For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for July 18, 2017

Be a man, Brian, and just get out of there!

The boys didn’t even think to bring water with them. Meanwhile, the girls already gave up on the idea of playing with the box, and are probably inside the house, where it’s nice and cool…

“Lizzie an’ the girls”? This shows the genius of Lynn Johnston. With just 4 words she establishes a character trait about Michael Patterson that lasts forever.

SPOILER this next part. Don’t read if you don’t want to know the future.

Michael does not know the names of Elizabeth’s female friends. Elizabeth will develop three female best friends starting with Dawn Enjo we see today. Michael will never call any of these girls by name. He will always address Elizabeth only and ignore the others. Even in the story where Dawn crushes on Michael after he gets his driver’s license, he does not talk to her or say her name.

The incorrect plural does it. By saying, “Lizzie an’ the girls”, it gets your attention because the first thing you think is “Is he blind? There is only one girl besides Lizzie.” 4 words tell you exactly what Mike thinks of Lizzie’s friends. It is superb writing.

You’d think a refrigerator box should be colder.

@TPAULL1201 – your comment yesterday was one of the most hurtful, mean, and ignorant posts I’ve seen in a long time. What on earth does maturity have to do with suicides? For the record, I was close to five – yes, FIVE – people who have committed suicide. Four of them were male: two were 18, one was 16, one (who was my younger brother) was 21. The fifth was a woman in her 50s. Suicide has absolutely NOTHING to do with maturity and more to do with mental health. I strongly suggest you think long and hard before posting. Maybe research.

“You’re a good group of boys. We’re all gonna die together out here. You’re a good group of boys to die with, I’ll tell you that much! [LAUGHS] You shouldn’t have come here!”

Why is there a bag of peas on the ground next to Michael?

Well, I for one cherished refrigerator boxes when they came my way in my youth. Great fun. Super fun, in fact.

“ALOUD” Cute touch.

As a Vietnam vet,I have to agree with Him!

The last panel is as close as Lynn gets to a political comment. Yes, Michael, a war never makes sense. Old men, who want to cling to power, send youth in their prime to kill and to be killed.

I love “heat frustration”. One of my friends always used to say that.

These days, they could have a battery operated fan.

It’s war, not supposed to make sense – agree with that although I was only in during the cold war. (Do web search for TUSLOG)

Heat frustration! Love it!