Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli

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  1. mrbribery

    mrbribery said, 4 months ago

    It ain’t necessarily so
    it ain’t necessarily so
    de things dat yo liable
    to read in de bible
    it ain’t necessarily so

    oh Jonah he lived in de whale…

  2. HectorPriam

    HectorPriam said, 4 months ago

    Everybody knows it was the prophet, Moby Dick, who got swallowed by the whale. After he survived he became the progenitor of the Mobites in the OT. And Noah led the Jews out of Egypt.

    What a dumb blonde!!!

  3. axe-grinder

    axe-grinderGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    dsluter said, Axe, I’m using Firefox v3.5, and if i click on the strip, it gets magnified to almost double size.

    Thanks, dsluter, I see that. It’s probably close to the size of the original drawing, but the resolution is not good enough for those fine lines. Could be my screen, or Internet Explorer. I probably should have said I wish I could see the original artwork!

    As for the “preachiness” of the strip, I don’t mind. I’m not religious, but I understand that the Bible is part of the literary and cultural background of the country. In general terms, Jim’s rendering of Ramona Lisa in bed as Upton reads is a fine shorthand metaphor for earthly vs. spiritual. Hey, if Norman is back to flailing and ranting, it must be good.

  4. Macushlalondra

    MacushlalondraGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    Looks like Not Norman has found another storyline to dislike and bellyache about every day ad nauseum. Sorry Not Norman but you do get to be a bit too negative!

  5. axe-grinder

    axe-grinderGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    ¡Olé!

  6. BlitzMcD

    BlitzMcD said, 4 months ago

    Keep those Old Testament references coming! I’m expecting these two to do a lot of witnessing by the time this story line ends and they’re being hauled off to jail.

  7. Jogger2

    Jogger2 said, 4 months ago

    And the real Rev. Peacgood is where? doing what?

  8. Joe Allen Doty

    Joe Allen Doty said, 4 months ago

    No Bible character got swallowed by a whale. But, Jonah was in the belly of a great big fish for 3 days and 3 nights.

    One of Lot’s grandsons/sons born out of incest with one of his daughters was named “Moab.” Ruth, the main character of the Book of Ruth was one of his descendants.

    Upton ought to be reading the book of John in the New Testament. 1st time Bible readers who are new Converts to Jesus often make the mistake of reading the Old Testament first. But, there is no salvation to be found for Jesus’ followers in the Old Testament.

    In regard to Noah, the scripture text never stated that Ham made fun of his drunk and naked father who was passed out in his own tent.

    Some ignorant folks literally believe that God put a curse on Ham’s son, Canaan, and turned Canaan’s descendants’ skin black. But, Canaan’s descendants never even settled in Africa. The country of Canaan, now called “Israel” is where Canaan’s descendants settled.

    Noah put an patriarchal “curse” on Canaan. It is interesting that until Noah mentions Canaan, the author of Genesis had not even mentioned Ham having any children.

  9. Madman2001

    Madman2001 said, 4 months ago

    The artwork this week has been outstanding. I love the interplay of lights and shadows, as well as the juxtaposition of Ramona and the Good Book (although it is certainly not an either/or proposition)

  10. axe-grinder

    axe-grinderGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    Madman2001 said, “…the juxtaposition of Ramona and the Good Book (although it is certainly not an either/or proposition)”

    I agree with everything you said!

  11. HectorPriam

    HectorPriam said, 4 months ago

    Since the current story arc has a distinct biblical agenda, here are some interesting facts about a few of the Canaanite tribes of the Old Testament..

    Stalactites and Stalagmites - Reclusive cave dwellers who kept to themselves. Little is known about them since they rarely ventured from their caves.

    Termites - A parasitic tribe that consumed host tribes from within until they literally collapsed. Eventually exterminated by neighboring tribes who banded together, led by General Orkin, who was inspired by YAHWEH himself.

    Dynamites - An explosive and tightly packed tribe capable of inflicting severe damage on neighboring tribes. Dynamite leaders typically had a “short fuse” in diplomatic relations.

    Mosquitobites - A vampire like tribe capable of sucking the life’s blood from their neighbors. Always lived in close juxtaposition to water sources. Most active during warm seasons.

    Kryptonites - A warlike tribe capable of rendering their enemies helpless through devious means.

    Transvestites - A bizarre tribe whose male and female members appeared to be outwardly identical in hair length, clothing, and social deportment. Even in the 21st century the phrase “they all look alike to me” is not uncommon. This phrase undoubtedly refers to Transvestite descendants.

  12. harebell

    harebell said, 4 months ago

    Biblical mythology from HectorPriam, I love it! Your Greek & Trojan ancestors probably made these observations first-hand and recorded them in their sheepskin diaries.

    Half the fun of checking this strip is the comments. Yea, even unto NotNorman the Prophet who saith “They never want to listen to me. Boy will they be sorry!”

    Here endeth the lesson….

