September 14, 201210:12 am
Jimmy’s dog Zeppa has many different hobbies, as is the case for a dog with an in interest in several different subjects. From cooking to filmmaking to soccer to yoga, Zeppa has acquired a taste for a diverse group of hobbies and excels in each of them. The strip today explores Zeppa’s participation in yoga class, where a technique known as the “downward dog” gathers attention. Zeppa has been practicing yoga for awhile and will be around the mat some in future, and today’s strip showcases the dog’s dedication to that pursuit while also showing some humor. Zeppa is a good natured optimist who participates fully in life, which can sometimes be a contrast to Jimmy’s more deliberate and brooding manner. It also gives a cartoonist a chance to explore the dog’s many different interests along with Zeppa. And of course it gets back to the age old question: how many dogs would be going to a yoga class today if given the chance? Maybe Zeppa will get a trend going!
August 31, 201210:37 am
Some movies in the modern era become a cultural phenomenon, and The Notebook has to be one of those films. For “romance films” and “chick flicks”, the 2004 Ryan Gosling-Rachel McAdams picture based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks is undoubtedly at the top of the list. It is one of those films that most male moviegoers would never admit to watching, which gets to the heart of the humor today’s comic strip. Cabo, the beefy bookstore employee never short on admiring females, has watched the film and proudly tells Jimmy he loves it. Jimmy tries to politely tell him that it is a “chick flick”, indicating it is not something you openly say you like without the repercussions of liking such an obviously female-skewered film. Cabo really doesn’t get that, and still goes forward with how much he loved The Notebook and how it is one of his favorite films. The line Cabo utters in the last panel may be a little edgier than usual for a Jimmy O’Hair comic strip, but it does capture the chasm between Jimmy and Cabo and the humor in it all.
August 29, 201212:23 pm
On occasion, the characters from Jimmy O’Hair will be traveling to different spots around the world just like the rest of us. Naturally, Italy is one of those places that Jimmy and his friends love to travel to with its ancient monuments, beautiful art museums, and delicious food. And when you are talking about this bunch, there is humor to be found in their traveling escapades. Today’s comic strip has Jimmy and Brooke in Rome, where they are overlooking the Roman Colosseum. Of course, the Colosseum is the outdoor amphitheater that housed the gladiatorial matches and horrific death scenes in front of a bloodthirsty populace in ancient Rome. Today, the Colosseum is a historical site in central Rome that attracts visitors from all over the world to marvel at its architecture and reflect on what took place inside the place during the Roman era. Jimmy is all ready like any other tourist to snap photos of the famous monument, but Brooke has her own funny thoughts on the matter. There will be more travel site jokes in Jimmy O’Hair in the future, but for today, enjoy this shot of them during their Italian holiday!
August 15, 20129:56 am
This is the period around town when you see all the “Back to School” signs, as students and teachers prepare for another year of education. The summer break is over, and it’s time to get back down to the business of educating. That means new grade levels, new instructors, new classes, new materials, etc., so there’s a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. In today’s Jimmy O’Hair cartoon strip, Jimmy is back on campus preparing for the new academic year. Jimmy is going for a degree in English literature and creative writing, so a big part of his life is school. He and Lola are trying to figure out what classes they are going to take, and there are some interesting choices! While this comic strip goes for laughs, it is really not that far from the truth. Last year, CNN detailed some of the more bizarre academic courses being offered at some of the nation’s higher institutions of learning. They included courses such as “Popular Flops: Bad Movies” (Tufts), “Biology of Jurassic Park” (Hood College), “Invented Language: Klingon and Beyond” (UT Austin), “Wordplay: A Wry Plod from Babel to Scrabble” (Princeton), and “Sociology and Fame of Lady Gaga” (University of South Carolina). So who knows, what Jimmy and Lola are discussing may be coming soon to a campus near you. Another way that learning can be fun after all!
August 3, 20127:07 am
The 2012 Olympic Games are underway, that two week period every four years when the nations of the world set aside their differences and gather together in unison to compete in athletic events. From Michael Phelps’ record setting haul of Olympic medals to the U.S. women’s team’s all around gold medal in gymnastics to the Queen and James Bond parachuting into the stadium during the Opening Ceremonies, the games in London have already provided many memorable moments. The Summer Olympics stretch across every corner of the globe, so it makes it a universal topic for a comic strip. Since Jimmy does not live in a bubble and tries to stay topical, there have been some Jimmy O’Hair comic strips that touch upon the Olympic games. Last week’s comic strip was about Brooke’s absolute passion for the Olympics, culminating in the fact she was wearing a misprinted “Paris” instead of “London” t-shirt for the 2012 Olympic Games. The joke also gets into Brooke’s ditsy but loveable character, which is a recurring theme throughout the comic strip. Her overall exuberance for the Olympics will not be deterred, even with that glitch. Kind of like the Olympics themselves, especially watching tape-delayed on NBC! Today’s comic strip has Jimmy dreaming about racing in the Olympics, but he gets torched by a sprinter quicker than the Flash. It’s another way the comic strip is holding up the Olympic torch, so to speak, and carrying on during the Games in London.
