Butt! Butt! He said, “Butt!” Believe me, it was not easy to slip such profanity into the comics back in the good ol’ days of United Media. Over at Universal Press Syndicate, strips like Doonesbury and Bloom County had been using words such as “damn” and “hell” and “snugglebunnies” for years, but UM prided itself on upholding a very old and rigid standard in the comics. “Butt” was a huge win for the forces of darkness. Gene and family will continue next week in the current strips, and we’ll resume our previous conversations then. I hope you enjoy your weekend!
139 responses to “vive la différence”
As soon as I saw that word, I thought “that’s pretty risque for the comics”-of course I know A&J has a history of pushing the envelop, for example, toilets in comics.
Loved the Twitter reference in today’s strip, very with it. 😉
Speaking of butts, have started watching “The Ranch” on Netflix. I am enjoying because it is Texas humor that I can relate back to my youth. Plus it has Sam Elliott and Debra Wenger. Confession, first time I’ve watched Netflix, using Loon’s accountant.
“’Butt’ was a huge win for the forces of darkness.” Aha! So that’s from whence The Dark Side sprang!
Jimmy, it seems obvious from the responses that you could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and you wouldn’t lose fans. Oh, wait. I was thinking of something else. Never mind.
I have always regarded this particular strip as one of the peaks of A&J or of any cartoon strip. Her elation at Gene phoning is stunning and stunningly drawn—that is, it is exactly a posture that rarely though certainly happens—when cheering elatedly. But the writer has to build up to such a point in a real way—consistent with real people, and over days. It is one of the things that sets A&J in the top echelon, minutely careful prep and great realization. What springs this moment is such an incongruity—Gene thinking he tanked. Two realities! A whopping contrast. And, oh, the memories for all of us.
Get me Mr. Reed’s snail mail address. I’m a-gon’ write me a letter. Overdue.
Thanks, Jimmy, for the Ruth reprints!
If I only knew then what I know now: I didn’t realize many girls in my school were just as shy and insecure as I was. That knowledge would have given me the courage got just given them a call.
And after a long conversation with a boy, Ruth’s tidy, normal phone cord from the fourth panel two strips earlier is now a twisted, gnarled mess in the first panel of the present strip. Another attentive detail from Our Humble Author.
In Gene’s limited sample, both Mary Lou and Ruth were pretty keen on kissing him, much to his surprise. Maybe there is something to the Shy Boy routine after all…
Two ospreys on the Chesapeake nest structure. One was calling, perhaps the smaller of the two. [Don’t know how wide angle the webcam is.] The other has a somewhat tan patch at its nape, where the caller has the white I expected. Have to look up / sexual or individual variation. Ospreys are one sp., worldwide. Peace,
http://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/osprey-cam
We managed to get two frames, both boats, glued permanently in place. We got stringers fitted but not glued on first boat but not second.
Someone compared this to assembling a puzzle after you make and cut out your own puzzle. That is a good analogy.
I’m confused. In the real-time strip, Gene is now a vivid blonde. He and MaryLou are back-to-nature farmers but he bleaches his hair?? Cannot claim that his hair is “sun-kissed.” What’s up JJ?
Bonnie from Gloucester MA, bad choice by whoever colors the onllne comics at GoComics? I believe Jimmy has sent coloring guides, but they are probably taken as suggestions at the syndicate. Jimmy is only responsible for colors in his Sunday pages, since he said he colors them himself.(unless that’s changed lately, and I didn’t get the memo.)
By Panel The First, Ruth has removed her glasses…another tell.
Ghost: Hadn’t noticed that touch. JJ is a genius.
Osprey plumage: brief search yielded 0 / tan spot in closer osprey. Calling individual was probably the female. Site says they more often give the warning/alarm call, which the one I heard seemed to be: ‘Somebody out there is closer than we like.’ Peace,
Butt Why?
And these strips illustrate the true difference between men and women. Men tend to be afraid of being turned down (at least I was), and women are afraid no one will call. That being said, it’s a miracle humanity survived the invention of the telephone.
But it’s wonderful to find someone you can have those long conversations with, even though talking on the phone has been replaced by texting or messaging through the ‘net.
I have missed some of our Village people. I know a lot of health issues plague our Village but I hope the orphans are all safe.
Debbe 😉 Not only are your forgotten dreams possibly weird, but (after the song you played last night), so is the fact I had picked out this one the first of the week to play today.
The lady could sing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OVtpnpCOKM
A last-minute reminder that the BBC once had a great sense of humor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVo_wkxH9dU
Good morning Villagers…..
I’m loving the story line within A&J…..I wondered when JJ was going to get around to it 🙂
Mark, the trouble with today’s ‘youts’ is they have no social skills within the business world. As you said it’s all texting and messaging.
Think I’ll work both days this weekend….bad vibes in this house.
Ya’ll have a blessed day.
GR 😉 coincidence? No, it’s two great minds that think alike 🙂
I just wanted to hear this one….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWeCdxZlU5E
🙂
http://cheezburger.com/8762516480
http://assets.amuniversal.com/92ce0a10cd2b01334940005056a9545d
Funny Mark.
Debbe sometimes you just have to stick your head in the trough.
Last night someone said that I was a cross between the Pied Piper and Tom Sawyer. I have heard that before.
Personally I think Andy Rooney and a snake oil pitchman.
Been doing this since I was a kid in Grammer school, getting people to take part in things of larger scope. “Wow! Gang we can put on a play-rodeo-musical-dance-charity-party-design show-boat festival-cooking-whatever. It will be fun and we can do it!”
Usually, almost always, Tom Sawyer or Andy make it work out.