'For Better or for Worse,' the Mobius strip

Last fall she said she would weave old plot with new. Earlier this month her thinking had shifted, with a story in Calendar reporting that come Sept. 1, the comic strip "For Better or for Worse" would begin at the beginning, retelling the story that its creator, Lynn Johnston, started 29 years ago. While the story will be the same, some of the comics will be redrawn. Johnston says eventually the comic strip will be a 50-50 mix of old and new drawings.

(A story in today's Calendar reprinted from the Washington Post muses on the popularity, and anti-popularity, of the strip whose characters -- referred to as "the most boring people in Canada" -- aged in real time.)

The features editor who oversees the comic strips, Sherry Stern, says readers will have a say on the future of FBOFW in the Times. "For the next five weeks, The Times will run 'For Better or for Worse' daily and Sunday, so people can see it for themselves. After that we’ll let readers sample three new  comics. When we last sampled comics (during 'Doonesbury’s' vacation), we heard from hundreds of comics fans. We again welcome comments.

"Once all four comics have run and readers have had a chance to share their thoughts, we’ll make a selection," Stern said.

Comments are welcome at comics (at) latimes.com or by leaving a message at the readers' representative line, at 877-554-4000.

Update: Several readers' recent comments about this topic have been attached to earlier postings on this journal about comics, one in March and the other in June.

Panel from "For Better or for Worse" by Lynn Johnston, Universal Press Syndicate

Comments

[Kimberly Doering]

I LOVE this comic strip! I feared that it was ending after I read todays piece! I HAVE to find out what happens to Elizabeth and Anthony...will they have children? What happens to April...what college will she attend? What about Michael and his family and his parents? Please Lynn, continue this comic strip. I love reading about the Pattersons!

[Judy Freimark]

It is wonderful to have a strip where you can actually "care" about the characters, and care about their lives and activities. Like having really 'close' neighbors or relatives, with whom you get to visit occasionally, and share all the things that happen in your own "real" life.
Yes, it's just a comic, but it's done in the truest of story-telling traditions. It's day-to-day, real life, situations accurately reflect many of the same things that we, as readers, are experiencing in OUR day-to-day lives.
We realize that everything has a shelf-life, and that writier's can get tired of doing the same things (maybe they want to retire!) just like everyone does from time to time.
The enjoyment and satisfaction that reading this strip brings, on a day-to-day basis, will be sorely missed!

[alex]

RHYMES WITH ORANGE! Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If not that, then maybe PICKLES?

[Pat]

With all the worderful funny strips out there, you want to keep this??!

C'mon, even Berke Breathed knew when to STOP " Bloom County" when he was burned out. Find something better, than keeping "for Better.." because it hasn't been "better", just worse.

[Pam]

It has been very satisfying to look forward every day to reading about the wonderful characters in this good family facing life with a full range of emotions and not shrinking from the deepest issues. The Sunday strip was a sensitive, pleasing and fulfilling summary of the lives of that we have grown to know and care for. Lynn Johnson brings wisdom, humanity and a light touch to the page. I look forward to following her next story.
Many thanks to Sherry Stern for giving readers the opportunity to vote on continuation of the strip. My vote is a definite ‘yes’.

[Lemastre]

This may be a good time for papers who carry the strip to drop it, and it's certainly a time when papers who don't carry it should start. I've read the strip off and on since it began and could easily see it continue by concentrating on the younger generation of families, much as Frank King's "Gasoline Alley" strip did under King and his successors Frank Moores and Jim Scancarelli. This idea of starting over seems to be working for "Peanuts,"which is 100 percent old strips. But whether rehashing what's basically an extended soap opera will work for longtime readers remains to be seen. It's an intriguing idea, for sure.

[Em]

The Times is giving "For Better or For Worse" 5 more weeks and then they will rotate other strips and have the readers vote on what they which strip they want to have.

Well since it's my favorite comic and Steve Harvey got booted, The Guide got demolished, The Food Section only has one or two actual recipes, and the tv guide got axed among many other "revamping" choices the paper in the last couple of years - I really don't see why I should continue to get the Time delivered anymore, which is sad because I've always read at least 2 newspapers a day for the last 15 years, and the LA Times was always one of them.

Thanks for giving me the heads up - I'll be canceling my subscription in 5 weeks.

