“Who are these people?”

by Jimmy Johnson

(Cartoonist’s update: It took me a while to put together the following run-down of the extended family in Arlo & Janis, so I’m going to leave it up for another day for any late-comers. I’ll try to have some fresh content Thursday. By the way, a friend convinced me I need Twitter for communicating with convention-goers at upcoming comic cons. So, with trepidation, I set up a Twitter account, @arloandjanis. If you Tweet, check it out. Maybe you can give me some pointers. I don’t understand it at all. — JJ)
For a comic strip that has been around as long as it has, Arlo & Janis is blessed with a steady influx of new readers, especially on the Web. Occasionally, when events skip from the title characters to their son and his family, many of those new readers are left asking, “Who th’ heck are these people, and where is Arlo & Janis?” Now this will be a snooze for most of you, who’ve been reading A&J for a long time, but I thought it would be fun to take time on the blog today to introduce those other people in Arlo & Janis.

We must begin, of course, with Gene. Simply, Gene is the son of Arlo and Janis. For years in the strip, he was an almost daily presence, playing the role of the precocious little boy. But the characters age in A&J, if not in real time something close to it. Eventually, he went off to college, but he spent his summers working in a seafood restaurant “on the coast” that belonged to the family of a childhood friend. You might rightly ask, “What coast?” It’s never specified, but I grew up visiting the beaches of the northern Gulf Coast, from Gulfport to Apalachicola, so I suppose influence from that area is inevitable. You are free to insert the coast of your choice.


That childhood friend was Mary Lou. Mary Lou grew up on the beach, and she and Gene first met when they both were about 12 years old. They may have been the same age, but when it came to “precocious,” Mary Lou was far beyond young Gene. Yet, they bonded as friends. For several years, Gene would return to the beach with his vacationing parents and renew his acquaintance with Mary Lou. However, “Lou,” as she’s sometimes called, was destined for a life crisis of her own, and the two drifted apart briefly. The age of digital communication being what it is, though, they never lost touch completely, and by the time Gene the college boy arrived to work at her family’s restaurant, they were in love. Having weathered her crisis, Mary Lou played a large role in the day-to-day running of her father’s restaurant and initiated Gene into the demanding business of hospitality.


That “life crisis” was Meg, Mary Lou’s daughter. An intelligent and good-natured only-child, she literally grew up in the family business. She spent many hours doing homework and coloring in her grandfather’s cluttered office, and she sometimes lagged for quarters with the bus boys behind the restaurant. To further amuse herself, she would sit in a booth at slow times and bundle silverware and napkins. To be sure, she inherited the family work ethic, but the child in her took immediately to the child in Gene. They’ve been buds from the time they met. And, no, Gene is not Meg’s biological father, since it often is asked.


Gus is the patriarch of the coast clan, Mary Lou’s father and Meg’s grandfather. Starting from nothing, “Pop” has owned and operated a series of motels and restaurants along the coast. He owned the motel where Gene’s family stayed on several of their vacations, which is why Mary Lou was living at the beach when she and Gene met as children. Actually, Gus’ real business all along was real estate, as he sold one concern and purchased another. That beach property you wish you’d bought back when it was dirt cheap? Well, Gus did buy it, and he’s done quite well. After the kids married, Gus made Mary Lou and Gene partners in his popular restaurant, and when he sold the site to developers he rewarded their hard work generously. It was this largess that is bankrolling their current dream of living for themselves on their small farm. A no-nonsense man with an infinite love for his daughter and granddaughter, Gus is one of my favorite characters.

Well, that’s about it! I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief recap. I would like to remind everyone that there’s one more week in the Kickstarter campaign to resurrect the parsonage in Camp Hill. If you’re interested, click on the link below. If nothing else, check out the video! I worked a long time on that sucker, believe it or not!

The Return of an Undead Building

Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"

56 responses to ““Who are these people?””

  1. Jerry in Fl Avatar
    Jerry in Fl

    I just read an internet piece about the poor newspaper coverage of the convention. How would they know? The wire services put out a mashup of facts and B.S. The papers do a cut and paste. The morning cheerios read the article on tv and everyone pretends it’s news. Those who can write -write. Those who can’t become editors or go into tv. Peas.

  2. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers….

    Emb, maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t quite understand your explanation of the walk in cooler. It’s a blonde moment this morning 🙂

    Winds coming in from the north the next few days, temps in low 80’s…still high humidity. The heat is bringing out the worst in people.

    We took drivers ed in high school….today it is offered in the summer and it cost me $250 to get Ian ‘trained’! He was eligible to take the test two days before Christmas and the weather forecast was not good. Started snowing the night before, Ian still thought he could take the test….told him to call the license branch, they said they were closing due to the snow. Before it was all over, we had 18 inches of snow in my driveway….I did prepare for it though, shelves and icebox and freezer were full, as well as wrapped packages under the tree. We were snowbound for a few days before they got to plow out our driveway. That was 11 years ago.

    Ya’ll have a blessed day

  3. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    GR 😉 she’s at her best here

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7MbmXklj3Q

  4. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    …and they’ve called me ‘the crazy cat lady’!!!

    http://cheezburger.com/8822727168

  5. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    “Journalism is about covering important stories. With a pillow, until they stop moving.” – David Burge @iowahawkblog

  6. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Good morning. Went and picked up a truckload of compost and manure late yesterday afternoon. Employee out unloading it right now. Don’t know why I thought of that in reference to Ghost’s comment.

    It’s all mud slinging.