For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for August 30, 2008

And - fade to black. Curtain down. The End.

This sucks. It was one of my favorite comics.

This is not the end of For Better or For Worse, though it is the end of the story as we’ve known it the past few years. I’m going to miss this story, but it’s a very appropriate ending.

Look Lynn, don’t give up!!! Really!!! Do you smoke? Cause I think Matt Groening is looking for another friend!!!

Thank you Lynn, for sharing your family with us all these years. The Pattersons may or may not be fashioned after your “flesh and blood” family, but, they were still YOURS. I’ve followed this strip for over a Decade, and have felt as if I knew each and every member of the Family as neighbors. FBOFW has always been the first strip I looked at each day….eager to see the latest developments in thier lives.

I loved having the Pattersons as neighbors, and am greatly saddened to see them move away, but, I understand why this had to happen. I DO want to thank you for letting Jim live long enough to see the Wedding Dress on his Grand-daughter… I was afraid that wouldn’t happen.

Again, thank you so much for the joy you have brought us all these years, and, if you have time, go out to Farley’s tree, and tell him we’ll miss him, too.

I’m going to miss this strip. Great ending.

I’m sad to see that this has finally come to an end, but good things always come to an end. I’ve been follwing For better or for worse since it began. I’m sure we can all see a little bit of us in the Pattersons. Through all the good times and the bad times it was like watching part of the family grow. The ending is similar to what is happening in my family right now. Lynn, I want to thank you for writing the best comic strip ever. This is my all time favorite and I don’t think anyone will ever be able to come close to writing such a wonderful comic. I’m sure going to miss looking forward to the next days For better for worse. :(

not gone, just changing….

from fborfw.com

For Better or For Worse begins again on September the 1st with new material, new art and new enthusiasm! Without the need to visit all of the auxiliary characters, I can concentrate once again on the insular little Patterson household. I have the children all to myself again. I can do spot gags and silly stuff. I can fix what I don’t like about my early work as I add and subtract…redraw and just improve everything.

Awww. FBOFW has been part of my life growing up, and a strip I look forward to reading every day.

The final panel. I’ve been waiting for this… and now that it’s here, I’m profoundly sad. Even though it’s continuing in some form, it just won’t be the same. I can almost hear music playing and see credits rolling. It’ll be interesting to see what she has for tomorrow’s Sunday panel.

Lynn,

Amazing ending. I love your story especially Mike/Dee, Anthony/Liz[ard Breath], Jim/Iris.

You’ve done a tremendous job, and you deserve a rest. I’m going to enjoy your reworks and reprints, and the papers that ‘cut you’ out, should be ashamed of themselves.

Allan V

Noooooooooooooooooo! Another sweet Canadian leaving the scene! Thanks Lynn, and best luck for your personal life! Alberto from Italy

Thank goodness you’re not quitting the whole thing. I’ve become quite attached to this comic in the last 12 years, I wouldn’t want this work to go away completely.

Thanks to Lynn Johnston for sharing this beautiful story with us for so many years.

Thanks. I’m very sorry to see it end. FBOFW was special because of the way it aged with us – I was a kid in Canada when Michael and Lizzie were kids, and now I have my own baby and read it from Scotland, and appreciate it even more. I’ll miss it.

This strip has mirrored so many things in my life. My Mom had a stroke when Jim did in the strip, and was ill for many months before she died. Years ago, my precious pet rabbit, Shadow, died about the same time Mr. B did. Losing this story is like losing a best friend.

Thank you for giving us the best strip on the page. It has been an honor to watch these characters over the years. I found my way to this website a few years ago so that I would never miss fborfw when the newspaper was wet or I traveled somewhere. I’ve loved it, I’ll miss it, I’ll read the new beginning–but mostly, thank you Lynn for making a difference in my life.

Well, I’m saddened to see this story line go as many others are. I was looking forward to Liz and Anthony’s children, what April would become, how long Jim would hold on, and all the rest. But, as hard as that will be, I’ll be watching for the new(old) comics as well. Thanks, Lynn for all the good times and sad times for the Patterson’s. Good luck, I’ll be watching. I remember the strip from when it was in it’s earlier times, so that should be interesting. There was a time I didn’t get newspapers (pre-internet) so I didn’t read this for a while, and when I came back to it, I was a little surprised by the growth of the characters. I came to like it though and will miss it. Thank you and carry on!

Jim

I have read FBOFW for a minimum of 10yrs. I have laughed, cried and waited w baited breath for the next scene to unfold. I am sad to see this end, but eager for what she has planned next.

FBoFW has been a part of my morning for years, and I, too, am sad to see it “end.”

As a teacher education professor, I’ve used the April/Shannon (Shannon is the special education student April befriends at her school) story arc in my teaching … for beginning education majors, it’s a great introduction.