I mean come on, you take out FBorFW and keep Rex Morgan? Blondie? Peanuts? And you tell me it's because the mix of new stories blended with some of the older from 30 years ago, is what, too repetitive?

Maybe I'll write to Steve Lopez and ask him to do an in depth investigation as to why any newspaper that knows that readership is declining makes decisions that alienate the very people who want to sit and read articles and opinions in an actual paper. New bites and blips I can get from yahoo scrolling across the top of my computer screen - I don't need a paper for that.

[Gail]

PLEASE don't even consider dropping the comic strip!! Not even for 3 weeks for 'other comics'. I have read in 3 separate places that Lynn Johnston said she is mixing some new material in with the originals and redrawn frames. Many people , like me, have not seen the originals and don't want to miss a thing-just like when Peanuts and Snoopy went back to the beginning when the writer died!! FBOFW is one of the few good comic strips that the LA Times has!

Gail N.
North Tustin

[Charles Brubaker]

"The Knight Life" by Keith Knight, please.

Especially the Sunday strips (for some reason, around where I live, I can only get LA Times on Sundays only)

[Robert]

I've read strip faithfully since 1984 when I first discovered it. I've read "Dennis The Menace" and "Peanuts'" since 1960 when I first learned to read. FBOFW grabbed me by the heart and never let go. No other strip has ever done this to me. I consider FBOFW to wonderful and timeless story with few peers in any form of print. It should not be discounted in any way because it's vehicle is a daily newspaper. The Times should print FBOFW for another 29 years. This literary work should be available for generations to come. When I read the last installment I didn't know it was coming and it hit me all at once. I sat there in tears. This was really out of character for me, After I thought about it I realized that I raised my family through some trying times during these years. I was sad because it was the end of an era and happy because their story progressed well as my own has for which I feel fortunate beyond words. I VOTE YES and never-mind the nay sayers. Obviously they lack the life experience to appreciate the true meaning of "For Better Or For Worse"
Robert

[Cheryl H. Long]

FBOFW was one of those rituals that I looked forward to on a daily basis. It was usually the first strip I gravitated to. I couldn't wait to see how the story unfolded next. I laughed at all the comedy of errors surrounding April's birth. I almost cried when Farley, the dog, passed away after rescuing April from the river. I could relate to the obnoxious neighbors that Mike & Deanna had to put up with when they moved to the other apartment. I felt for April when Jeremy tossed her grandfather's harmonica out the window. I could feel for Elizabeth when she had one painful relationship after another before finally marrying Anthony. The strip had both comedy and drama in it -- which is one reason why it was such a successful and well-loved strip.

Personally, I will miss the Patterson family. I'll miss knowing whether or not Liz and Anthony had children. I'll miss hearing about Mike's other writing ventures. I'll miss seeing April go to college (or pursuing a career).

Please, PLEASE, L.A. Times, give us the pleasure of seeing the retelling of the Patterson family from the beginning!

[Sandy Marschman]

I discovered FBorFW about 15 years ago and have loved it ever since. I read all the comics I like but save it for last so I can really enjoy it (sort of like desert). Can't explain why it hit such a chord with me. Now I would love the chance to read it from day one since I missed so many years. Please keep it.

[Otto]

FBOFW was once a decent strip, but in recent years it had become a shmaltzy shadow of itself. Now it's over. Please let it die and get something fresh.

[Holda Dorsey]

It will be "for better" if you continue this comic strip, even if it is a repeat, newly drawn or previously drawn.
The family saga has humor, real situations and sometimes even sound advice.

At 67, I do not mind reading good comic strips again and again. My daughters have not seen all the stories, my grand daughters are just starting to pick up the paper and my great grand daughter is only 10 months old. So, you have six women of different ages to read, laugh, cry and learn with Lynn Johnston's comic strip.

Ah! When my mother comes on her annual visit, she also reads it.

Thank you,
Holda Dorsey

[Jean M. Craven]

Omigosh, I, like several others, save FBoFW, like dessert, for the very end. I've read it since the beginning years ago and certainly don't mind reading it again and will never tire of it. I loved it when Elly gave birth to April with the pizza man in attendance...well, that's just one story line but watching the Patterson family grow up was just so tender and wonderful. I don't care what other strips you add to the comic page as long as FBoFW is there, in its entirety.

