I’ve noticed, going through the old stuff, that Arlo & Janis frequently features the adventures of Gene and Mary Lou in August. I’m not sure why. Anyway, the above is the beginning of a two-week series that I think is an excellent example of what people are responding to when they ask to see more from the low-country cast. I think the dialog is crisp and believable, the artwork is more ambitious and the drama is tense. And the sexuality, while still subtle, probably is as frank as anything I’ve ever done. You won’t hear me talking about my work like this very often; perhaps I should return to the coast more. I would add, however, that once Gene and Mary Lou got married and began working for themselves, I suddenly found myself with two married-people comic strips on my hands. Readers often suggest a spin-off strip for Gene and his other family. I’ll talk about that in a special Saturday post. Remember, click on the link above to see what I’m talking about here, and remember also it’s a two-week sequence, so there’s a bonus Sunday in the middle. To be continued...
The Young and the Restless
By Jimmy Johnson
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 ...
50 responses to “The Young and the Restless”
I’ve never suggested a spin-off strip. It is hard enough to come up with fresh ideas for ONE strip. But it would be nice to alternate a bit as Gene is a lot like his old man but different enough to look at things with a different perspective. And we won’t even touch on Shrimp….But maybe another Shrimp could come along?
There is a (if not a long) list of spin offs and morphs:
Mitzy Ritz to Nancy
Thimble Theater to Popeye
.
Then Hi & Lois from Beetle Bailey (Lois is Beetle’s sister)
BC and Wizard of Id though Harte had a collaborator.
.
Something tickles the gray cells about Joe Palooka.
.
There are more but the tired brain draws a blank right now.
And these are nowhere near A&J and Gene’s situation.
Fritzi Ritz
Yep…and much like A&J, Fritzi often seemed to skirt the censor’s attention as closely as possible at times… 🙂
Summer of 2010 has a good run of Gene and Mary Lou… https://www.gocomics.com/arloandjanis/2010/06/16 is a good starting place. Just keep going, though.
“Two married people comic strip” is the wrong definition all around. A&J are long-married, secure both in one another and financially, semi-retired (maybe even fully; it’s never made clear any longer). Gene and Mary Lou are at the very beginning of the process: they followed their dream at exactly the wrong moment (hurricanes, recession, pandemic). But they are tough, smart, and have an as-yet-unrecognized-to-them (but readers know all about it) secret weapon: Meg. To the best of my (admittedly limited) knowledge, there is no strip of that complexity either in print or on line. Maybe I’m prejudiced, but I believe JJ has the elements of that successful strip already in place and has his own secret weapons: a deep understanding of human nature and the ability to lighten it up.
Most strips these days are either what is called gag-a-day (new joke every day but little or no continuity), or continuity (where there is a running storyline). Jimmy provides a rare mix of both as the inspiration strikes him. That is one of the things that makes his work stand out from the rest. He is definitely marching to his own drummer, and we enjoy the music!
75 years ago on this date Japan surrendered bringing the fighting of WWII to an end.
.
The US went from a 19th rate Army to THE Atomic Power.
.
Minnesota PR is to play Victory At Sea at about 6ish CDT to commemorate.
.
https://www.classicalmpr.org/listen
.
Click on Listen
.
or 99.5 in the Twin Cities
Cool! I love that music! Thanks for the update!
88.5 in Bemidji & environs, interrupted by weather alerts. Peace,
OMG, I had forgotten this sequence. What a GREAT portrayal of the dance of emotions in new love. Wow! I’m in awe!
This continuity is yet another I admire. Jimmy you know restaurants and kitchens so well, just as you know boats and living aboard so well. Tiny things like a hispanic cook for French seafood. The glass of water from tiny head that Gene explodes from.
Gus is my favorite character despite most of his dialogue rendered in silence. Only Ludwig has less lines
At 2 a.m. I figured out why the excellent August strips are new to me. Until 2015 when my mother and late husband died I was always traveling in August from 1985 through 2015.
With no Smartphone or laptop to read GoComics I only had access to A and J on my home office desktop computer. I bought myself Smartphone, tablet and a laptop computer in January 2016.
Yes, Jimmy that is your best work on all levels. Your Coastal work which must include the schooner.
What used to be my favorite Chinese restaurant was run by a real nice Hispanic man. He sold going great guns to a Chinese fellow who killed it by changing the tried and true recipes. It was busy for years and even had to add seating a few years before and it was still packed. Changed the food and all the good service in the world couldn’t save it.
JJ, you do have a excellent understanding of the human condition… You work makes me smile.
“Thus, she brought Emmy Lou to an end in December 1979.”
Peace,
emb
.
Ours was a little later – rolling thunder.
What’s up everyone, it’s my first go to see at this site, and
post is actually fruitful in support of me, keep up posting these types of
content.
Hey! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO?
I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords
but I’m not seeing very good gains. If you know of any please share.
Kudos!
Right here is the right website for everyone who wants to understand this topic.
You understand so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally would want to?HaHa).
You definitely put a brand new spin on a subject that’s been discussed for
many years. Great stuff, just wonderful!
Feel free to visit my web page – http://www.aniene.net/
After looking at a number of the blog posts on your web site, I seriously like
your technique of blogging. I saved it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back
soon. Please check out my web site too and tell me how you feel.
Great article.
my web blog – http://www.comptine.biz
This piece of writing is truly a good one it helps new
net people, who are wishing for blogging.
Here is my blog; Astroscope Review
I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this
website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you?
Plz answer back as I’m looking to design my own blog and would like
to find out where u got this from. cheers
Also visit my web blog; Leaf Max CBD Oil, streetsoflondonroleplay.co.uk,
I’m really impressed with your writing abilities as neatly as with the structure in your blog.
Is this a paid theme or did you customize it your self?
Anyway keep up the excellent high quality writing, it is uncommon to
peer a nice blog like this one these days..
whoah this weblog is great i love reading your posts.
Stay up the great work! You recognize, a lot of persons are
looking around for this info, you could aid them greatly.
Top-notch info it is without doubt. We’ve been looking for this content.
Here is my web page … Allura Fresh Review
Respect to op, some great selective information.
Here is my web blog :: Xtreme Shred Keto Review
Thanks , I have just been looking for info approximately this topic for a while and yours is the greatest I have discovered
so far. However, what about the bottom line? Are you certain in regards to the supply?
This is a really good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere.
Short but very precise information? Thank you for sharing this one.
A must read post!
Feel free to surf to my page – Nitro Strive Reviews