Thanks Ms. Johnston …

You try to tell yourself, “It’s just a comic strip” But It’s not. It’s part of you. The characters have become YOUR family, part of your everday life. Now, it’s like they moved away and you can’t see them anymore. Hopefully, somewhere along the line Lynn will pick up the storyline and we can see Liz and Anthony with kids of their own and learn what’s happened inbetween. As I said in yesterday’s post, It is seldom that a comic strip of this intensity is created and can evoke such emotion from so many by its passing. For Better or For Worse is NOT JUST a comic strip. It is a series of letters from home. And now the writer is done–for now. Thanks Lynn for all the letters from homeand ALL the memories you’ve given us. Bless you.

Thanks Lynn. It’s been a pleasure.

I have never before followed a strip that has touched me as deeply as yours. Bless you, Lynn.

Susan

Dear Lynn,

As others have written, thanks more than I can say.

The Pattersons have struck home so many times. So often I am brought to tears of sadness or joy. There have been so many parallels in our lives and the Pattersons - our two older children growing up so close in age, then our “surprise” darling and now we are at the stage of Iris and Jim with my DH very ill. Yes we had pet rabbits and doggies, one who is now 16.

Two years ago, I was blessed to spend 6 weeks with my folks leading up to my dad’s passing in his sleep at home at age 90 after 70 years of marriage to my spunky Canadian, turned US citizen, mom. During those days your column brought strength and comfort to me.

For well over a decade, since your column first appeared in our local, my youngest darling and I have faithfully read your column. It took us through her teen years, wedding, her husband’s work on his PhD, on into motherhood. You opened the door for many conversations for us during those “difficult teen years.”

Then, when we moved to a community where FBOFW was not in the paper, my “April” set me up to read it online which I have done for the past 6+ years.

I have bought one of your books for “April” and we read and reread those early comics with such pleasure.

I’m a retired teacher and know you DESERVE retirement, too. Enjoy living before your days as “Iris” approach. Life is for living, for better or for worse, and my kitchen motto reminds me, “Life is what you make it.”

God speed on you, dear Lynn.

Man, I heard she was thinking of retiring, but this really bites! There were still so many things I wanted to watch unfold! (Sigh) That’s life, though. Ending a strip like this well must be really, really hard. It is a good place to end.

Should you read this, best wishes to you, Lynn. Your strip has been a part of my life for almost 20 years, and I’ve always enjoyed it. Now I hope you enjoy your semi-retirement. You’ve certainly earned it.

Lynn, you have brought many laughs and tears to my eyes for as long as I can remember. You’ve also had the guts to address many controversial issues with class and dignity. And thanks for marrying Liz and Anthony. You flirted with them for soooo long. Thanks for representing Canada so very well. Bless you many times over.

thanks for the memories. I still have some old yellowed cut out strips from when Michael and Liz were young children. You see, they are practically the same age as my son and daughter, and I could always count on you to put our lives in perspective and make me laugh about it. Oddly enough, my son is getting married tomorrow. I just might give him those old strips as another wedding gift. thank you Lynn from the bottom of my heart

What a beautiful ending. Thanks for giving it to so many of us who have had similar experiences that we feel few others understand

Thank you. You’ve touched lives, you’ve made meories and you’ve given of yourself. What a blessing! All will be sorely missed!

The last one!

The last one!

Dear Lynn, Your family has been a part of my family for the last 25 years. You have been courageous and insightful. Your stories have made me so sad at times and so happy at others. I’ll miss you terribly. Thank you for so much from the bottom of my heart.

Another nice lifes-lesson from Lynn. Too bad Lynn’s ex-husband never learned it.

I did not know that this was the end. I see from the previous comment that on Sept. 1 For Better or For Worse will have some changes. I have to say that I have grown up with For Better or For Worse and it is so hard to let go. Thanks Lynn for a great cartoon!

I am so very upset that For Better Or Worse is over. It had been my favorite comic for years. I look forward to seeing it on my home page every morning. I have always felt that it just wasn’t a comic - it was a view into human life - it’s up and downs, joys and sorrow. I will miss it so very much.

Great use of the strips title!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I moved to NYC right before “For Better For For Worse” started in NY DAILY NEWS. This is a strip I shared with my Mom who was reading it in the ST LOUIS GLOBE DEMOCRAT. I liked the strip from the start and slowly got to love the Patterson family ( and learning a thing or two about Canada ). Seeing Lynn Johnston grow as an artist AND a person has been a real treat! And when was the last time “soul” was mentioned in a comic strip? That’s Lynn Johnson!

This has been one of my favorite strips. What a way to close it out! I will miss it greatly.

