January 12th, 2014

Hi Quits Smoking – Conclusion

by Brian Walker, Greg Walker and Chance Browne

These are the last three episodes from the 1967 Hi and Lois story in which Hi succeeds in giving up smoking cigarettes.

Hi and Lois daily strips, January 9, 10 and 11, 1967.

Although Hi struggled during the eight and a half days it took him to kick the habit, most smokers would probably feel he got off easy.  As I said in the first blog in this series, Mort Walker needed eight months to quit.

The sequence ends on a poignant note, with Hi shedding a tear for the loss of his indulgence.  Many ex-smokers claim that there are pleasurable aspects to the habit they miss years after giving it up.

Next-door-neighbor Thirsty Thurston, who appears in the second strip, continued to smoke for many years.  He is rarely shown anymore with a butt hanging out of his mouth, but there is no comparable sequence in which he actually quits.

We hope you have enjoyed these classic strips from the bygone days of Hi and Lois.

– Brian Walker