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

Est. 1985

Extra, Extra!

They Suit Horses, Don’t They?

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
Yesterday, July 29, 2015, marked 30 years of Arlo & Janis in newspapers. It’s an understatement to say the big anniversary bash was low key. Oh, months ago there were big plans, but the best laid plans of mice and men aft get knocked into a cocked hat. I confess to a certain ambivalence about the whole thing. To survive and thrive for 30 years in the newspaper syndication business is a rare accomplishment. Conversely, bragging about how long one has been around in the syndication business is tantamount to bragging about how lame and irrelevant one has become. That’s not always fair or true, but for some it is the consensus. I do want to say that I feel very privileged. I love what I do. Who wouldn’t? And I thank all of you who have made my livelihood possible over the years by reading Arlo & Janis and encouraging me. I consider it a personal favor, which I will return by drawing the best comic strip I can.

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177 responses to “They Suit Horses, Don’t They?”

  1. emb Avatar
    emb

    Speaking of Janis’s health, today’s A&J is obviously the start of a series. Today’s 9 CL is neat, and today’s Ballard Street reminds us Northpaws that not everyone is right-handed(both late wife and elder son [‘my son, the UMC pastor’] = lefties). Right on, emb

  2. Gary Avatar
    Gary

    Everyone is talking about today’s comics and I get no response from gocomics. Sigh.

  3. Gary Avatar
    Gary

    Gocomics is back and now I can see what everyone is talking about. Poor Janis.

  4. Steve from Royal Oak, Mi Avatar

    When I ran my last couple of marathons, I would run my regular route around a park, 20 times and did exactly what Janis is doing. When I walked my last marathon earlier this year, I did the same thing. Sometimes stopping for a minute or two beats quitting. I was no where near exhaustion, just really tired.

    My son, Dan is training to qualify for the Boston Marathon and he had a 19 miler in 80° to 90° heat and when I talked with him after he ran, I asked him how he felt and he said “Great, I’m ready!” His race is in September and I can remember having dead legs at this point of my training. Dan spent the week before last in Jackson Hole WY and got in late a week ago. The first few days were sluggish, so I told him to take a day off. It has paid dividends. Running a marathon to meet a certain time is SO hard to do. But I think barring cramps or injury, Dan will make it.

  5. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    I started running the marathon race in 1986. I should be finished around the end of this year.

  6. Steve from Royal Oak, Mi Avatar

    David Letterman opened his monologue once by saying. “The New York Marathon was yesterday and man am I tired!!! After 20 miles, I had to turn the TV off so I could sleep.

  7. Sideburns Avatar

    If a neighbor collapsed like that, I’d check to see if they’d passed out or not. If they had, I’d call Security to send somebody out to help. (I live in a gated retirement community, so we call Security, not 911.) If they were awake, I’d ask if they’d like me to hose them down to cool them off. Much better than bringing them inside as well as quicker and less likely to be misinterpreted.

  8. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    In this case, I’d still go with taking her clothes off. 🙂

  9. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Evil HR Director to New Employee: Will you be signing up for our company’s 401K?

    New Employee: I don’t so. My former employer had a 5K race once, and I couldn’t even finish that.

    Evil HR Director: Just a moment while I take another look at your application.

  10. Mindy from Indy Avatar

    I was sleeping so well last night – until a large storm went through and I woke up, sweating to death with a fuzzy 7lb radiator absolutely glued to my side. She hasn’t been bothered by a storm since the move, so it must have been a doozy. I finally managed to shift her to my arm, and she buried her head in my hand with her forepaws wrapped tightly around my wrist. Just got back to sleep when the alarm went off. Hello Monday.

  11. Mark in TTown Avatar
    Mark in TTown

    Mindy from Indy, glad both of you made it through all right. When my ex and I had moved to a small town in the Highland Rim of TN, we were so tired that we slept on the couch cushions in the living room the first night. During the night our most aloof cat suddenly climbed in with us and stayed there all night. Not normal! Next morning we found out a tornado had gone through the area.

  12. Ruth Anne in Winter Park Avatar
    Ruth Anne in Winter Park

    The annual Winter Park 10k in March goes down the street a few houses away from ours. Years ago, the route would turn and go past us. If it was a warm day, our neighbor on the corner would be out there with his garden hose calling to the runners, “Raise your hand if you want to get sprayed.” Many of them would cut the corner so that he could really soak them.

