Back to B.C. by Johnny Hart for June 03, 2020

I paid for ‘em, so I’m taking them home. Is barbecuing or roasting better?

Ha Ha – that was a good one. Thanks !

Can I have those to take away?

Why do I eat in this place ?

Hot long-pig wings!

Peter’s always been a muscle-head.

Next up, a knuckle sandwich …

False advertising…I want my 3 clams back!

Did I ask for spaghetti (arms)?

Illiteracy has long been a social problem.

Too funny! :D

Remember that old song “Molly Malone”? Do not ask him to give you a cockle (♪♫ alive alive-o ♪♫ or not)… ☺

What happened to the signage in the second and third panels?

Made me think… people mostly eat muscles of food animals, but I’ve never seen it sold by the muscle.

Red meat is “muscle”. I’d like mine in the form of two pork chops.

These past strips featuring the lunch counter remind me of the ancient Roman cities I’ve visited, like Ostia Antica, the old port of Rome. Although the roofs are mostly gone, the city layout is still very obvious along with the shops/residences along the streets and avenues. I saw one that was similar to Peter’s, where at the front of the shop there was a counter butted up to a wall with the other end open. Instead of solid rock like Peter’s, the counter was build out of stone and brick and mortar. The top was slate and in it were 2 or 3 round holes, maybe 15-20 inches in diameter with iron pots sunken deep into the counter top. At the open vertical end of the counter was a built-in fire chamber with a grill covering the opening. They burned wood or coals in this furnace which heated up the whole counter, and the stones held the heat for a long time.

The pots contained soup, meats, vegetables, maybe breads, etc. for sale to the citizens of the city. I wonder if Johnny Hart could have gotten some inspiration for these strips from those old Roman ruins.

You got change coming.

Spelling is everything.