“Cat gonna be okay, Uncle Lar’?” “Well, Little Tommy…” Back in my day of the 70s/80s on WLS AM radio station, a DJ named Larry Lujack did a segment on his morning radio show called “Animal Stories” and eventually in each segment something terrible happens to a pet or something and that vocal exchange would take place. Even knowing it was coming, you’d still laugh your butt off. And, the cat will be okay, maybe…
Yes, the cat’s name is Ballou after the 1965 film with Jane Fonda. Regardless of her political opinions, etc., she was a really beautiful young woman and the movie is a classic. The horse scenes with Lee Marvin are worth hunting down on YouTube. What better name for a female cat then Ballou? Cat Ballou!
Oh, kindly click back and look at Friday’s comic again, my editor suggested adding the small panel of the “flame on” and damn, she was right. It is such a staple in comics I’m surprised I didn’t think of it. Also, I didn’t like the way Poco looked originally and I’ve redrawn his pose as well. The beauty of being a webcomic is that we can go back and update things as we desire. If that had been printed in a newspaper, then it would be done and over. So, raise your can of Huber beer to webcomics!
1977 had a ton of great music and Heart’s “Little Queen” was a just one of the classic albums to come out. Today’s comic title was not one of my favorite tunes on the album. It does rock but it seems like it didn’t quite gel, but it was good enough, and it certainly fits today’s theme very well.
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Lee Marvin is the only thing I remember from that movie.
Marvin won an Academy award for his role in that film and credited the horse for winning the Oscar for him…
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He said as he applied some glue to model of the horse. The IRONY, oooh the IRONY!!
Long time viewer, first time poster!
I used to listen to Animal Stories every morning getting ready for school! Do you remember John “Records” Landecker, Broadcasting from high atop the downtown Burger King……?
Your comic brings back a haze of great memories!
Kudos!!!
Welcome to the party, pal!
Remember John Landecker? Met him once at Oldies 104.3 WJMK station here in Chicago. I met Dick Biondi once too. He was old then, and even older now.
We watched a film in Radio class in college featuring a day in the life of Landecker and it was really fun to watch. Also convinced me I did not want a lifelong career in radio. But that’s a story for another day.
Loved Landecker’s opening clip for his show: “Don’t be nervous, don’t be rocky, you’re our teenage guest disc jockey now” What a riot those days were…
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I mostly remember Nat King Cole doing the “Ballad of Cat Ballou” (with Stubby Kaye) throughout the film. I love Nat King Cole, & was a huge fan even at eight years of age. I wanted to see Cat Ballou because of him, especially since he’d died shortly after finishing the filming of it & it was one of the last things he did. We (my family) saw it at the drive-in, but I would suspect more because Dad wanted to see Jane Fonda…
I’m with you Byron about “Kick It Out”, a fair rocker, but not my favorite from Little Queen. That would be “Barracuda” – even tho played to death, it still holds favorite title for me. The opening guitar riff (I don’t remember if it was Roger Fisher or Howard Leese doing it) alone should put the song into practically anyone’s “must Have” classic rock libraries.
“Barracuda” is an instant “crack the hell out of the car stereo” when it comes on. Yep, that opening riff gives me goose bumps every time!
I can remember looking at images of Jane Fonda in Playboy from the film “Barbarella” and just going bonkers over her. She and Raquel Welch are the epitome of 60s “hot babes” in every since of the word.
Now that you mention it, I do remember Cole dying shortly after that film. Whenever “Cat Ballou” came on TV, we watched it. We didn’t see movies as a family when I was a kid as we didn’t have the money, so most of movie memories are from seeing them on TV. I didn’t start seeing films in the theater until the late 60s and early 70s.
My mom did take me to see “Hawaii” in the theater. I was like 9 or something and here I am all hopped up on candy and I’m going to sit through a 3 hour movie? I do remember it even had an intermission! Remember those days? “Go get more candy!” Saw “Gone With The Wind” with her too.
My only real fun memory of movies in the 60s was my sister took me to see “The Boston Strangler” by mistake. She didn’t realize it was such a “graphic” film for it’s time. I was instructed not to tell my parents. None of my friends in 6th grade would believe me that I saw the film. Now those were the days when a movie theatre let anyone, any age into a movie. What a riot…
Man that’s better than kicking the pig skin around. It’s up, it’s good!!! I’ll bet Bud never thought one single animal could give him this much pain. Well that’s one life down, 8 more to go. 🙂
LOL! Yes, luckily the cat has a few more lives in it.
Love that track, love that album. Thanks!
And Bardot. Always Bardot… 🙂
Oh, yeah, Bardot was hot too, but she had that “too hot” look to her and you knew damn well she’d not go for loser guys (like me). But Fonda had that “girl next door look” and you figured you might have a shot at her. Raquel Welch was just plain hot…
“Littel Queen” is a favorite of mine as well. I’m a sucker for female vocalists period, but the 70s Heart stuff was always on my turntable.
Oh man, Today’s strip and blurb hit every note I can think of! 😀
1) I did exactly that to a neighbours cat when I was in my first flat (apartment to you over-ponders!) It was always prowling around crapping in my bit of garden and one day it walked up to me as if I was the trespasser! So I let it get real close until it was literally over my foot, and gently lifted until there was contact and “whooff” over the fence it flew! LOL
Shame there wasn’t a road the other side…. 😉
2) Cat Ballou is one of my all time favourite films, 1 – coz it’s a comedy, 2 – coz I went with my parents and brother and saw it “up town” (London) when I was a kid, and that’s a happy family memory, and 3 – well, it’s Jane Fonda, man! 😉 And yes Barbarella also does it for me, and even Klute! 😉
3) Heart are one of my favourite groups! 😀 Barracuda just absolutely rocks and in fact that whole album is great. My favourite album of theirs though is their debut, Dreamboat Annie is a truly seminal album and the mix of hard rock and chilling ballads is amazing. I was totally hooked from the first time I heard Magic Man! And Crazy on You is one that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! (They’re almost the only ones I have left now though! LOLOL)
I know, this comic had it all… classic rock, classic movie and a classic “punt the cat over the fence by accident” joke. I still laugh at every time I see it!
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“Over-ponders” hmmm… are you saying we “ponder” things to much over here?
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I also love how you guys refer to the Atlantic as a “pond”…
Cat Ballou is an awesome movie. Even some of us youngin’s can appreciate it. 🙂 And I probably shouldn’t have laughed as hard as I did at this comic, I think I busted a kidney thinking about a cat being hurled from a kick like that. That’s my Looney Tunes side coming out. I have to wonder if when Ballou was a kitten if she was the type that climbed up people’s legs. LOL.
Ah, it’s a cartoon… it’s okay to laugh at the cat being tossed over the fence! And if 1977 makes you think of Looney Tunes, then I’ve my life is full-filled!
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The inspiration for these Lily/cat comics are from the kittens we adopted earlier this year. They are a load of fun but also a bit annoying at times as they climb on my chair or desk and want to play.
Dogs just sit at your feet, why can’t cats learn this?
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OH! I love the Kick-the-Cat game! The sound effects are hilarious!
Oh, I’ve been a dog lover since I was a kid. I get along with cats, but come on, dogs are just too much fun… especially the big 55 pound lick monster I have now.
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