From the salmon-colored sofa that is the center of the Arlo & Janis universe, this unique and quixotic comic strip has been just about everywhere. From unvarnished human drama to flights of unfettered comic fantasy, from unabashed pathos to unsurpassed observational wit, Arlo & Janis is perhaps the most unpigenholeable comic strip ever. It also invents new words!
The characters Arlo and Janis have played the parts of mermaids, squirrels, alligators and grasshoppers over the years, all while exploring the unexaggerated human condition and managing to become, with their son Gene, perhaps the most believable family in the funny pages. This unique approach has garnered Arlo & Janis an intelligent and engaged readership and guaranteed that a percentage of it will be confused at any given moment. However, readers eagerly return every day for another quaff from what has been the holy grail for a generation of comic-strip authors: quintessential Boomer humor.
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The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn
Ask Shagg by Peter Guren
Comments (31) (Please sign in to comment)
Jenn said, 8 months ago
And was it Mary Lou? lol!
TonyÂ
said, 8 months ago
The place is packed, eh? I assume that’s the “close family and friends” that Mary Lou referred to. Were they all kept in the dark until today as well?
It doesn’t seem they ever went to buy the “dressy casual” outfits as Mary Lou directed. They also aren’t at the “packed” restaurant. Any bets on whether they’ll cast off before the wedding?
And now that everyone’s known for a while why hasn’t Meg reappeared? Janis would go to the wedding if Meg asked her, no matter HOW snubbed she feels.
Personally, I’d rather see Mary Lou show up at dockside, reaching out to her future family at a moment when she might be forgiven for thinking only of herself. Then Saturday’s strip could just be one big wedding portrait, with everyone there.
Arianne said, 8 months ago
Think farther back, Arlo. It may be more than Ten Years Gone, but Janis definitely has that “Vixen in my Dreams” look in her eyes.
TonyÂ
said, 8 months ago
@Jenn
Yes, the girl at the beach was Mary Lou, but it was 19 years ago in real time and 12 years ago in “story” time. Here are the strips from that first meeting:
http://tonyc.com/ajarchive/marylou
JP Steve
said, 8 months ago
A&J are both smiling— everything is good!
Kuldip Rai said, 8 months ago
No matter how snubbed Janis feels, she still knows deep down that this has all come about because of THEIR actions in taking Gene to the beach that day. She will take some comfort/happiness in knowing that they still had a hand in things (just didn’t know it at the time)
SusanSunshine
said, 8 months ago
No way on Earth that Janis would miss the wedding!
I don’t think she feels snubbed….
it’s simply hitting her now that her little boy is suddenly being married…
she expected more time for it to sink in during a long run-up to their eventual wedding…
but she loves Mary Lou and Meg, and she’s happy.
We don’t see every moment of heir lives…
Meg has probably been around…
It probably didn’t occur to Jimmy to show her talking to Janis,
cos it never occurred to him anyone would think Janis might leave..
SusanSunshine
said, 8 months ago
But in those beach strips Gene isn’t more than eight…. I remember him even younger than that but I haven’t checked lately…
making him 19 or 20-ish now….
but he’s late graduating from college….
making him well over 21….
Ahhh… those elastic comic strip timelines….
don’t expect strict adherence.
stephen.baker said, 8 months ago
You guys aren’t getting it. Look at her eyes, she’s thinking of a little boy playing with a little girl and “something like that” is means the whoopie light is lit.
cookie69041 said, 8 months ago
I was thinking the same thing about how old Gene is..when the “flashbacks” on him in kindergarten were running, I thought..wow..1985, he was in kindergarten, same time as my son..then thought..oops..my son is 32 now…not 22 and just graduating from college
toppop52 said, 8 months ago
“The place is packed”, is referring to the restaurant at dinner time. Not just people there for the wedding.
BTW, I hope we all enjoy the "Best of A & J, soon to fill this space.
riverhawk
said, 8 months ago
@stephen.baker
No doubt about it.. She has that telling way about her.
ScullyUFO said, 8 months ago
@Arianne
Odd how just adding eyelashes does that.
Dave53 said, 8 months ago
@TonyÂ
got nothing to do with the wedding … Gene’s been saying for days about that weekend’s crowd that was expected. End of summer or something. you’re post is so full of wrong assumptions it’s ridiculous!
l-empress68 said, 8 months ago
Thanks, Tony, for the link to the back story. But you really don’t know anything about brides and their feelings. Lighten up!