Single and Looking

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Single and Looking is a comic strip drawn by Matt Janz that appears nationwide seven days a week. The strip is syndicated by the Washington Post Writers Group.

The strip was launched in 2002 as Out of the Gene Pool and had a completely different focus than what it has now. The name change came on July 30, 2007.

[edit] History

Out of the Gene Pool started out as a strip centered around Rufus, a rather large, odd-looking man who lived in a town called Middletown with his wife Andrea (Andy for short), his son Miller, and several other people including Andy's co-worker (and neighbor) Jackie, her son Travis (from a marriage that ended in divorce), Andy's single 20-something brother Sam, his rodent-like roommate Zoogie, and Madame Red (a rather angry woman who dressed like a clown).

As the strip went on, Jackie's home life and Sam's struggles to find a job, along with his life with his roommate Zoogie, became more and more of the focus of the strip. Eventually Janz decided to make them the only focuses of the strip, and discarded every other character except for Madame Red and Travis and changed the name to Single and Looking.

[edit] Characters

Jackie: Travis' mother and one of the two main characters in the strip. Works in an office with Sam. Usually doesn't go out on more than one date with someone, and has an ever changing array of hairstyles.

Sam: a 20-something bachelor that moved to Middletown in 2004. Originally was working at a factory in Middletown (during Out of the Gene Pool), but lost the job when the factory closed. Eventually got the job at the office where Jackie and his sister had previously worked. Lives with a furry roommate named Zoogie, who was his college roommate.

Travis: Jackie's son, always looking to make a buck anyway he can. He has an overactive imagination and is always looking for ways to reunite his divorced parents, which never work.

Madame Red: An older, clown-looking woman who lives in Sam's apartment building. She is not a very happy person, as her disposition and attitude seem to show in nearly every strip she appears in. Her face is constantly twisted into an angry scowl. She keeps busy by working several part time jobs (including writing an advice column under "Dear Kitty" and slinging burgers at a fast-food chain) and by yelling at everyone. Has a husband, Herbert, who has yet to be seen.

Zoogie: Sam's roommate. Is a small, almost teddy bear like creature who hates being called cute or cuddly. Is still trying to relive his college days but can't do so in Middletown.