The logo, featuring the title characters
Hi and Lois is an American newspaper comic begun in 1954. It centralizes on Hiram and Lois Flagston, a suburban family with several children: Chip, Dot, Ditto and Trixie. It was first written by Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker and drawn by Hägar the Horrible creator Dik Browne; following Dik's death in 1989, his son, Chance, took over drawing, with Mort's sons Brian and Greg taking over on writing.
Tropes:
- Aerith and Bob: Most of the characters' names aren't all that far-fetched, save for "Ditto." (It's a nickname based on the fact that the boy's real name is Hiram Flagston, same as his father.)
- The Alcoholic: Thirsty Thurston. It's kind of in the name.
- Artistic License: In one strip, Dot and Ditto see a commercial for a new video game console. In the next room over, Hi and Lois talk about how they finally found the "video game" that the kids wanted (actually a game console that's supposed to be one model generation older than the one on the commercial). The kids then run into the room saying how the new console they saw on TV is so much cooler than "last year's model". Apparently the writer is completely unaware of the fact that a company will release a new-gen console every five to six years (even if completely new consoles could be produced yearly, there'd be little time for developers to make games for them).
- Comic-Book Time: Chip started out as an eight-year-old, but has been a teenager for quite some time. Dot and Ditto have aged a couple years as well. And Trixie wasn't born until a few years after the strip started.
- Crossover Relatives: At least one strip made reference to "Uncle Beetle" in the Army. Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois were both created by Mort Walker.
- Fashion-Shop Fashion Show: Lois does this in a 2019 strip where she takes Hi with her to a store and models various swimsuits. She goes with a bikini over one-piece swimsuits, based on her husband's pleased reaction.
- Honest John's Dealership: Lois is usually a decent, honest woman. But in her profession as a real estate saleswoman, she stretches the truth as much as anyone else in the business.
- Imaginary Friend: Subverted with Trixie, who has long, reflective conversations with The Sunbeam. Not a Sunbeam. The Sunbeam.
- Long Runner: Started in 1954 and hasn't stopped.
- Meaningful Name: Hi and Lois ("high and low"); oldest son Chip ("chip off the old block"); baby Trixie ("full of tricks"); younger children Dot and Ditto ("ditto" means "copy of", which either refers to his twin sister or his father); and boozehound neighbor Thirsty Thurston.
- Medium Awareness: This is one possible explanation for the November 10th, 2018 strip
◊, where Ditto refers to Beetle Bailey as a "cartoon character." As noted under Spin-Off below, Beetle is Ditto's uncle. (Though given the lack of context, it's also possible that there is a cartoon in their universe based on the real Beetle, which would be Recursive Canon instead.) When this strip was rerun on November 18th, 2023◊, the mention of "Beetle Bailey" was changed to "uncle Beetle". - Ms. Fanservice: Lois is subject to this sometimes, especially in strips where she's wearing swimwear.
- Name and Name: The strip's name is Hi and Lois, after the titular couple.
- Poster-Gallery Bedroom: The 2/23/13 strip shows Chip's bedroom to have a Cubs pennant and posters of The Who, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. As one commentator pointed out, these are not exactly bands contemporary teenagers are big on.
- Recursive Canon: The other possible interpretation of the November 10th, 2018 strip◊ (see Medium Awareness above).
- Shout-Out: Rosalyn has a cameo as Dot and Ditto's babysitter in the 10/25/2014 strip◊.
- Spin-Off: The Flagstons first appeared in Beetle Bailey. Lois is Beetle's sister.
- There was a Crossover to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Hi and Lois in 1994, with Beetle visiting the Flagstons for a week on furlough.
- Theme Twin Naming: Don't twins have enough identity issues without being named "Ditto"?
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Initially Played Straight with the titular couple in earlier years, but has been downplayed more recently.
- The 60th anniversary strip showed how Lois morphed from the stereotypical 1950s-60s bombshell housewife to the more homely yet still attractive mother, with the late 80s-early 90s becoming the turning point (mainly because of Dik Browne's death).
