Ace and I really liked it when the character Lauwrence Poirer came out of the closet.

Coincidently, we have to use our super strength to rescue people from locked closets all the time!

Gary

Let's see, Elizabeth is still struggling to find herself. But I hate the options she's left with now that she's been cheated on once again.

1. Anthony is an idiot: he married someone he didn't totally love, then had a child with her and then was left pinning for Elizabeth as a single parent.
2. Warren: nice guy, but needs to be around more. It's not like his in the military, which I would respect as why he's gone so often.

I agree with today's strip that Elizabeth didn't handle herself well up in the north. She didn't totally share her feelings with Paul about missing her family. That makes her an idiot. But then again, she was dealing with the impact of being sexually harassed. Not an easy thing to get over.

Its bull that Paul could never adapt to the city. Elizabeth adated to the north and loved it. People can change on their own but only if they want to.

I also don't like the idea that Lynn will now keep the strip going but is freezing time after having the character age for so many years. I think it would be better for the strip to retire as she originally intended for 2007 fall. I love her work and I got ot meet her when she came to UWO for a book signing.

Wasn't she married to a dentist?

It''s a wonderful series. People mess up, deal with life, go again. I wonder how her real daughter is doing in her life.

this is one of my favourate strips. I haven't been bothered by the Elizabeth thread, I've kind of been enjoying it actually. And I like Anthony. Raise your hand if you never made a bad choice in your life. I actually didn't like Paul too much, I never bought into that relationship and thought she'd be making a mistake with him. And hey... let's remember this is a comic strip. These characters are not real.

So. Is Lynn Johnson NOT retiring now? I've never heard anything about the characters not aging. That doesn't sound like a good idea for the strip. Part of the appeal has been watching the characters go through their life changes.

i think the author does a really good job of allowing the characters to contradict themselves and make mistakes just as real people do. i also have enjoyed the elizabeth thread the last little while - she's dealing with a lot of change, which i feel i can relate to (a little dorky of me, but whatever!).

i'm undecided about anthony, and disappointed in paul. it would be nice to see liz remain single for awhile, really work through the aftermath of the harassment case, and get to know herself before pairing up with anyone. but then, i'm not writing it.

also, i didn't know the author was freezing time?? whhaaat??

Yes it was announced in the new year that Lynn (eho is married to a dentist) is going to continue the series after her inital plan to retire it in 2007 because she's got a brain illness and wants to enjoy her retirement.

She has changed her mind and the series will continue but there will be no further aging from probably September onwards. No more deaths of pets or family members. She said if the series doesn't continue to be popular she will retire it then. You can find more details on www.fbofw.com under the news briefs section.

Elizabeth knew that she wouldn't remaind in the north permenatly and didn't bother to tell Paul. That is one heck of a mistake, and she had been cheated on once before, has she learned nothing from being in relationships?

Best Lynne Johnson story I have ever heard happened to my Aunt.

For a while a cousin of mine was a bush pilot operating out of Flin Flon Manitoba. The Johnson family lived in town at the same time.

One digit misdial takes my Aunt away from a routine check in with her son to a wrong number call to the Johnson residence.

Lynn answers the phone and a brief conversation ensues.

About an hour later both women return to their lives.

I don't think I spend more than 30 seconds on the phone when I call the wrong number or am called as the wrong number.

I don't know Lynn Johnson at all.

My Aunt is fast becoming the leading authority of women in the history of Canadian aviation. In fact she just published her second book. Both books were written and published well after she was involved in a small airplane forced landing which claimed the life of my uncle when both were 63 years old.

My Aunt Joyce is one amazing woman.

She thinks Lynn is swell.

Grace and peace to you.

John

My wife and I and our twin daughters have followed Lynn Johnson since her first book. Boy what an evolution that has been!! She is one of the best portrayers of real life we have ever experienced. She has proven time and again that people are capable of failure and not being able to please everyone. She also has taught that love and forgiveness are one of the greatest gifts we have been given by God. Even when doing what needs to be done as in the latest trial for sexual assault, a person can still feel bad about what they do to protect others.
If only our comic pages could be filled with more common sense, real life style strips such as this, people would learn more from the comic section than the rest of the newspaper.

