Don’t remember ever really seeing Butch, Vance, Clayton Jr., or Bernard much. Apparently they don’t have jobs that can be readily discerned by clothing. It looks like Clayton Jr.‘s holding something in his hand but I can’t tell what it is.
When you have to have this involved an explanation, and it’s still incomplete, you have too many characters. Love the strip, but getting too hard to follow.
Some others that come to mind, the other two kids of Clarence and Charlene, CJ and Jasmine. Dexter and Kenny are friends of Sunny, which there is a connection with Kenny being adopted by Delray. Kenny’s real dad is an excon, Sharcane (Shark). With Jojo, there are the three bullies, Percival, Willerbee, and Cross; also Jojo’s best friend Benny (I miss him, he was always cool.) Yolanda also has a sister, Carmen, who is with the CIA or something like that. We see more of these people than of most of Clayton’s sons.
Wikipedia does a pretty good job of naming most of the Jump Start cast … it includes friends as well as family. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_Start_(comic_strip)
I love JumpStart and I love Terry Crews, but I don’t think his physique is quite right for Joe. Terry’s arm is bigger than Joe’s waist. Still I am excited for Robb and will watch it. I doubt they will do it, but it would be funny if the got Tichina Arnold to play Marcie. Just like terry playing Joe I can’t see her in the roll, but they were great together in “Everybody Hates Chris”.
Actually, some of the comics (e.g., Luann) on this site have a “Characters” tab that shows a picture and bio for all the characters (cast members?). In doing that here, Robb would have to come up with an extra panel every few years, but by doing so he could keep it up to date and clear up minor confusions like “Who is the 12th Son?” (Marcus, now married to Nicole).
I actually have a cheat sheet of who everyone is in a Notepad file from when I first started reading the comic in our local paper (which only has, as mentioned before, M-Sa, so I come here to read Sunday).
nixie224 over 1 year ago
Thanks Robb. People tend to get confused.
pschearer Premium Member over 1 year ago
Didn’t we miss someone?
GirlGeek Premium Member over 1 year ago
It’s nice for the updates every now and again
Notaspy over 1 year ago
Here’s the first one – https://www.gocomics.com/jumpstart/2020/02/02
Amazing how even with so many panels, we can only scratch the surface of this strip’s character list.
douglev over 1 year ago
How is Marcus related to these families?
Catfeet Premium Member over 1 year ago
What’s become of Marshmallow?
jagedlo over 1 year ago
And this is just the “core group”…then when you add all the side characters…
OldsVistaCruiser over 1 year ago
Moose is a “bear”?
(CB radio slang for a state trooper)
Doug K over 1 year ago
When is the test?
mikenassour Premium Member over 1 year ago
I’m giving up on this thing. The cast reads like a Russian novel and even the author can’t keep them straight. Where is the 12th son?
Ignatz Premium Member over 1 year ago
Thanks. As a new reader to this comic, this is appreciated.
easy8s Premium Member over 1 year ago
So helpful. Will save for future reference. I really need the key for the extended friends and family too!
JoshHere over 1 year ago
IDK if it was already mentioned here, CBS Orders Comedy Pilot Based on ‘JumpStart’ Comic Strip:
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/cbs-comedy-pilot-jumpstart-comic-strip-1235524292/?sub_action=logged_in
360guy Premium Member over 1 year ago
And that’s just the half of it …
hfelder7219 over 1 year ago
Marcus, Clarence & Otis are the only sons who get any storylines. The other 9 rarely appear.
Ellis97 over 1 year ago
The Cobbs have come a long way since we first saw them.
Kilrwat Premium Member over 1 year ago
Great cast of characters!
Brent Rosenthal Premium Member over 1 year ago
I so love JumpStart. Thank you for your great work Robb. I so look forward to each day’s strip
tremaine53 over 1 year ago
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Bernard before.
brucebernhart over 1 year ago
Thank you
mourdac Premium Member over 1 year ago
Was wondering the names of all the sons (except for Marcus).
sueb1863 over 1 year ago
Don’t remember ever really seeing Butch, Vance, Clayton Jr., or Bernard much. Apparently they don’t have jobs that can be readily discerned by clothing. It looks like Clayton Jr.‘s holding something in his hand but I can’t tell what it is.