I cancelled my newspaper subscription because they dropped FBOFW. I don’t think I’ll re-subscribe, even with this being the final curtain on FBOFW. I feel as if the Pattersons were next-door neighbors of mine all these years. I will miss them.

Thank you, Lynn. God bless

As good a way as any to end it, I suppose. I do like that she ended with someone other than Elly & John in the last panel. Here’s hoping that Sunday’s strip will be a group portrait of all the beloved characters. And I do mean all of them. Ah, well… I’ve been a faithful reader of this series for 20+ years. I suppose I’ll be fair and give the new strip a try. One of the critical elements of this series, though, has been that characters grow as things mostly moved in real time. If that’s gone out the window…

feels like Lynn’s talking to her philandering husband a bit here. Good for her.

Thanks for the ride, and maybe they can come back for an encore in the future. They will be part of the family who will be missed.

Sure going to miss it.

: *( i have that same feeling i get when i finish a good book: i’m glad it turned out okay, but i wish there was more to go.

Lynn, you strip is one of my all time favoites. I knew it was a good strip when the Mismi Hearld dropped it for several years in the 1980’s. But watching the “children” gorw up, the death of Farley, to the passing of your mother, Michael’s weeding, and concluding with Elizabeth’s wedding. Right now I am starting to tear up so I’ll say: “Via con Dios!”

I want to say, “don’t go!” but that would just be selfish. I know you need to shift gears. I’m older than you, and I’ve been reading FBOFW since my own kids were small. Enjoy your retirement.

Standing Ovation, great story, and as shorty just said, this has been like a great book (29 years long), Lynn you have been a great part of a lot of people life’s Thanks a lot and looking forward to read all those great memories (reruns)

Everything comes to an end. Life, strips that you love, etc. The ones we love the most are the the ones we miss the most. I’ll miss this strip terribly, and I wish Lynn and staff all the good things in life. You’ve earned them in spades. Thank you so very much for hard work and the sharing of this work with so many of us.

I’d like to see Lynn take a 6-month Holiday up in Mtigwaki. Relax, re-group, and come back to keep this story-line going. Liz(ard-breath)’s and Anthony’s wedding was a fantastic finale, but, like so many others that have posted here, I want to see more. FBOFW is PACKED with characters and potential story-lines. I know it’s hard to keep up with that, and hard to have several different plots going at the same time, but….Lynn can do it. I look forward to watching the “re-runs”…it will bring back memories. But, I NEED to see what happens next with Liz and Anthony. I NEED to see Jim pass peacefully. I NEED to see April reach her goals. Frankly, I’d love to see a panel of April sitting by Jim’s bedside, softly playing her guitar for him.

Lynn tied up the ends as best she could, but, there is so much more.

Thanks, Lynn, for a great story. I’ll miss you. You took this final bow with class, as usual. No fireworks, understated and to-the-heart. All the best, Dale in Albuquerque

Well I feel like I’ve lost my best friend. Thanks for all the great times - my daughter is the same age as April and my son the same age as Michael - so many memories in this comic strip reflected my own life. Thanks and God Bless.

Congratulations on successfully doing this strip in “real time”. I’m surprised Lynn at times didn’t forget how the characters looked in their current ages and accidentally drew them as they were at a previous age. I as a hobby draw a comic strip and it would seem a big challenge to have them age as they do in FBOFW

If the real Michael is a writer, maybe the story could continue as a novel instead of a strip. If he is as talented as his mom, then it would be a big success!

This was always one of my favorite strips though at times it was too wholesome or something - I thought it neede a villain of some sort to spice it up.

It is a beautiful way to end the story: the new life of Elizabeth and Anthony together and the close of life together for Jim and Iris but what a sad day for us all, almost like having a close friend die. We will all miss our daily visit with the Pattersons family. As previously stated, “This sucks. It was (sic) my favorite comic” and has been for many years. Thank you, Lynn, for so much enjoyment and sharing your comic life with us all.

Don’t these cartoonists understand that they OWE us, the fans, to continue entertaining us no matter what may happining in their lives? They are like pushers, tempting us with the first one free, suckering us in, addicting us until we feverishly wait for the next days fix. And now, rehab, cold turkey, tormented that dreams will not come to fruition, cutoff from our escape from the realities of our lives. I am really going to miss it, thank you Lynn, for the fun and heartache, it has been a great ride. Hmmm, I wonder what Garfield is doing?

Thanks for years of laughter and tears.

Really going to miss this comic. I loved the fact that the characters aged and progressed on with their lives. It is the first comic I read, and will miss the storylines.

Enjoy retirement!

I’ve read this strip for 18 years now, or about half my life! I’ll miss it. The last time I felt this way about a comic strip ending was when Charles Schulz passed away. At least it was a beautiful ending. Thanks for everything, Lynn.

