When Jimmy Johnson’s comic strip Arlo & Janis was ten years old, I was lucky enough to be gifted this original strip.
Jimmy is celebrating his fortieth anniversary with a series of strips. They start at the link with the finish coming up on Saturday.
A few weeks ago, a pair of red-tailed hawks took up residence in the neighborhood.
One or both of them can be heard calling throughout the day.
Chipmunks and squirrels beware! Mr. and Mrs. Hawk are here!
The cliché theme “it’s all about family” in movies and TV continues with Fantastic 4: First Steps. The first Fantastic Four movie from Marvel Studios, rather than Fox.
I saw the movie in IMAX 3D. The effect adds something to the viewing experience, but if I go again it will be without the discomfort of wearing the 3D glasses over my distance glasses.
F4 is a rather unusual movie in its presentation and pacing. From the start it’s a different breed of superhero flick, but only until the Fantastic Family meet Galactus, when the action becomes more typical of Marvel movie installments.
I like the retro Sixties vibe, which is notable for its lack of New Yorkers smoking cigarettes. Of special significance, the credits include a nod to Jack Kirby. It isn’t a co-creator credit but it’s nice nonetheless, and it “stans” alone, without Mr. Lee.
Unlike Comics Kingdom, GoComics cartoons can be licensed for various purposes, including blog posts. It’s $35 for a non-commercial license, with another $10 for a service fee.
I already had a problem with licensing strips. The latest credit card expiration year they provide is 2028, and only one of my cards has that date. The others are later. Without that card it wouldn’t be possible for me to license a comic strip for display here.
But now it’s a moot point, because even using the 2028 card, my latest order didn’t work. I’ve been charged only the $10 service fee. They’re breaking the #1 rule of business — don’t make it difficult for people to give you money.
I’ll tell ya what. Here’s a link to the comic strip I wanted to have here.
https://www.gocomics.com/tomthedancingbug/2025/07/11
Assuming they can fix their problems I’ll get a license, download my copy, and either update this post or publish a new one.
Art Spiegelman will be attending the NCS conference in Boston in August, and so will I. If I continue to be frustrated in my attempts to license comic strips, I’m sure someone from Andrews/McMeel will be there.
Yesterday, I thoroughly enjoyed a visit to the unique and very worthwhile Museum of Printing in Haverhill, MA.
https://www.museumofprinting.org/
I went there not knowing that a couple of years ago the museum hosted a comic book event. The computer voice in this brief video mispronounces Haverhill. The “have” should sound like “cave,” and the second “h” is mostly silent.
The museum’s library has a nice selection of comic book related items, including the gigantic volume “The Stan Lee Story” that was published by Tashen shortly after Stan’s death in 2018.
This is the original art for that cover, owned by some fortunate and presumably well-heeled person.
A member of the Comic Book Historians group on Facebook posted this excellent article about the production of the 1966 Marvel Super-Heroes cartoons. It was published in the short-lived “The World of Comic Art.”
I think this is the first TikTok video I’ve ever embedded here.
@marvel This morning, the Lower East Side of Manhattan made way for the King. ? Welcome to Yancy Street AKA Jack Kirby Way!
