Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for February 09, 2024

He shot a man in Reno, but that was hardly his only crime. California caught him first.

Brutal song.

Another tidbit from my reservoir of useless trivia: The line after “Shot a man in Reno” of course is brutal, “…just to watch him die” but the cheer after that was not real. It was dubbed in during post production. Anyway interesting Forth Wall antics in the last panel.

“But that train keeps a movin’ on down to San Antone” I thought he was in Texas…

Johnny Cash was the original super secret agent who dealt with visitors to our planet.

Indiana wants me. Lord, I can’t go back there.

If I am in Reno, Nevada, portions thereof are right on the California state line. I shoot from Reno, into California and kill a man standing there. I shot a man in Reno but the crime was in California.

Conversely, I shot a Man in Reno, but it was a federal crime [bank robbery, etc.] therefore I’m doing my time in a federal penitentiary in California.

Anyway, John and June, and several relatives are buried about a mile from my house, as well as, Sheb Wooley (Another favorite)

I guess the hair coloring theme is over. Will we see Arlo or Janis with grey hair?

California gets its pick of famous criminals, consider Al Capone.

Wondered that myself. The song isn’t autobiographical, so Johnny Cash’s actual jail time is immaterial.

And was he given a “Ring of Fire” because he was “A Boy Named Sue”? ☺

Maybe try to have some patience, Janice? We gotta work through this stuff! Now, “what’s love got to do with it – do with it – what’s love, but a second hand emotion…”

Good song.

Johnny Cash never spent time in prison. He did a few days in jail for dumb stuff, but NEVER in a prison. Now Merle Haggard is another story. That guy spent time in prison for breaking into the back of a restaurant…while the restaurant was open and serving customers.

We were watching the scene in Die Hard 2 where Bruce Willis is trying to stop the bad guys’ plane from taking off. I said “that’s a mighty long runway” and pointed out that the other planes wouldn’t land in the opposite direction. My wife said “it’s only a movie”.

Not sure of the Prison Terms, but I do know he said “My name is Sue! How do you do? Now you gonna die!”

“My name is Sue! How do you do? Now you gonna die!”

“I Walk The Line” was last night’s Final Jeopardy response. All 3 contestants answered “Walk The Line,” and lost money.

Never liked Johnny Cash’s music, so this is over my head.

Many here do not know that once in the Federal Prison system you can request a transfer to another Federal Prison to be closer to family for visitation.

What do you expect from a guy who wrote “A Boy Named Sue”…..

Just a comic strip? It’s THE comic strip!

I would have loved to hear Johnny do a cover of “I Fought The Law.” The original was sung by The Crickets, though the Bobby Fuller Four’s cover made the song popular.

Arlo had a point.

I liked when Johnny Cash worked with Tom Petty. Petty-Cash, cracked me up.

i have always wondered that too… ( great…well, wierd…. minds think alike….

Well, Arlo, ol’ JR didn’t specify Reno NV; could have been Reno IL, Reno IN, Reno GA, Reno MN, Reno KS, Reno OH, Reno TX (Lamar County) or Reno TX (Parker County).

None of which would render your question moot, of course.

Arlo definitely has a point.

“Johnny Cash song leaves some with a burning question” from the Belleville News-Democrat, posted 12/30/17

“The simple reply? “That’s called poetic license,” Cash told [photographer Jim Marshall]. Like “San Antone,” Reno simply fit the song better than, say, Lodi or Chico, even if it is in a neighboring state.”

But, what a comic strip!!!!!.Love you A zand J.

Nice. A nod to The Man in Black :-)

Didn’t Cash also sing “I keep my pants up with a piece of twine”?

I have long thought about that too (right from the first time I heard the song). Clearly the felony was committed in Nevada, but, as some suggest, maybe he did other crimes in California and was in the slammer for those instead.

Johnny Cash was the first celebrity I ever saw ‘live’. He was performing at an Air Force base in Ohio in ‘59 and we, from the children’s home, were invited.

Arlo get a life will you!

I was just talking about this the other day. My theory: there were no well-known prisons near Reno, so perhaps Cash just picked Folsom.

How can he tell that a train passing through Folsom is headed for San Antonio? Does he get the timetable?

The man was a Fed.