[Sherri Salmans]

I found "For Better or For Worse" in the middle of it's run. I haven't seen the strips that are running now, and I am thoroughly enjoying them! Please continue to bring this wonderful comic strip for the years to come.

[Dianne Hoffman]

I agree! Rex Morgan, Peanuts, Blondie and Annie....

For Better or For Worse is at least as classic as those ...

Don't drop it!

[Jerry Phillips]

Please retain this comic strip. It is still relevant today and it is fun seeing all of the characters when they were young. Love it.

[John Cleary]

Please save this comic.
It is a classic and the writer is still alive.
John

[Joan]

For Better or Worse was good the first time around, but it's run its course. Bring on something fresh and funny, like Stone Soup or Pickles. "Classic" comic strips don't really stand up to the test of time, they just seem like a warmed-over hash of old jokes and ideas. I don't read Classic Peanuts for the same reasons.

[Elaine Perlstein]

Please re-run " For Better or Worse". It is so true to life and always brings a smile, tear or remembrance.

[C]

I started reading "For Better or Worse" about halfway through it's first run, and it became the first (and sometimes only) comic I'd read every day. I'd love to see the story start again, with or without some new panels. It's nice to have something to smile about while reading the paper.

[Julie K.]

FBoFW was good but not good enough to relive all over again. I would like to see something new.

[MaidofCoolmore]

I am so enjoying the older strips that I have never seen. I am a 20 year fan.It is interesting to see how an artist develops. No one mentioned Farley.

Not all of the strips have to be cutting edge!

[Laura]

I liked "For Better or for Worse" most of the time, the first time around, but rerunning it just seems an easy way for Lynn Johnston to get a paycheck while rehashing old art and stories. I think the Times should drop it--along with the reruns of "Peanuts". Most comics are available online and "FBOFW" and "Peanuts" fans can find their favorites there.

Get something new in those spaces--give new comic artists an opportunity to speak.

However, if you do want a blast from the past--how about "The Phantom"? New stories, classic comic.

[felix]

The first time around it was already awful. It's definitely just going to be worse. If I want a soap opera (and I don't) I can record All My Children. I don't know why so many people want mindless nonsense when there are so many clever, innovative comic strips out there. FBOW is on a par with Cathy- mindless, uninspiring, unimaginitive.....

[Dennis H. Scoville]

Please keep in "For Better or Worse".

GET RID OF "DOONSBURY" AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!

[Stephen Titus and Louis Beilharz]

We love seeing FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE from the beginning again - we are catching up on what we have missed over the years. Keep it going, it is one of the best comic strips that you run. It is still current today - helps us all laugh at ourselves and keeps us connected to the human condition in a wonderful way. Don't bother with the trial - you have a winner - stay with it.

[A Tyler]

Please keep in For Better or Worse. It is timeless. A.T.

[Wendell Jones]

Continuity strips like For Better or Worse are a great way to attract young readers who will tune in each day in a way that they don't for daily gag strips. I first began having the paper read to me on a daily basis at the age of four when I discovered Brenda Star trapped on a raft and nearly dead in the South Pacific with three albino women. I have read the paperer on a daily basis ever since.

For Better or Worse was never printed in the Times in its early days, so these strips are new to most readers. Only a few of them are available in book form. I regret having to miss the strip for three weeks while you run a series of wretched tryout strips like you did recently while Doonesbury was on vacation.

Going back in time adds a new layer of complexity for long time readers. When you read gag strips about Michael begging for a dog, we know that the dog he eventually gets will save his sister's life years later. No other strips offer this extra layer of interest.

[M. Carter]

For better or for worse has always been one of my favorite comics. What a joy it is to see it again.
For better or for worse is a keeper in my estimation, it leaves you with a smile rather than a frown.
I have always enjoyed Lynn's work and what a joy it is to see it again in the Times. One of the things
that sets it apart from other comic strips is the attention she pays to the background, the amount of
detail, and the excellent drawing, making the strip more realistic and also more interesting. I especially
like the color versions in the Sunday Times.


Thank You for continuing to publish this outstanding strip.

[Barry Jetton]

"For Better or For Worse" is tweaked just enough that it's still enjoyable. If you REALLY want to improve the comics page, get rid of "Prickly City." Scott Stantis' strip is truly puerile. Surely there's a more intelligent right wing strip with which to replace it?

