Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for March 14, 2014

Yeah, big growth spurt! It wasn’t much more than a couple of years ago that Gene was referring to her as “Shrimp.” However, she now looks like she’s aged at least five years. As we know, in some comic strips, kids age in “real time,” but in most strips, they age little to none. Really drastic here— I know every regular reader has noticed…

Étouffée? Mighty thick looking, even if it is cold.

I am obviously too new to this strip, or else I am in some weird time warp. Meg, OK Gene’ s step daughter, I can place her about 12 or so, making her mom 28. Sounds good? But, who are her two school mates, and why is she responsible for feeding the neighborhood? Well, not Meg, but Gene and Family.

Some intros for the new readers for the new characters. At least I’m not the only one (on GoComics) that’s lost.

I would have been in so much trouble if I would have had boys over when my parents weren’t home. It looks like they’re still at the innocent age but that wouldn’t have mattered in my house.

I remember a magazine cartoon I saw many years ago— some young kids were going through their parent’s liquor cabinet when one of them asked, “what wine goes best with peanut butter & jelly?”

Still want to know where did this theme come from?

I am definitely intrigued with this sub-plot.

davbart- have patience, we will all learn together who the new characters are! That’s part of the fun of a daily strip!

feels like the strip has run off the rails and landed in the twilight zone.

Sooooo, we have a new set of characters, Meg included, and a radical departure in story line. I, for one, am excited. Lead us on Mr. Johnson.

Nice change of pace….

I feel like I dozed off for six or eight years and missed most of Meg’s childhood…………………

The jam’s in the jaror would be if they weren’t on an alligator etouffee kick

If someone isn’t whining about how “the strip has gone off the rails”, someone else is making creepy sexual innuendo. Enjoy this week’s strips for what they are: Meg with friends her age!

I also am happy to see Jimmy working on a new plot line. Keeps things fresh!If he takes inspiration from real life, I wonder if he has grandchildren and/or nieces and nephews inspiring these characters.

I would guess them younger — somewhere between grade 5 and 7.

I agree Meg’s ‘new look’ was a bit of a surprise. However, I’m enjoying meeting her friends/neighbors, and I think it makes sense they would hang out at there because of the great leftovers from the restaurant always in the fridge. I’m looking forward to learning all the changes in store for everyone, too.

Meg lives on a farm! how many farms have neighbors who live close by? how many more classmates can be expected to show up for a meal? don’t these kids have chores and parents who expect them home?

Are they sitting at a kids play table? At a regular dining table Meg should be chest high at best, especially if she needed a chair to reach the microwave yesterday.

See… all this “chaos” in terms of new characters, rapid aging and development of characters, the impending resturant closure/sale/whatever….. all of this seems in my mind to suggest that Mr. Johnson is planning for one huge whilrwind mash-up. I suspect that sometime relatively soon, what will happen is that Arlo & Janis will move out that way (with Luddie) and the focus of the comic will be more interactive between Arlo, Janis, Gene, MaryLou, Gus, Meg, Luddie, and also apparently Ladarius and Skeeter.

be nice if the strip hadn’t waited so many years before dropping Meg and her family back in! we have NO idea of how old Meg is or what grade she is in or where the hell her folks are? how did she know about the sale of the Dock? how far away is the farm? 10?,20?, a 100 miles? be nice to have a little back story.

I’m lost, I don’t know what’s going on..who are these people?

JIMMY WHATS UP !????!

I’m confused… how on earth did Meg age so fast??

Oh, come off it. Gene knew ML from beach vacations; she was preggers in early HS. They re-hooked as he was finishing college, which was several years ago now. These are middle-school kids, and they look and act as same. In case you were never a teacher (or parent), they change rapidly in those years. And if you didn’t have friends who felt they could drop by any time, you had a deprived childhood.

The kids still seem small to me. Look at the size of the bowls compared to their heads. If I put a soup bowl on my head, it’s like a beanie (and I have a relatively small head). If Meg puts her bowl on her head, it would be like a helmet.

Growth spurts are one thing, but these kids look like 42-year-olds! Very disconcerting!

I’m lost. Have to go and see want happen or what I missed.

I’m digging the new arc. It shows that Meg has a life away from Mom and StepDad.And to those whining about new characters, try to think back to oh, say, the ’60s. Charles Schultz frequently introduced new kids back then. At one time the cast must have numbered 15 or so. Some only stayed around for a few months (think “5”), others were with the story for years before fading away (Frieda). It was only in later years that the cast dropped to only the same 6 or 7 kids.

are we seeing the beginning of a tribute to Morrie Turner, creator of “Wee Pals”, who passed away in late January?

Middle School is my guess. And in every neighborhood, or at least in many groups of friends, they is one place the kids hang out at the most. Some parents thrive on having their house be the favorite one. at least they know what their kids are up to……..Others, are just glad they hang out over there, because that means it’s quiet here….And a young girl’s house, whose dad just happens to be in the hospitality business, seems like a perfect place for kids to hang out…

No wonder Gene and Mary Lou have to work so hard, their daughter is feeding the neighborhood.