to garden on the lot, with lots of birds, squirrels and Ludwig can go outside. Close enough to the shore to drive down and visit kids and grand kids and walk the beach. Safe enough for Janis to walk and she knows the neighbors.
It’s a nice place, The Village, and I know I am privileged to visit.
Love, Jackie
About carrying emergency nutrition bars, I found that I loved Kind bars and buy mine in pharmacy but I can often find them even in convenience stores and large groceries. Anyway, they bought out two new flavors (to me) one called Honey Mustard and the other Honey Smoked BBQ.
This must be the new sweet-savory trend, as it is a little weird with nuts, granola and whole grains tasting like a big bar of crunchy barbque.
For anyone interested in the state of cartooning, The Economist recently published this article on how the internet is saving cartoons. Clearly no one read A&J before writing this article.
http://www.economist.com/news/christmas-specials/21568586-internet-has-unleashed-burst-cartooning-creativity-triumph-nerds?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/ed/triumphofthenerds
Well said, Jackie. I like the Village and the people in it. Good folk…
Jackie, the actor who played L’il Abner in the movie was Peter Palmer:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0658413/?ref_=tt_cl_t1
David, no, don’t lose hope! We will all keep our fingers crossed that your turn will come soon.
So, does The Economist have a comics page?
David, I’m sure this is not the first “roller coaster ride” you’ve taken since you got on the The List. Hang in there.
Jackie, your comment about “a big bar of crunchy barbque” prompted me to wonder if anyone has come up with the concept of BBQ breakfast cereal. On second thought, never mind.
Ghost, that is when you eat the crunchy bacon rinds in a sack.
I have a question for you, Ghost. How do you handle the Weight Watchers meetings? Do you go and get weighed in or do you do the internet WW? If you go, do you find the programs motivating?
You see, I have learned something about myself a long time ago and that is that I am not a club woman or a group member. I just don’t fit in well, I am as you all know by now, idiosyncratic and while I can lead, it is hard to get me to follow!
If I come across my old Richard Simmons diet “game boards” that was a great system. You planned your meals, you closed the board windows when you ate that particular item and when you got them all closed, you quit eating! God forbid you ate the entire day before 11 a.m.
It also made you accountable for the water drinking, exercising and affirmations.
He may be a little silly but his ideas work. By the way, I was in college with Richard Simmons, he was in theater arts, fat, geeky and I only vaguely remember him, yet I know I did know him and seem to remember actually dancing with him at a party. Short, too as I recall.
Love, Jackie
I love pork rinds…hot and spicy…with a cold brewskie.
Jackie, did you, have you, are you keeping a diary? I’m so glad you can recall days of future past. I can’t….synapses don’t fire like they use to.