  13. Chikuku

    ChikukuGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    The important thing about Jonah is not the Big Fish or “whale.” The point of the story is that Jonah had to forget his attachment towards his shade plant learn compassion towards the children and animals in Niniveh.

    It’s a great story, even in the King James.

  14. axe-grinder

    axe-grinderGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    harebell said, “Yea, even unto NotNorman the Prophet who saith ‘They never want to listen to me. Boy will they be sorry!”

    Well, Norman may have the last laugh. Not since the Old Testament days of Samson has one man savagely attacked so many while equipped only with the jawbone of an bleeep (adjusting for modern technology). If it is preordained that someone will turn the Philistines back to orthodoxy and save Gasoline Alley from itself, Norman is undoubtedly The Right Man for the job.

  15. whmIII

    whmIII said, 4 months ago

    This is getting stranger by the day…

  16. ninetoes

    ninetoesGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    I’m amused by the complaints about religion popping up in the current story. The reason I say this is that it has been a recurring them in the strip for all the twenty-plus years that I’ve been reading it.

  17. Dypak

    DypakGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    It’s too bad talking about religion offends so many people. It can be an interesting topic, as long as no one gets offended. Like this arc. I think the interest the fake reverand is showing in the Bible is almost a classic story telling trick. Someone the other day mentioned an old cowboy picture along the same lines. Just because the story centers on religion doesnt make it preachy. So far it’s a good story, with some excellent art. Unless you happen to be a crotchety old crumudgeon who is looking for something to complain about. Then, apparently, it is hell-fire religion being forced down our throats. I don’t think so.

  18. crunkbot

    crunkbot said, 4 months ago

    I don’t CARE if the plot is focused on religion, chinchilla farming, diabetes, etc. but man, why does the writing have to so profoundly reek of trite cliches that were lame back when Adam & Eve rode dinosaurs to church?

    Building a story around a character’s moral journey can be compelling, regardless of a reader’s personal beliefs. I’m actually more offended as a believer when faith is treated in such a lame, simplistic and juvenile way as in this aggressively stupid arc: “Oh look, a lifelong dedicated criminal touches a Bible and DING!, magic Jeebus book done fixed him and his wanton harlot.” Gross.

    The line-work on the art is some of the finest in the field. I wish the plotting was remotely worthy of it.

  19. axe-grinder

    axe-grinderGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    crunkbot said, “.. lifelong dedicated criminal touches a Bible and DING!, magic Jeebus book done fixed him and his wanton harlot.”

    Interesting comments. I wonder if Ramona *is* coming along on Upton’s journey. So far she’s slept through it.

    Johnny Cash’s Nickajack Cave experience has that epiphanal quality to it I think, if the story is authentic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickajack_Cave

  20. crunkbot

    crunkbot said, 4 months ago

    As far as Ramona “coming around” with him, it’ll go one of two ways:

    1) she’ll reject his new path and either go to jail or be killed/injured in some horrible way as an abject lesson

    2) just as Eve led Adam into the wilderness of sin, Upton will guide his woman into the light

    It’s all so gross and patriarchal and misogynistic.

    Thanks for the Cash link…

  21. axe-grinder

    axe-grinderGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    Gasoline Alley is a different world. As far as I can tell from the past storylines I’ve read (1940s, even), it always has been. I wouldn’t want to live there, but I do enjoy reading about it.

  22. countoftowergrove

    countoftowergrove said, 4 months ago

    Is Jim Scancarelli on the Texas Board of Education?!

  23. Dypak

    DypakGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    I can understand how people can slam a comic when it does not deliver up to its usual standards. Dick Tracy comes to mind here. But it’s really not very fair to be slamming GA because of this story line. You may not like it but you have to admit, it is consistent with the typical thread of the Gasoline Alley universe. There is a silly little plot which couldnt really fool anyone but we, the readers, play along because the art is fabulous and we’ve grown to love the characters. I don’t read GA for great literature. I’ve got John Steinbeck for that. I read it because it is rich in characters and consistently has the best art found in a three panel comic. Even if I think the story line is silly beyond belief (Chef Meworice) I can still enjoy the comic for all its other qualities.

    All too often I hear people lament the loss of American culture. Gasoline Alley is one of the best examples of small town America I can think of. And it also shows how we’re able to see how ridiculous we can be and we’re still able to enjoy laughing at ourselves.

    I would much prefer to live in a world where someone believes that a life long crook can experiance a moral epiphany and redemption than in a world where that is considered ridiculous. Yeah, I know, I am unrealistic, but I don’t care. It’s why I read the comics in the first place. The real world sucks. It’s nice to be able to escape into a place once in awhile where I know all the folks and the worst I have to worry about is them being unrealistic, like me.

  24. axe-grinder

    axe-grinderGenius_badge said, 4 months ago

    Thanks, Dypak, for being the voice of sanity. I’m not looking for real life either, and you can’t put it in three panels a day anyway. This is good entertainment in a format that has long roots and an uncertain future. I choose to enjoy it for what it is rather than complain about what it isn’t.