Spoonbone over 1 year ago
The 12 humongous sons are Marcy’s half-brothers by marriage. Have we ever been introduced to her [deceased, presumably] biological father?
jreebel over 1 year ago
When you have to have this involved an explanation, and it’s still incomplete, you have too many characters. Love the strip, but getting too hard to follow.
nbetts1 Premium Member over 1 year ago
Marcus
1Straindje1 Premium Member over 1 year ago
Love it. Thanks for the update.
1Straindje1 Premium Member over 1 year ago
Marcus is shown with Nicole.
1Straindje1 Premium Member over 1 year ago
Look at Dennis the Menace. He’s still 5.
daisypekin01 over 1 year ago
from where did Marcus come?
joebdox Premium Member over 1 year ago
Who is Marcus’s family?
The Orange Mailman over 1 year ago
Some others that come to mind, the other two kids of Clarence and Charlene, CJ and Jasmine. Dexter and Kenny are friends of Sunny, which there is a connection with Kenny being adopted by Delray. Kenny’s real dad is an excon, Sharcane (Shark). With Jojo, there are the three bullies, Percival, Willerbee, and Cross; also Jojo’s best friend Benny (I miss him, he was always cool.) Yolanda also has a sister, Carmen, who is with the CIA or something like that. We see more of these people than of most of Clayton’s sons.
ScretWitch over 1 year ago
Wikipedia does a pretty good job of naming most of the Jump Start cast … it includes friends as well as family. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_Start_(comic_strip)
dlavery over 1 year ago
You didn’t mention Clarence and Charlene’s other two children.
PaintTheDust over 1 year ago
Awesome! As a longtime reader, I sort of knew most of this, but this makes it all clear at once. Saving this one for reference.
mmcalkins over 1 year ago
Time for another family addition!!!! Marcus and Nicole start a family!!!.
felinefan55 Premium Member over 1 year ago
I love JumpStart and I love Terry Crews, but I don’t think his physique is quite right for Joe. Terry’s arm is bigger than Joe’s waist. Still I am excited for Robb and will watch it. I doubt they will do it, but it would be funny if the got Tichina Arnold to play Marcie. Just like terry playing Joe I can’t see her in the roll, but they were great together in “Everybody Hates Chris”.
https://tvline.com/2023/03/18/terry-crews-cast-jumpstart-cbs-comedy-pilot/
Kirk P Premium Member over 1 year ago
Actually, some of the comics (e.g., Luann) on this site have a “Characters” tab that shows a picture and bio for all the characters (cast members?). In doing that here, Robb would have to come up with an extra panel every few years, but by doing so he could keep it up to date and clear up minor confusions like “Who is the 12th Son?” (Marcus, now married to Nicole).
Rhetorical_Question over 1 year ago
Maureen is Clayton’s 2nd wife. Clayton is Marcy’s Stepfather.
Sailor46 USN 65-95 over 1 year ago
I’m just going to take Mr. Armstrong’s word for it, because I certainly don’t.
WestNYC Premium Member over 1 year ago
Thanks for today’s toon Robb. It’s great to see all of the 12 boys spelled out.
mafastore over 1 year ago
I actually have a cheat sheet of who everyone is in a Notepad file from when I first started reading the comic in our local paper (which only has, as mentioned before, M-Sa, so I come here to read Sunday).
Enter.Name.Here over 1 year ago
They needed a picture of a stapler to represent Carla.
198.23.5.11 over 1 year ago
Sarah’s standing up.IT’S A MIRACLE!!
DKHenderson 9 months ago
Perhaps Robb Armstrong should run a similar strip on a yearly basis (like his New Year’s solar system strips) just to keep everyone caught up.