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

Est. 1985

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Tourist Invasion

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
The cartoons this week are from 1994, the first year of A&J digitalization, 20 years ago. I’ve been using this “new” method of storing and transferring my artwork for well over half the time I’ve been drawing the strip. My, my. I intended to skip the above strip, to move this little beach narrative along, but I decided to rerun it for you, as this year is also another significant anniversary. More than a handful of readers might actually get this one this time around.

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188 responses to “Tourist Invasion”

  1. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    If anyone doesn’t already know, and is interested in seeing it, the Boston Pops July 4th show is on now, streaming live at http://www.bostonpopsjuly4th.org.

  2. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    If you celebrate the 4th by plugging in the Christmas lights, then you might be Jeff Foxworthy. Unfortunately I know plenty of people who attend church every Sunday and have a permanent flag on the front porch. Some of them, not all, are neither Christians nor patriots in my opinion. I go with what’s inside and their attitude toward their fellow man.

  3. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers….

    ….and a blessed 4th of July to all.

    running late….later

  4. Mindy from Indy Avatar
    Mindy from Indy

    What Debbe said. Off to work!

  5. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Ironically, given the subject of yesterday’s (7-3-14) A&J cartoon, the first two people to comment this holiday morning are on their way to work. And early, too. Have a good day anyway, ladies.

    I see that reporters from The Weather Channel are standing out in the wind and rain at locations on the East Coast this morning, reporting that it is windy and rainy. They must fear that otherwise we might doubt that hurricanes actually produce wind and rain.

  6. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Today’s live A and J is hilarious! Given recent comments like mine about the amateur fireworks displays, totally appropriate!

    Ghost, I was watching the news from Weather Channel last night for first time in months while at hospital with Mike. Wolfe Blitz or whatever his name is was being blown off a pier in NC. I said same thing, “Why do those idiots have to do that? ”

    It’s that Dan Rather at the beach in the 60’s thing. Set a precedent and it becomes a tradition if you wait long enough.

    Love, Jackie Monies

  7. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    I am with Jerry on the “what’s in the heart” part, or what’s with the actions and how they treat their fellow man, their country, our world. I was raised in the Bible belt and know all too well what he says is true.

    Because I was a “wild child” and loved Rock-n-Roll, still do, I actually had a sermon preached about me, which made me mad at the time but makes me laugh now. Our newest boat (which resides in raw materials out in boat shop for now) is named “Footloose” for the Kevin Bacon movie which has a lot of personal meaning to me.

    I had told my New Zealand designer/friend about organizing first prom at my Bible Belt high school and hiring band, having a “dance”- gasp!! He thought this funny coincidence too and named the boat’s design “Footloose” in my honor. Now that is fun!

    Keep the youtube links coming, I love them guys and they cheer me up a lot.

    Love, Jackie Monies

  8. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Hi, Jackie. That was probably Jim (“Macho Man”) Cantore you saw being blown around. You may remember that one of my all-female staff often mocks him as getting an inappropriate and unnatural thrill from high winds. She also calls him the “Wind Humper”. Of course, I have no idea what she means by that.

    And yes, I blame Dan (“What’s the frequency, Kenneth”) Rather.

  9. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Wild Child, this is dedicated to you. Can you guess why? ๐Ÿ™‚

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q45TyPk8yiI

  10. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    And you were the subject of a sermon? Color me impressed. ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. Trapper Jean Avatar
    Trapper Jean

    Debbe, same song, second verse? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T2FpCDlyNg

  12. John in Richmond Texas Avatar
    John in Richmond Texas

    The best are people who leave flags up forever until they’re ratty and it’s hooray for the pink, gray and aqua. There’s a service some people pay for in my neighborhood, for holidays you get 2-3 flags on poles in your front yard. set up and retrieval, so you don’t need to be bothered with it. I almost feel bad because I’m on a corner and two other houses have three lined up in the yard. What enrages me is commercial flags on the flagpole, .. aah the United States of America, in the state of McDonalds. I’ve written letters to some of the corporations and have gotten some quizzical responses. I put the Texas flag out for state holidays, not many people seem to do that. I even hung the US flag upside down when obamacare passed

  13. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Thanks, Jean dear. It got a lot better about the 2:35 point.

    And at the end, the young lady kneeling beside him at stage right was wearing black panties. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  14. NK in AZ Avatar
    NK in AZ

    Interesting point about the lack of comments, especially in the evenings. I’ve been unable to get here for a few days and was afraid I wouldn’t have time to catch up completely, but it didn’t take that long after all.

