Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for September 03, 2011

I don’t get it.

One last BAP, for old times’ sake?

Different families – different growing up rituals?

Dad is physically anointing him as an adult, just like the Queen makes you a knight with a tap on the shoulder with a sword.

I really like the first panel. It shows that Arlo really has his moments as a great dad with both what he’s saying and the hug.

There’s also a story from Zen Buddhism in which a master smacks a disciple apparently for no reason. When the disciple objects, the master says that the disciple is about to receive the dharma transmission, after which the disciple will be the master’s equal and therefore not smackable any more.

Nicely done strip, father and son and rites of passage to adulthood.

Um, it’s because Gene uttered the sophomoric “Just like that?” that Dad was duty bound to give him one more BAP.

I think he patted down his cowlick.

ProudArianne and frumdebang are both right, I believe; Arlo is “anointing” him as a grownup, and it’s Arlo’s way of joking around with Gene like he’s always done with a BAP on the head.

Isn’t Gene a little bit old for his BAP Mitzvah? Of course, some Gentiles BAP-tize their children as infants.

On the other hand, maybe Arlo’s simply bapping the button on Gene’s head which regulates growth. Literally or symbolically, he’s saying “This is as tall as you’re going to get.”

Arlo apparently belongs to the Jethro Gibbs School of Parenting.

“Giibs Slap”! I like it