For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for February 26, 2010

Yeh, John, be a man Be meaner than cat c**p!

I found a “FB or FW” comic I had saved. It must have been at least 10 years old. At the time I found it, Mike was in his 20s but the strip that I came across, he must have been a 10 year old.

Can someone please tell me how Lynn Johnston ages her characters when you’re following her strip on a day-to-day basis?

He doesn’t do anything. What does he have to argue about? Her on the other hand. If she let it out now, she would have saved herself a lifetime of martyrdom and angst, and probably would have yelled at everyone else a little less. John is her real problem.

anniefan said, about 1 hour ago “Can someone please tell me how Lynn Johnston ages her characters when you’re following her strip on a day-to-day basis?”

They aged day-to-day kind of like the rest of us do. Although it might take several strips to show the events of one day, the Pattersons were always a year older the following year. We often saw their birthday parties, like the Over The Hill one Elly and Connie were thrown by their friends when they turned 40 or 45 (although Connie was 3 years older than Elly in the first year of the strip). The kids grew taller moved up from grade to grade (atlhough in later years Lynn seemed unsure what grades Liz and April were in or when they were supposed to finish university and high school respectively). Mrs Baird died in her sleep. April was born midway through the strip’s original run and was almost finished high school by the end of it. John and Elly talked more often about wrinkles, love handles and grey hair, and began to discuss retirement. Farley slowed down to the point Elly told Liz that the vet had said he didn’t hear well anymore and probably didn’t see as well as he used to. Mr B died of old age. Grandpa Jim became increasingly frail and he and Iris had moved into a seniors’ residence.

I hope this answers your question. How did she age her characters? Day-by-day, just like real people age. That was one of the things which made the strip memorable and made the characters more easy to relate to than characters who stay fixed in time, always the same age. In the final year of the strip, when Lynn was first messing around with the idea of hybrids, with mostly new material in the present-day but then some flashbacks to events of 30 years earlier (almost always preceded by Connie coming over to talk to Elly about how long they’d known each other), she said she had frozen the characters’ ages, but that final year was so confusing with all the flashbacks that it was impossible to tell what was really going on.

It’s unclear just what ages they are supposed to be now that everything has gone back 30 years, though, as Mike was in both pre-school and kindergarten last year and now is in grade 1, and Lizzie ranges everywhere from being too little to walk to being a toddler speaking in full sentences.

Thank you for your excellent analysis, AdamsFamily1MW. That DOES answer my question

John’s scaring me! Who talks like that?

You don’t have to fight to add excitement to your lives, go jump out of a plane or something.

We never fight - but no way is our life dull :D We’ve just never found anything we disagree about forcibly enough that it’s worth an actual fight.

I might be wrong here, but I’m thinking Lynne might be looking at this from the standpoint of an observer. In literature, it’s a truism that nobody wants to read about someone whose life is going well. They’re only interesting when all heII’s breaking loose. From that standpoint, their life, if it’s good, is boring.

I’m trying to remind myself also that this was originally made a generation ago, so John’s attitude is somewhat different than it might be today.

‘Howtheduck’–I’ve been married for 44yrs and I have used the words ‘honest’ and ‘feelings’ in sentences numerous times over the course of OUR marriage and it hasn’t made me less of a man. I believe that it has made my wife love me more because I expressed my feelings honestly and she has returned that with steady devotion and love for 44yrs. We have had our ‘discussions’ but they don’t get ‘out of hand’.

Good for you, IndyMan! It takes a strong person to do that, and a big congratulations to you and your wife. Sometimes it’s easier to mock in the comments section, but it’s more enjoyable to read ones like yours.

LuvH8, heck I have said that. I have also said that excitement is overrated. When my late hubby was alive, our rule was , if the kids see us fight, they need to also see us resolve the fight. We thought it was good training on dealing with problems in a relationship.

The real making up we did in private.

jaeldid66 - those warm cuddly hallmark moments just seem so unreal to me. I’m not sure what they mean by fighting, everyone’s definition does not seem to be the same.

: ) I think the rule about kids seeing disagreements resolved if they witness a fight is good.

It’s hard to magine that they talk to each other enough to have ended up with children. They seem like two strangers sharing a house. The less you know about someone, the less there is to argue about.

the answer to john’s question is a resounding yes!

next panel, john’s glasses go flying as el gives him a full force open hand slap the face

Joe, I find it interesting that you use the phrase “covenanted marriage”. If I might ask, what religion are you?

My husband suggests heartfelt conversations all the time - he wants to make sure we “doing ok.” Our kids have seen us argue and make-up. It’s a part of life, though everyone does it differently. I had a friend who swore she and her husband never fought/argued/etc. Then she found out he was with someone else. Communication is key.

She aged her characters with the help of some others around growing up too! I thought there was a question; nice to notice the naivety of a fresh family with no mortality in comic strip sight. Oh gosh I envy those on their first toon ride with FBoFW.

I think I would prefer a life like that when I get married.

Hm…. no fighting. Must be dull.

I’m with howtheduck - John turn in your man card

So Elly has been training her man. Wonder how many chick flicks he’s seen? ;)

“Honest” people don’t play BS games.

The thought to notice and dwell on is Elly saying “I don’t remember.” That’s the key to their getting along so well. Forgive and forget -works for both genders.

She can’t remember because she’s so tired for doing all of the work and taking care of two kids. He doesn’t help with a single thing. He also didn’t stick up for her when Ted was being jerk. He defended Ted. John is a dud.

“Coming in first in the “secret turn-ons” poll was the unshaven look, preferred by 56% of women… Coming in second was a “slightly geeky personality.” …Right after that, women said a hairy chest, men who love to read, and guys that cry at sad movies turn them on the most.”

;)

Men who cry at sad movies cry about everything. Crying men, unless someone died, is a huge turnoff. Chick magazines have turned the last two generations of men into some of the most incapable, irresponsible, dependent, slobs we’ve ever seen. Men who can earn a living, and protect their family like a real man are the biggest turn ons.

Actually, women will state that they want the “geeky” guy that is in touch with his feelings and loves to read. But, then they go out with the bad boy with the sports car instead.

Mrslukeskywalker: yer a dude, ain’t cha ????