Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for February 16, 2009

Terry must have thought he was using military time for 7:30 p.m. That wouldn’t be so bad.

I must be missing something, in the last panel there’s an exclamation point over Mr. Wallet’s head. What’s the meaning of that?

Terry probably doesn’t even remember 1950.

I’m a newcomer to this site, and haven’t seen this strip in years. Could someone please tell me if old Walt Wallet is still around? He’d be well over 100 now, I’d think.

Walt is still around, and we hardly ever get to see him, sadly. His wife died a few years ago. There keep being rumors that he will go live at the old comics home. A few weeks back a lot of old comix characters invaded his house, and his son mentioned moving him to another house. I thought something was going to happen, but it never did.

Walt would probably be the oldest man in the United States now, and besides him, the only other living US WWI veteran is Frank Buckles.

I would love to see more of Walt and the original family line. I look forward to the Sunday comix every week, hoping to visit Walt, but it’s usually Anony Moose or Rufus and company, which is always a disappointment to me.

Judy worked in the diner in the 1950s– what’s she up to now?

The exclamation point over Mr. Wallet’s head means he’s surprised at Terry’s statement. It’s an symbol that’s been used in comics since Day One.

I think Skeezix literally meant he first came in the diner in 1950-just making small talk. :-)