Comments (19) Jump to Comments Form

1. 

   SchmoozeMinkey said, 2 months ago

   Phil is sooooooo cool!

2. 

   vanpelt said, 2 months ago

   I’ve been curious – what happened to the two original husbands? Are both sisters divorced?

3. 

   lightenup said, 2 months ago

   You go, Phil!!

   Give the kids some money and send them in the direction of the snack bar (if there’s one). That’ll buy you 20 min or so…

4. 

   Ccoghlan said, 2 months ago

   Vanpelt: Joan is divorced, her first husband was a real deadbeat. He’s showed up in the strip before. Val is widowed - not sure how long ago.

5. 

   Robert said, 2 months ago

   That kid radar is very accurate. No distraction will work for long.

6. 

   Macushlalondra said, 2 months ago

   So much for a romantic interlude.

7. 

   rmbdot said, 2 months ago

   Yeah, “deadbeat” sums up Joan’s first husband (Max’s dad). He ran out on them, right? He showed up a year or two ago, kept mooching Wally’s socks.

   The only timeframe reference I remember regarding Val’s late husband was a rare sensitive moment from Holly. Alix laments that she hardly remembers anything of their Dad (Holly gives her a hug and tells her that she can remember for the both of them).

   So, if Alix is 10ish currently, and hardly remembers anything of Dad (and Holly is ~13, and does remember), I’d guess he died about 7 years before present (+/- 1 year)

8. 

   janeliot said, 2 months ago

   Dear Stone Soup readers,
   Regarding the question of what happened to Val and Joan’s husbands in the early days of the strip, the reader RMBDOT got it just right… Joan’s deadbeat first husband Leon went out for milk one evening and ended up in the Virgin Islands. It took a while for Wally to get through the defenses that Joan built up, and for him to convince her that nice guys can be attractive too (she had the all too common propensity to pick the wrong guy). They married in Book 4, Roadkill in the Closet.

   Val’s husband passed away before the strip began, of cancer. Holly remembers him, but Alix doesn’t. He was her perfect guy, love of her life, and it is his memory that keeps her from being able to fully commit to Phil. That, and the complications of step-parenting have been the reasons Phil and Val keep their relationship at a bit of a distance. This will change eventually…

   It’s so great to see all the comments, thanks to everyone for visiting the site and reading Stone Soup.

   I have the greatest job in the world, and you make it so.

   Cheers,
   Jan

9. 

   somebodyshort said, 2 months ago

   Thanks Jan I’ve been hoping for a little advancement int the relationship department.

10. 

    4deerinmyyard said, 2 months ago

    …Phil and Val keep their relationship at a bit of a distance. This will change eventually….

    Huzzah! Let’s get moving on that “eventually”, shall we?

11. 

    Hekko said, 2 months ago

    Jan, thanks for the info and for the strip. :) I don’t comment often, but I always like it.

12. 

    Akenta said, 2 months ago

    Jan love the strip. Keep up the great work!!

13. 

    humormehere said, 2 months ago

    Jan, that’s great you had a chance to answer! Thanks so much!

14. 

    Tabby Lynn said, 2 months ago

    Jan im with Akenta ,as always, keep up the great work!! thank you for all the laughs.

15. 

    Ushindi said, 2 months ago

    Jan: Did you ever get Val that new couch she wanted?

16. 

    RinaFarina said, 2 months ago

    @Janeliot, Stone Soup is my veriest absoluteliest favouritest favourite strip!

    and whenever I say that, I always think sadly of Pogo, who is gone, so he can’t provide any sort of competition.

    Hmmm… suddenly I feel a strange compulsion to list all the Stone Soup books on Amazon, to see what they would cost - a sort of unbirthday present for myself?…

17. 

    Shikamoo said, 2 months ago

    I love this Jan. Thanks for the pick-me-up today.

18. 

    4deerinmyyard said, 2 months ago

    Hi, Tabbylynn! Haven’t heard from you in a while; nice to see you.

19. 

    ReFlex-76 said, 2 months ago

    Jan: It’d be great to eventually get more details on Val’s husband! One of Baldo’s better story arcs was the one where we find out what happened to his mother, down to a name and a framed picture.