If you’re of a certain age, it’s tough to know what to say these days. Especially on the subjects of politics and gender identity. It seems that no matter what you say or what you believe, you wind up offending someone. Or many someones.

The first comic you’ll see this week deals with gender identity. It is not about making fun of a very serious topic. It is making fun of OUR confusion about a very serious topic. Before we proceeded we asked for some millennial opinions. Here’s a sample: “could be perceived as ignorant, if not offensive,” “the burden is not on the older generation in trying to understand it, the burden is on the people who are living it.” All true and valid points. But THIS particular comic, The New 60, is about what our characters are feeling and how they are trying to make sense of a world in which everything is changing with increasing rapidity. Now, we understand nothing about the struggles of gender identity is funny. But confusion, specifically the confusion of our characters as they try to come to grips with a new reality, now THAT’S funny. SO we went ahead and did it. Don’t shoot us. We want to be alive for next week’s comics as well.

The second one you’ll come across came from an incident in John’s life. John lives far away from NY City but his job and this job require him to come in from time to time. And so, one day, he found himself drifting off behind the wheel. You know all the techniques: pull off the road at the next rest stop and take a nap, open your windows to let the cold air in, turn the radio up, etc. But John had a creative solution that actually worked. What John did is turn the radio to a news talk show with a host whose views he despised. That got him going. It worked. If you have any doubts, just think of when you are watching a news show and the other side has a brave representative who comes on and expresses the opposite opinion of what you believe. If you’re anything like Andy, you shout, curse and yell at the person to shut the f@#* up.

That’s the thing with this strip. Knowing where to look for material is surprisingly easy. We just live it. Ideas happen in cars, in stores, in restaurants, in movies and in stories our friends tell us. It’s why, on the website, “Andy gives this dire warning: If you are with me, near me or within earshot of me, you are fodder for this strip.” Beware. See you next week with two new ones and have a great, but freezing cold, weekend.

Andy and John