It's amazing how a comic strip can evoke such emotions. There are entire communities based on discussing how much people hate Blanthony/Granthony. On another forum I help moderate, we have hundreds of posts on the subject of Liz. Most of which concur with your sentiments. I know I was thoroughly ticked off yesterday when Paul's cheating was laid on Liz's doorstep.

I love FBorFW ... I grew up reading this strip and relating to Liz. I am disappointed about Paul but not surprised. Watching Liz struggle with identity issues and life crises has been very affirming for me and mirrors the real life experiences of many females of our.

I'm interested to see what happens with the strip in the fall, there was reference to elements of old strips being mixed in and I think that sounds really interesting.
Here is the link for the website for whats happening in the fall:
http://www.fborfw.com/news/002267.php

I love the comic so much! I feel as though I have grown up with them. I would hate to see time freeze for a long period but I will still read it no matter what. I will really miss it when she retires.

Kendra

Wow! Neat! "For Better or For Worse" has... fans?

Read the two pieces on the official site before I threw in my two cents worth.

I've always liked the strip for the values it has championed. If there were a Golden Rule award, Lynne Johnson should probably be the first recipient.

My favorite Christmas show is "The Bestest Present".

I guess one of the things I liked was the short sharp quirkiness of the way Lynne made her points. With the institution of longer arcs like the romance I'm probably a little disappointed at the loss of that, or at least its reduction.

At the same time, I readily admit I'd have trouble maintaining that style for a year, let alone more than twenty five. A wonderfully talentede woman.

I liked that the family grew up as Lynne also travelled through life. Charles Shulz Peanuts characters never "grew up" but their situations did. I liked Lynne's approach and while I will be interested to see what the new direction looks like, I think I would enjoy her take on the process of aging as much as I have on the process of raising a femily.

It is the glimpse of Lynne Johnson herself that I enjoy as much as the exploits of her family.

My FAVORITE comic strip ever!

April's like...a few days younger than me...but long before I was reading the current strips I got all the collections out of the library and devoured them. Those books made me soo happy and relaxed during junior high, especially reading all of Elizabeth and Mike's trying times, because it made me feel like if they got through crap, I could too. They're probably one of my favorite fictional families.

Anybody else bawl when Farley died, though? :-(

MikePaterson,

Wow! Neat! "For Better or For Worse" has... fans?

Go Figure.

and I suppose the MikePaterson alias is just a remarkable coincidence.

Although Mike's character hasn't thrilled me lately either.

If you go back and read her first few collections you will note that they were much edgier than they are now.

Yes LJ is a wonderful talent and good person but it is my opinion that the strip plots are getting very predictable and a little tired.

The foreshadowing is about as subtle as an anvil over the head.

and yet I read it faithfully every day. Although there are some days that I hate myself for doing so. ;)

It's honest, it's growing up, life, the good, the not so good, like me, you, your neighbours, our neighbours. Just like family, a beautiful follow up to Garry Lautens. Look him up on your search machine. Lynn Johnston does great work appealing to wide audience. Just like church and religion or anything else, there's something in it for everyone. Of course, Fan Talk, is fan talk which you enjoy one anothers comments, especially if agrees with you and you meet like minded friends too.

jagunited said:

"Now that I live in the woods, I don't get the paper so I don't read it anymore. I would read it online but the tin can telephone system we have does not provide satisfactory internet access for such activities."

Surely if the professor could fashion a radio out of a couple of coconuts you could build yourself a decent internet?

As for your model trains - bet you don't have the trains you can actually ride on like Rod Johnston has. But I'm sure you will be able to buy them once you embark on your new career path. I hear the money is really good.

Riiiiight. ;)

I read the strip when I was younger but got away from it for a very long time. When Michael became involved with model trains I started reading again as I am an avid model railroader. I found that series of strips to be right on the mark as she captured the exuberance we have for our model trains perfectly.

Now that I live in the woods, I don't get the paper so I don't read it anymore. I would read it online but the tin can telephone system we have does not provide satisfactory internet access for such activities.