Ms Johnston, I understand from a friend that you have Parkinson’s Disease. I’m sorry the strip is ending, but I do realize the difficulty of doing the work involved to produce it. May God bless and thank you for the years of enjoyment.

You have summed up in one strip the true meaning of love. As a long time caregiver for a man who is dying of lung disease…..I thank you for all you the laughs, tears, and memories.

I receive the “advances” for my Sunday paper on Saturday. I’ve read the final wrap up. I am so sorry to see this strip end. I’ve followed it almost from the beginning with so many parallels to my own life. April shares a birthday with my first granddaughter within days. Farley died at the time that I lost a beloved dog. I related so well to the death of Ellie’s mom. Lynn, I have smiled, laughed, sighed and cried with you. Thank you for your gift. I wish you well in your future.

when does the new strip start so I don’t keep wasting time coming back here and seeing the ending??

Does this mean the end of my favorite comic strip family? That makes me very sad.

I have loved your family story, saving your strip for last and best, daily. I will miss hearing about Michael and family, Elizabeth and her groom (thank goodness she chose him) and April, as well as the rest of the characters. I wish you the very best of luck and all good things. Joanne

what more can be said then has already been beautifully said. but it’s not goodbye it’s so long until we meet again….good luck in all your future indevors and thank you

Thank you Lynn for sharing your story and sharing it so well!

Thank you Lynn for having p.resented a very sesitive and beautifully drawn strip. Your ending was appropriate and very dignified. If you decide to on with a different approach I’m sure it will be most welcomed. If not you deserve a rest. Meeting deadlines and drawing 6 dailies and a Sunday isn’t easy as you get older. Doing Dick Tracy so long affected Chet Gould’s health in the end. That’s it. I’ve said too much. Much love. Much luck. Real name George Strum.

Thanks Lynn for sharing your awesome talents with us. Reading the daily newspaper will not be the same without FBOFW. I personally have never followed any other strip, hopefully I wil see my local newspaper start reprints from the beginning. May you enjoy your well deserved rest and relaxation.

Lynn Johnston, Than you, for a magnificent journey. A wonderful story, beautifully told. Our adult life had been about the same age as your characters. We have been active with our children. We have had similar experiences, right down to a grandfather who willed himself to live long enough to see our older daughter married. I would have loved to see the strip go on but there has to be a point when it has to stop. You can not continue forever and no one else could have so lovingly cared for “your family” as you did. Good Luck, God bless…

Thanks you for years and years of such a great strip. Not too many strips have keep a wholesome family values all these years. You’ll be missed. I tip my hat to you and may your future be as happy as you made ours all these years.

This was so perfect! The old teaching the young. The wedding with the marriage vows at the end of the story. I sort of wish Elly could have said the line, but it’s just like her to allow someone as great as Iris deliver it. This story has been around as long as I have, and I’m really going to miss my Canadian friends, too!

Thank you Lynn:) Can you believe I am actually crying?! I have read this strip from the beginning( I was 13 years old!). Good luck to you and much happiness.

last original weekday

Thank You, Lynn. It is truly a work of art.

Dear Lynn Thanks for all your hard work devotion.I’m crying also so I’ll make it short. I’ve been able to read the FBOFW since I was a kid to, and it feels like the ending of a great book you don’t want to end. Thanks again and enjoy your new life adventures.

last strip

Ouf! That one stirred me deeply. Truly my favourite comic strip and indeed time for “preparing to mourn” once again. Numinous thanks to you Lynn!

Thank you Lynn Johnston for a great ride… and a great story! I totally got sucked into the Patterson’s lives! (It’s like watching your kids grow up!!) I will continue to look forward to your new story line!

:o)

I started reading For Better or For Worse in 2000 and I kept on for the past 8 years. I have truly appreciated the story and its evolution and the fact that it deals with so many aspects of real life in families. It is truly sad to see that this ends. I wish all the best to Lynn Johnston and I do hope to see new episodes of FBFW continuing where she left because , as she is rededicating herself to recovering past strips, she might decide to develop new ones! Thanks so much for all you did Lynn!

Francesco

I started reading FB0W in the early 80s and lost touch when the NY Daily News dropped it in early 2008. I’ve just done a marathon reading here from where I left off and I don’t think Lynn could have ended it any better. I’ve actually got tears in my eyes from the beautiful way Iris summed everything up. Bless you, Lynn Jonston!

Now that this is over I have a confession to make I found April to be one of my least favorite characters and was quite annoying. Otherwise I loved the comic and am thankful for gocomics so I could read from the very beginning. Also, thank you to lynn for making one of my favorite stories.

I love the stories and I love the characters and they are like an old friend that I like to go back and read whenever I can.

Sniff

I’m not crying you are.