The average American doesn't get paid to make people laugh, but Jimmy Johnson is anything but the average American.
Johnson works as a self-employed comic strip cartoonist and is most commonly known for the "Arlo and Janis" comic strip.
Johnson said he was always a fan of animated cartoons like "Rocky and Bullwinkle," but as he reached his teenage years he became more attracted to sophisticated and clever adult humor.
"I have always been interested in cartoons," Johnsons said. "I began to become familiar with comic strips and how it all worked when I studied journalism at Auburn and started to work for newspapers."
Johnson graduated from Auburn in 1975 with a journalism degree.
He worked for The Auburn Plainsman during his college career and at other newspapers after graduation, including Opelika-Auburn News.
Johnson said during his time as a journalist he would usually draw cartoons or other artwork for the newspaper, simply because he enjoyed it.
"It was a bonus that I could offer to others," he said.
Johnson landed his first job as a cartoonist in the mid '80s for the Jackson Family News in Jackson, Miss.
He now works as a syndicated cartoonist for United Media, which distributes his comic strips to newspapers.
While Johnson said he is aware that the core of his audience comes from his generation, he tries to employ universal humor to which everyone can relate.
"Everyone that sees 'Arlo and Janis' claims that Jimmy has been peeking in their window," said Gail Langley, a founding member of the Mystic Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers. "I like that so many people can relate to his comics."
Much preparation goes into a comic strip for Johnson. He said coming up with ideas is the hardest part of the job.
"Reading, traveling and television are great things to stimulate my mind and get me thinking," Johnson said.
Johnson said other influences are Bill Mauldin, an editorial cartoonist, and Charles Schulz, the cartoonist famous for the "Peanuts" comic strip.
Although Johnson spends a lot of time working on his cartoons, he said it's different from having a nine-to-five job.
"One of the great things about the job is that I have a lot of free time," Johnson said. "I have a lot of flexible time to do things unrelated to cartoons."
But one comic project that has consumed him for the last few months is his first book, "Beaucoup Arlo and Janis."
"Beaucoup is a slang term from the Vietnam era, which means 'much of,' meaning the book is much of Arlo and Janis," Johnson said.
The Lee County Historical Society will host a free book signing Saturday at Pioneer Park for Johnson's book and others by local writers.
"I am going to be his first customer," Langley said.
The book will be available for purchase Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday through Friday is typically crunch time for Johnson, but the job allows him plenty of freedom to travel and to work when he wants.
"A lot of people ask if drawing comic strips is all I do," Johnson said. "Yes, it's all that I do. I love it."
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