Arlo & Janis... Just thinking about this comic strip makes me smile. While the early versions of these 2 were childish and not so love-able, they have developed into characters that I cannot wait to spend time with.
I discovered Arlo & Janis around the time of Hurricane Katrina and experienced regular blog updates by author Jimmy Johnson about the devastation in Pass Christian, MS where he lives. The strip was already in its present day form with grown-up characters who take you along with them. But the A&J blog also showed glimpses of J.J., his background, and where his inspiration was coming from. Never too much, just glimpses.
So Beaucoup Arlo & Janis picks up on this blog and fills in all of the missing background. Jimmy shares his family history, childhood memories, and changes in his professional life. Along the way we learn how the strip came to be. How it developed over time. And perhaps some glimpses into it's future.
The book itself it laid out comfortably, alternating between the sections of text (story-telling) and strips (story-lines), and moves us through the various periods of Arlo & Janis' marriage; as well as the different approaches Mr. Johnson has tried through these years.
Overall the book is a "gotta have" for fans of the strip, and a biography to-date for both the author and the strip itself. This is one that will stay on my shelf for a long time.
I discovered Arlo & Janis around the time of Hurricane Katrina and experienced regular blog updates by author Jimmy Johnson about the devastation in Pass Christian, MS where he lives. The strip was already in its present day form with grown-up characters who take you along with them. But the A&J blog also showed glimpses of J.J., his background, and where his inspiration was coming from. Never too much, just glimpses.
So Beaucoup Arlo & Janis picks up on this blog and fills in all of the missing background. Jimmy shares his family history, childhood memories, and changes in his professional life. Along the way we learn how the strip came to be. How it developed over time. And perhaps some glimpses into it's future.
The book itself it laid out comfortably, alternating between the sections of text (story-telling) and strips (story-lines), and moves us through the various periods of Arlo & Janis' marriage; as well as the different approaches Mr. Johnson has tried through these years.
Overall the book is a "gotta have" for fans of the strip, and a biography to-date for both the author and the strip itself. This is one that will stay on my shelf for a long time.