  15. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Ghost, what makes “my sermon” interesting is that it is so similar to the story on “Footloose.” I played/listened/danced to rock n roll music and got others to do so. I smoked, drank, wore my clothes too tight/short/skimpy and had an attitude the main stream community didn’t like. Like believing in equality, women having rights, that Communists weren’t going to take over America along with the Pope and the Jewish people in some sort of apocalypse. And I expressed these views loudly and irreverently.

    So, I got a sermon preached about the devil in a red dress dancing their souls to hell, brief synopsis of plot. My granny was a member of this church, along with my other relatives, so I got a full report. I was not there unfortunately.

    I relate to the famous line by Jerry Lee Lewis, “If I’m going to hell, I’m doing it playing the piano.”

    Love, Jackie Monies

  16. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Jackie: You are not going to hell. You are in Elohim’s hands, and you will still be. I don’t think you can beat that.

  17. Dennis Ewing Avatar
    Dennis Ewing

    @ Emeritus Minnesota Biologist. If you have a coffin flag it should never be unfolded. It was taken from the coffin, reverently folded never to fly again. I have my dad’s (WWII US Navy) in a display case in my living room and my father in law’s (Korea US Army) in the bedroom. I am a genuine Vietnam era 4-F. Enlisted when I got the letter and was sent home, so I don’t say anything about those who didn’t serve. We don’t always know why except in the case of the current occupant of a particular house in DC who didn’t because of his communist principles. Greetings from San Antonio, TX Military City USA. Have a great fourth and don’t get sunburned.

  18. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    It’s out of my hands. If what you say is true [about flags, that is], the Legion will just keep it folded. Personally, I find that wasteful. It’s been folded and in a drawer since ’58. If it is not on display, I see nothing reverent or patriotic about keeping it out of sight in a drawer. I don’t remember the flag ritual from Dad’s funeral; I inferred it may have been from that because he’s the only ‘recent’ veteran [S/A War] from either mine or wife’s family that we would likely have inherited a flag from. Her dad and uncles were all to young for WWI, too old for WWII. I served during the Korean War [but not in Korea], but am not dead yet, and my kids know I do not want the flag ritual at my funeral.

  19. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Jackie, I’m trying to imagine what would have happened had you been there on the day of the sermon.

  20. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Good July 4th, as husband got out of hospital today. I have been “staying available” all day in case he needs help with stuff, which means don’t leave front part of house. He wanted real food after a month in hospital on IV’s and imitation food which I found fascinating, if not appetizing. They mold it to look like pork chops, grapes, peaches, etc. Weird!

    So, he got chicken and dumplings for lunch and chicken marsala and wild rice, squash for dinner. Not fancy but real anyway after what he has been on. We are going to have Independence Day meals tomorrow with hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, deviled eggs, watermelon, cookies, cupcakes, that sort of stuff. I know he can’t eat some of it but our kids and grandson can.

    He says he wants his wife back, the one who cooked and kept kitchen clean. There are about 40 miniature trains and all the tracks on table right now!

    Love, Jackie Monies

  21. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    About military coffin flags, I have my dads of course, still folded.

    But there are two groups I know of that are flying the flags. One is a cemetery in Tulsa which is still doing I believe. They labeled each flag/flag pole with name of the veteran whose flag it is.

    Another is a small town in Louisiana where I grew up that does a similar thing, accept donated flags and fly them in huge display at certain holidays. I believe they also label each flag with name of deceased veteran.

    I guess I did not realize this was improper use of the flags and I will look on net and see if they are doing this still. Our town here in Oklahoma puts out flags but they are not coffin flags but were bought by merchants.

    Love, Jackie Monies

  22. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    One last comment—- I have a suggestion for Jimmy that will bring in instant sales of a book and related merchandise.

    Just pull all the Ludwig cartoons and publish them as a book and do it in time sequence as they appeared in strip. Leave out all the rest and market book to cat nuts like myself. You have only to look at the internet to know there are a ton of cat-aholics out there.

    I say this because I have been plowing through years of the strip looking for that darned Luddie one where he licks Arlo and Arlo calls him a silver tongued devil. I haven’t found it but there are the best cat cartoons in A and J that I have ever seen! They are pure genius and funny as anything I have ever seen.

    Jimmy knows cats!

    Love, Jackie Monies

  23. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Yay, Mike!

  24. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Found article about Winnsboro, LA which is small town that began the flag displays that exist over 70 miles of Highway 15 in Louisiana now. Go to http://americanprofile.com/articles/stars-n-stripes-capital/

    Hope that directs you to right location!

    Love, Jackie Monies