Arnold, one of my favorites

Every once in awhile, I think of the "Arnold" comic strip that I loved in the 1980s. It ran from 1982 through 1988. Arnold Melville and his friend Tommy Jordan were the stars. The cartoonist was Kevin McCormick. If you click on these strips, they'll open larger.

I read it daily in The Miami Herald. I loved it. Arnold was this big nosed guy and lots of the action took place in his school. His long suffering teacher was Mr. Arnold.

Almost daily, Arnold would screech out AIEEE! at the most inopportune time. Is there every an opportune time? It always made me laugh, it just came out at the right moment.

Most of the other characters spoke from outside the panels, you wouldn't see them.

I think the strip ended too early, Kevin ended it, the syndicate didn't drop it. Kevin had a big hawk fly in in the final strip and eat Arnold. Kevin regretted ending the strip and said it was too late, "the big bird swallowed."

But again, look at Bobby Ewing and the shower bit. Maybe Arnold can reappear one day and the big bird sequence could just be a dream.

The syndicate listed on the strips are News America and Field Enterprises. In 1984 it was renamed News America after Hearts bought Field in 1984 and then in 1986 renamed North America Syndicate. Now it is all part of King Features Syndicate.

There are a bunch more comics at this site here and here.