Baby Blues by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott for January 31, 2025

In the 60’s, elementary school had roll away tables set up in the gym. We had ketchup and mustard in bottles on all the tables.

ketchup stomping is kinna like breathing – it just sorta happens all on its own

(when you’re an eight year-old boy)

Dad appears to have conveniently forgotten things he did when he was Hammie’s age

I hope the principal made him clean it up…..

You’re right, Hammie. There was certainly no thinking involved.

When I was in junior high, the big thing was to loosen the lid on the sugar dispensers (we had those back then) so when a kid turned it over the sugar would come pouring out!

My kids used to stomp on those snack pouches to squirt the stuff out!

Stupid question. It was the fire extinguishers in my school. No, not made in Britain.

in Jr high – the trick was to carefully place a packet underneath the foot of one of the desks as you were leaving class

next period when some kid sat down… ⚞ SPLAT ⚟

and you were nowhere in the vicinity – so beyond suspicion

He had a bloody good time!

Hammie’s actin like a normal child. But I do hope the principal made him and his co-horts clean it up.

Hammie, does your rear end feel ok? It’s not GONNA!

We would take pats of butter and throw them up to stick on the ceiling. Then we’d move to another table so someone else could sit there and enjoy the surprise when the butter detached from the ceiling.

When you’re going for distance, it escalates quickly. Ketchup always seems to win out over mustard. But mustard seems to stick better to vertical surfaces.

WELL that’s obvious!

The funnest things require no thinking. …. I think ..

Wanda already knows about this ketchup-stomping ‘incident’. Panel #2 shows Hammie without his shoes.

No, he means that what made you decide to make a mess of the cafeteria? Not to mention wasting a bunch of ketchup packets? They’re not cheap, you know!!

At least Hammie speaks the truth.

In college me and buddies would set ketchup packs just under the bottom edge of the door to someone’s dorm room,then do a stomp n run right into their room.Good times.

Hammie should taken that outside. Fun but less messy.

Hammie is the most aware character in this strip. He is unabashed and unashamed with his kid tendencies.

Well, he’s honest. Now he just needs to understand why not thinking isn;t always a good thing and he’ll be all set to be a functioning member of society.

At least they didn’t sneak into the lil girls room and put them under the seats.

This is a repeat. And it still makes me snort. Gotta love how the 8-yr-old Y chromosome sees life.

Hammie continues – “And it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

I have to confess we did that in college in the cafeteria but instead of stomping on them we’d smash them with our fist. We did however, cleanup the mess before leaving.

Chinese Hot Mustard packets demand equal time

First frame look on Hammie’s face is priceless!

Wow what fun……….splat!!

He’s got you there

Still 2018 re-runs. Sigh…

Back in my day there was no such thing as a mustard or ketchup packet. Those came in bottles, but I never saw one in the school cafeteria or anywhere else at school. No salt or pepper shakers, either. The food came with whatever the cafeteria ladies put on it and that’s it.

Shortly after we were married (summer of ’83), we were in the ’70 Olds Delta 88 Her folks had given us; for those too young to recall, that was a serious land barge, with bench seats front and back (ask your grandparents). She was driving.

son reaches up from the back, sets a ketchup packet on the back of our seat, and slams his fist down on it; the ketchup shot out & hit his mother in the neck.

She feels the impact, puts Her hand to Her neck, pulls it away, and screams “I’ve been shot!” Took Her a second or 2 to realize that wasn’t the case. Yes, we still laugh about that one.

You stuff the packets in your pockets, then stomp on them out in the playground!

Did the teacher make them wash those shoes after lunch? I can see Hammie and the guys tracking ketchup everywhere, I would have lol

I remember WAY back in high school (in the 70’s) one of my friends saw a ketchup packet on the sidewalk outside the cafeteria nd stomped it. Only half of it was under his foot and the other half turned up and shot the contents up the inside of his pants leg. If only I could remember the important stuff from school. ;)

Hammie does have a point.

Things like that take no brains. . . .

funny! I look back at some of the totally idiotic things I did in my youth and think “what was I thinking!” … and realize, I guess I wasn’t!

One day in high school I walked past a group of boys who were doing this. I was wearing a brand-new white blouse that day – and I never got to wear it again. :-/

That has to be the most honest answer I have ever heard.

Darryl needs to punctuate better: “What? Were you thinking?”