Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for November 14, 2010

How sad! The poor trees must miss them. However, at my age and with a metal rod in my leg plus asthma, I know what it’s like not to be up to taking a walk.

This strip is always ..A WALK IN THE WOODS

What’s sadder is that Jim is slowly getting us all ready.

Is Walt really eleventy-one?

I suppose I’ll not feel like a walk if I reach that age.

Well … Walt’d be the third oldest living man in the world, right now.

In recent years, we have seen variants in the walk in the woods. One year, the family brought the leaves to Walt. In another year, Walt and Skeezix went for their walk and found just one tree among high rises with either the tree or Walt seeming to say “if I’m still here next year.” And, in another year, Rover and Boog took the walk, which was my favorite because it showed continuity into another generation, a theme I was hoping for in the emphasis on that generation in the recent story line that preceeded the current R and J story.

At last - it is Walt and Skeezix - at least TALKING about their walks in the woods.

I don’t know how this will work,, but in my Shared Collection of A Walk Down Memory Lane, there is an option called “Share.” When you click on the “Share” option, you have an opportunity to copy the link where the shared strip is. I don’t know if you need to be a Genius to follow these links or not - but - for the record - here are some of the “walk in the woods” strips which I saved in my shared collection. I guess, if it works, that would be a sort of a “virtual walk down memory lane” via your computer!

OCTOBER 2001 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2001/10/14/

Walt with Phyllis OCTOBER 2002 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2002/10/27/

Walt and Skeezix OCTOBER 2002 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2002/10/13/

OCTOBER 2003 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2003/10/19/

OCTOBER 2004 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2004/10/24/

OCTOBER 2005 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2005/10/23/

OCTOBER 2006 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2006/10/29/

NOVEMBER 2007 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2007/11/04/

NOVEMBER 2008 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2008/11/02/

Walt and Phyllis VETERANS’ DAY 2001 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2001/11/11/

Thanksgiving NOVEMBER 2002 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2002/11/24/

Walt and Grandchildren VETERANS’ DAY 2003 http://www.gocomics.com/gasolinealley/2003/11/09/

It worked for me - Thanks for all the hard work, Lois!

Like many of you, I grew up with this great American art form – the daily and Sunday comics. And being of that generation we see Walt’s time, inevitability, drawing to a close. While the strip has always been in real time, it remains – nonetheless – a fictional piece of art; with all the latitudes that allows.

Jim, if you read these comments from your loyal followers I have a simple suggestion you might try; that could keep Walt in the strip indefinitely.

(Before going further, I know this will NOT satisfy everyone, particularly those who seem to take some twisted pleasure in denigrating Jim at every opportunity.)

Jim, you often have Walt visit old comic characters in their retirement home. It is fun to see many of them again, but I note you never have them leave the house. Why not set the scene so that ‘retired’ characters CANNOT come past the porch. Also, that ‘living’ characters CANNOT go past the porch and into the house.

Then, in time, you can have Walt ‘pass over’ to the house. Because of his advancing age, Walt really has not been very active in the strip for some time. I am not suggesting you make him young, again, but he could then move about more easily.

Skeezix and other ‘living’ characters could, from time to time, visit Walt on the porch, and so on…..

Jim, this is just a thought from one fan who thinks you are doing a great job continuing in the steps on many other fine artists.

Thank you!

Thoughtful post, post399…

Having been a fan of GA for over 60 years, I think post399’s idea is a grand one.

AND FOR 1921-2000 try http://rogerclarkart.com

Lois - Thank you! I am not a genius - having only discovered Go Comics and Gasoline Alley recently. But, when I clicked on the links in your post, I could see all of the strips which you mentioned - including those which went all the way back to 2001! Of course, I wish they could go back farther - but 2001 is good.

Also, when I clicked on your name, the link took me to your home page, which has your shared collections listed. When I clicked on the Walk Down Memory Lane link, I was able to read the first couple of pages before I got a sign which said that I couldn’t go any farther than that because I wasn’t a Genius!

Another idea would be for Walt to reminisce about the past.. They could be new strips but take place in the 1940’s and 50’s for example. That way they could bring back the old characters and talk about the way life was back then. Just a thought.

tracht47, I’d enjoy that approach, too, every so often. Jim obviously enjoys nostalgia.