  13. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe 😉 – Walking Playlist #12 – If sandcastler™ and thousands of others can hump a heavy ruck, a personal weapon, a combat load of ammo, and other stuff through a hot, humid SE Asian jungle, who am I to gripe about sweating a little?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbI0cMyyw_M

  14. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Yes, Lorraine will be coming soon…even if she’s in such a hurry to get here she forgets to put on her skirt.

    http://img.thesun.co.uk/aidemitlum/archive/00939/SNA0138H5_280_939442a.jpg

  15. Heidi Avatar
    Heidi

    A few days late, but thank you very much for all of the laughs. Looking forward to many many more ahead. Wishing you well. You are a constant joy.

  16. curmudgeonly ex-professor Avatar
    curmudgeonly ex-professor

    Whew! – I think/hope.

  17. Old Bear Avatar
    Old Bear

    Had trouble getting on line for awhile.

    The chart at dentist had
    Battery acid as 1.00
    Pepsi as 2.49
    Coke Classic as 2.53

    As I read it was Base — Acid on the pH scale
    0 is most Acid
    7 is Neutral (Distilled Water)
    14 is most Alkaline

    To all that need them – HUGS

  18. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers….

    Stopped by younger sister’s house yesterday. She and Jacquie (#2 sister) cleaned out Mom’s room at nursing home. I got all of Mom’s clothes, including her winter coat and white socks with her name “Dee” on them. You had to have your name on all your clothes in the nursing home for them to launder and deliver back to you….I’ll be wearing Mom’s socks today.

    AND…you’re not going to believe this. I typed in Ian’s new address, and it showed a pic of the apartment complex. OMG, I remember that building, I told myself. I called my sister, Brenda, and told her to type in the address using Google. I asked her if that place looked familiar to her. I remember her living on that street, and she said she remembered the apartment complex had a colonial style look. When she looked at the pic, she couldn’t believe it. Yup, Ian is living in the same apartment complex as my sister did some 40 years ago…the building is brick but it still has the columns,…Parrott street is about four blocks from the Ohio River. Is this an omen of some sort?

    I can just imagine some of the comments on TDS yesterday. And they’ll be just as cynical today.

    Indy Mindy, I was reading about the storms that went thru Chicago and Northern Indiana. So I pulled up Kokomo on whether.com. Glad you survived, it looked very red and mad on the radar. But, I have to ask this, why does Kokomo have 4 zip codes??? Enjoy your weather today…sunshine and 82 degrees….here, cloudy with a temp of 85 degrees….I’ll take it. The hen house temp was 92 degrees when we left at 2ish.

    My new co-worker is a little afraid of hens. I pulled one out of my intensive care cage, as she look well and good, held her and petted her. Shirley just grinned, she thinks I’m nuts. I’ve known Shirley for a few years. Not really known her, just as an acquaintance…she’s been through a lot, and some of it by her own demise.

    gotta go…..

    ya’ll have a blessed day

  19. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    GR 😉 I just love your one track mind…and because you believe in the human touch:

    https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8541500160/hF52C6407/

  20. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    OK, now, that didn’t come out right….try this link GR 😉

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85cNRQo1m3A

    finally……

  21. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Thank you Mark……cats are funny like that, mine usually hide under the bed, and Snowee always sleeps on my left side. Shirley stayed with us last night, the only one that ventured out from my bedroom was my little Goldee….she laid on my lap wanting to be petted….and I did just that.

  22. Michael Herr Avatar

    Yes, definitely congratulations for hanging in there so long. But . . . how about a new strip? The current one has been up for almost a week now.

  23. emb Avatar
    emb

    Michael: I / wk. is common. JJ is a busy man, and we are grateful to have the site at all. Often find other things to write about. Peace, emb

  24. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    Fewer changes helps me to post in the right place instead of a previous thread. Debbe, it sounds like you’re doing well. Have you ever told us how you got into the business? I assume that it wasn’t the big bucks. 🙂

  25. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Debbe 😉 Actually, I have a multi-track mind, hon. It’s just that some tracks are more fun to travel than others. 😉