I have had only two “real” jobs in my life (well, since I got married 28 years ago). After a full year of the 2nd real job, and after busting my ass, working weekends and sucking up like none before me, I was offered a whopping 25 cents an hour raise. My boss rationalized it like this: “You’re still the highest paid employee…” Up yours, Homer. I quit shortly thereafter and started up my freelance career, which has been going on for 25 years now. I gave myself a 25 cent an hour raise last year…
Welcome back Mr. Jenkins and his wonderfully old fashioned record store. I miss the old record stores. Full of posters, t-shirts, smoking paraphernalia, black lights, and even some shops had sheet music. Always a ton of notices taped to the windows about local bands looking for people or if they were playing at a nearby bar. The original Google… We’ll visit Mr. Jenkins once more Wednesday as the “Get A Job” storyline starts to unfold a bit more.
Oh, I wanted to give a shout out to all the new readers! The 1977 family has grown recently and I wanted to say thanks to all you readers, new and old alike. You make my day! Rock on, man…
Supertramp’s “Give A Little Bit” has the distinction of being the only pop song used in the original 1978 “Superman” movie. It’s playing on Lois Lane’s car radio just as the earthquake is going off at the end of the movie. In the days before Self-Serve, she’s waiting for the guy to come out and pump her… er, fill her tank. Ba-da-bing! I’m here until Tuesday… have the beef!
**********************
Discussion (28) ¬
Found your comic recently and visit when I can. Very cool stuff. I was thinking about the record store thing this week every time I hear the Stones on the radio or (bane of record stores) my IPod. The city I grew up in had a couple of pretty cool used record stores as well, one of which is still kicking. I remember hearing about a minimum wage when I was a kid, too, being something like 2.35 an hour around 1980. Couldn’t wait to make that kinda bread.
Love the comic. Rock on.
I remember having this one store that took “trade-ins” on albums. Like 4 to 1 ratio. When I got my first reel-to-reel tape deck that store saw me a lot! I cringe at the albums I traded away as my reel decks died years ago.
Heh, I think my first job was like $1.85 an hour in 1974. Actually earned college money at that hourly rate! I think gas was like 80 cents an gallon? Let’s put it this way, it wasn’t so high we noticed.
Welcome to the party pal! And thanks for the email. I’ll reply later.
😛
I got you one better. When I started working at the movie theater they had some bs rule that if you were under 18 they didn’t have to pay you minimum wage. So my first raise was to minimum wage. Then I finally got another raise of $.15 because they started paying everyone $3.35. Then every time they moved it up I seemed to get $.15 more than people starting out.
LOL! Good story!
Unfortunately for me, I was the lead video for a successful production company and the dick-head owner offered me 25 cents an hour raise. Just as well, as now I’ve run my own company for 25 years. Their loss…
🙂
LOL! I’ll have to remember that when my boss asks me to work overtime.
Being self-employed, I have the biggest butt-head for a boss… he’s a real jerk sometimes…
😛
Here’s a kicker: up until about four years ago, I worked at Barnes & Noble. Did the book beat, cashier, periodicals and the music & DVD department, over six years’ worth, with top-rated reviews. After six years, I was told that my raise – as per the company’s policy – would be… TAH-DAH! – 25 cents per hour. Per year.
This, by the way, was 2006. I quit shortly afterward.
Yep, 25 cent an hour works out to $500/year raise. What?! Most companies spend that and more on freakin’ pens. Hey, buy cheap pens and give me a raise!
🙂
I used to manage a music store back in the day! All those damn youngins wanting executive pay for stocking the cassingles and merchandising those VHS tapes! …they didn’t call me “Mr. Jenkins” tho, thats my Dads name!
So, it was your Dad who hired Bud… hmm…. maybe we are related…
🙂
Thx for the reminder that I’m jobless… lol jk but seriously why won’t anyone hire me? …. I hate being broke!
I hear you! Been a real suck-ass couple years for my household too.
I had more money in 1977 and I was broke back then too…
lol seriously? Aw man that sucks. At least I live with my dad so I can have food. 😛
I’ve never come across that comeback, but will have to start using it from hereon.
Thanks for spreading culture around!
I do my part…
🙂
I dunno Bud … I used to work some ball-breaking construction jobs circa 1980-1985. $0.25/hour was a pretty handy bit of extra change at the end of the month, for the time. You could always be laying down hot tar and cleaning rubber with kerosene to seal a warehouse roof in the July sun. AFTER hefting two tons of said supplies by hand up a 40 foot ladder.
Cozy lil’ panty-waist job you got when you can snark the boss after he’s agreed to give you a raise …
Ah, you’ve seen the true Bud… which is me. Yep, I could have worked way harder jobs back then for less pay… but we still complain no matter what job we have. True to this day even though the company I’m working for now is actually a fun place to hang out on a daily basis, but you still bitch.
Human nature, or is it just me? I think the former…
🙂
Its just you ya freak. lol jk My dad is the same way. I don’t make food, he botches, I make food he botches. I can’t win. UG!
I just read through the archives, and I love it! Great comic, and awesome music! I’m 19, and sometimes I wish I’d grown up in the 70’s. Music isn’t what it used to be…
Anyway, keep up the good work!
Welcome to the party, pal!
The 70s were a ton of fun and yes, the music has not been the same since. 80s hair-bands came close, but they have nothing on the likes of Deep Purple or Jethro Tull.
I love when folks read through the whole archive! You see how the comic has not only unfolded, but also improved over the years. Thanks for reading!
🙂
Meatloaf was good in the 80’s and 90’s. lol
I would have killed for a $.25 raise. Would have been equal to a 10% raise! That way for every 2 hours worked I could buy an extra gallon of gas!
GREAT punchline!
Good to have you and the gang back, Byron! Being as I was just about to start high school during the year in question, I remember how tough it was for my older siblings/friends to find after school jobs. Can’t wait to see what’s about to happen to Bud next!
I miss old record stores too. That’s where I found out about all the cool shows going on every week. There’s still one about 15 miles from where I live…hmmm I might go visit. Thanks for the inspiration! Oh! And thanks for the comics too. Luv ’em!
VA had a rule in 1980 that as a full-time student you could only work at your college for 15 hours a week @ $2.35. Yes, that is $35 a week (BEFORE taxes). Had to quit that for full-time overnight shift at local gas station/convenience store. Is *EVERYONE* drunk at 3:18am?
now a days no one gets more than 0.25 raise unless you are corporate