Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for July 16, 2009

It ain’t necessarily so it ain’t necessarily so de things dat yo liable to read in de bible it ain’t necessarily so

oh Jonah he lived in de whale…

dsluter said, Axe, I’m using Firefox v3.5, and if i click on the strip, it gets magnified to almost double size.

Thanks, dsluter, I see that. It’s probably close to the size of the original drawing, but the resolution is not good enough for those fine lines. Could be my screen, or Internet Explorer. I probably should have said I wish I could see the original artwork!

As for the “preachiness” of the strip, I don’t mind. I’m not religious, but I understand that the Bible is part of the literary and cultural background of the country. In general terms, Jim’s rendering of Ramona Lisa in bed as Upton reads is a fine shorthand metaphor for earthly vs. spiritual. Hey, if Norman is back to flailing and ranting, it must be good.

Looks like Not Norman has found another storyline to dislike and bellyache about every day ad nauseum. Sorry Not Norman but you do get to be a bit too negative!

¡Olé!

Keep those Old Testament references coming! I’m expecting these two to do a lot of witnessing by the time this story line ends and they’re being hauled off to jail.

And the real Rev. Peacgood is where? doing what?

The artwork this week has been outstanding. I love the interplay of lights and shadows, as well as the juxtaposition of Ramona and the Good Book (although it is certainly not an either/or proposition)

Madman2001 said, “…the juxtaposition of Ramona and the Good Book (although it is certainly not an either/or proposition)”

I agree with everything you said!

Biblical mythology from HectorPriam, I love it! Your Greek & Trojan ancestors probably made these observations first-hand and recorded them in their sheepskin diaries.

Half the fun of checking this strip is the comments. Yea, even unto NotNorman the Prophet who saith “They never want to listen to me. Boy will they be sorry!”

Here endeth the lesson….

harebell said, “Yea, even unto NotNorman the Prophet who saith ‘They never want to listen to me. Boy will they be sorry!”

Well, Norman may have the last laugh. Not since the Old Testament days of Samson has one man savagely attacked so many while equipped only with the jawbone of an bleeep (adjusting for modern technology). If it is preordained that someone will turn the Philistines back to orthodoxy and save Gasoline Alley from itself, Norman is undoubtedly The Right Man for the job.

I’m amused by the complaints about religion popping up in the current story. The reason I say this is that it has been a recurring them in the strip for all the twenty-plus years that I’ve been reading it.

It’s too bad talking about religion offends so many people. It can be an interesting topic, as long as no one gets offended. Like this arc. I think the interest the fake reverand is showing in the Bible is almost a classic story telling trick. Someone the other day mentioned an old cowboy picture along the same lines. Just because the story centers on religion doesnt make it preachy. So far it’s a good story, with some excellent art. Unless you happen to be a crotchety old crumudgeon who is looking for something to complain about. Then, apparently, it is hell-fire religion being forced down our throats. I don’t think so.

crunkbot said, “.. lifelong dedicated criminal touches a Bible and DING!, magic Jeebus book done fixed him and his wanton harlot.”

Interesting comments. I wonder if Ramona *is* coming along on Upton’s journey. So far she’s slept through it.

Johnny Cash’s Nickajack Cave experience has that epiphanal quality to it I think, if the story is authentic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickajack_Cave

Gasoline Alley is a different world. As far as I can tell from the past storylines I’ve read (1940s, even), it always has been. I wouldn’t want to live there, but I do enjoy reading about it.

Is Jim Scancarelli on the Texas Board of Education?!

I can understand how people can slam a comic when it does not deliver up to its usual standards. Dick Tracy comes to mind here. But it’s really not very fair to be slamming GA because of this story line. You may not like it but you have to admit, it is consistent with the typical thread of the Gasoline Alley universe. There is a silly little plot which couldnt really fool anyone but we, the readers, play along because the art is fabulous and we’ve grown to love the characters. I don’t read GA for great literature. I’ve got John Steinbeck for that. I read it because it is rich in characters and consistently has the best art found in a three panel comic. Even if I think the story line is silly beyond belief (Chef Meworice) I can still enjoy the comic for all its other qualities.

All too often I hear people lament the loss of American culture. Gasoline Alley is one of the best examples of small town America I can think of. And it also shows how we’re able to see how ridiculous we can be and we’re still able to enjoy laughing at ourselves.

I would much prefer to live in a world where someone believes that a life long crook can experiance a moral epiphany and redemption than in a world where that is considered ridiculous. Yeah, I know, I am unrealistic, but I don’t care. It’s why I read the comics in the first place. The real world sucks. It’s nice to be able to escape into a place once in awhile where I know all the folks and the worst I have to worry about is them being unrealistic, like me.

Thanks, Dypak, for being the voice of sanity. I’m not looking for real life either, and you can’t put it in three panels a day anyway. This is good entertainment in a format that has long roots and an uncertain future. I choose to enjoy it for what it is rather than complain about what it isn’t.