Keeping It Up With The Joneses Jab Comix Page

Momand based the strip on his own experiences living in New York, where he and his wife struggled to keep pace with their affluent neighbors before realizing the futility of the "comparison trap".

Most adult comics rush to the climax (pun intended). The Joneses series is different. An entire issue might be dedicated to Mr. Jones trying to hide his predicament by wearing a trench coat in July, or attempting to reverse the science by microwaving the ray gun. Readers love the slow, cringing walk toward the inevitable explosion.

: While the traditional idiom focuses on sports cars, manicured lawns, and home renovations, underground adult parodies shift the competitive focus toward physical attractiveness, relationship dynamics, and scandalous secrets.

[The Joneses are shown on a luxurious vacation, sipping cocktails on a beach.]

The phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses” has been a part of the English language for over a century, describing the often stressful pursuit of material possessions to match the lifestyle of one's neighbors. But the story behind this famous idiom and its many creative iterations, including the modern adult comic series Keeping It Up With the Joneses by Jab Comix, reveals a fascinating journey from a simple newspaper gag to a subversive critique of modern society.