[Denise Ruhlow]

Please keep "For Better or Worse". I have read the comic pages every day for over 50 years. I am not as articulate as others who have written in with their thoughts but my passion is great for this strip. I love everything about it. This is a strip that deserves to continue to be printed in the LA Times. However I wouldn't miss the inane Brewster Rockit - Space Guy.

But, Please KEEP "For Better or Worse".

[hal lewis]

Having read all these comments, I find myself in the middle about FBoFW, which I like. But there is one comment here with which I agree whole-heartedly---whatever you do, get rid of Doonesbury ASAP. Trudeau is a child who never grew up, stuck in a time warp, who knows only how to spew venom at the people whose politics he doesn't like. It was probably funny thirty years ago, but that stopped when his ego got out of control. And there's nothing funny or clever about his mud-slinging, it is blunt hatred that doesn't belong on a comics page.

[Anita McManes]

Please keep publishing this wonderful and heartwarming strip. Many of us havce never seen the earlier days of the Pattersons and it is truly enjoyable to see how they started off.

We enjoy this comic strip so very much and sincerely hope you will continue to run it.

[Bob Curran]

Please, not again!!!!!!

It's like waterboarding.....

I'll do whatever you want, just do not repeat FBOFW, PLEASE!

[Orion Hussein]

Please don’t drop For better or worse. I am sure the decision to start her stories over is unprecedented. But here stories are still far more endearing then half of the junk that is in the comics section currently.

If you are looking to dump something how about “Pearls before Swine” boy this weeks installment has the alligators trying to eat the zebras for the second or third year, wow how funny. Or we have La cucaracha which jumps from week to week from being offended at stereo types in the world against Latinos, then the next week they have the taco stand that in the last month has served a dead whale or the dead big foot. Wow, way to defend a culture. I am stunned you don’t get hate mail on that title already.

Then there is the back page of comic section II the page that is dedicated to the sci-fi Nerd. Think a professional could at least button up his shirt, the chest hair is a bit much.

I pretty much get your paper for the coupons and the comics section and I just checked “The Daily news LA” delivers to my area so I guess I can wrap up with a point that might have more effect then anything else, I have pointed out. If For better or Worse gets canceled. So does my subscription to the LA times.

So I guess the LA times, while in the middle of financial turmoil will have to make it’s decision for better or worse.

[Gladys Barnett]

In the "To our readers" article today(9/29), you asked for comments re: For Better or For Worse. I LOVE this strip and have been reading it since its inception. I am so glad to be able to go back to the beginning and am looking forward to meeting Farley again. PLEASE KEEP IT IN YOUR LINEUP. I read it everyday. Gladys Barnett, a subscriber

[cat]

This strip has plummeted in quality (though not the art) in the past several years. It is now simply maudlin tripe with all of the wry observation drained away. Give some new cartoonist a chance and use this valuable space to offer opportunities to the up-and-comings. The comics page has become too much of a sinecure for outdated strips and needs fresh blood to stay relevant.

[Bill and Pamela Crandall]

Hi,
We love For Better of For Worst, Don't Stop It!!!! We both look forward to the comics every day because of it.
The Patterson's are like Family.
The Crandall Family votes to KEEP the Patterson Family going.

[Pat Wolf]

I can't imagine that you are even thinking of dropping "FOR BETTER OR WORSE"!! In todays world we need a family like this even if it is just in the comics. All of us can relate to each and every episode.

Pat
Los Angeles

[Tom from Glendora, CA]

How about Arlo & Janis as a replacement.

It's in the same vein, but not quite as serious.

I hate to say funnier, but can't think of any other way to put it.

[Pamela Vees]

Please keep For Better or Worse. It is by far one of the best strips. I read it every day and I love it each time. I love the drawing and the stories. The characters and the real life situations.
PLEASE DO NOT STOP THIS STRIP !!!!
Pamela and Dieter LA TIMES Customers for over 35 years

[Lynn Altman]

Please keep the strip. I never saw the start of the strip. I was away as the strip ended. Whatever happened to the grandfather?

[mrbill]

I have to agree with Tom. Arlo and Janis is much more enjoyable that FBOFW. There are a few continuing story lines, but usually a fresh cartoon everyday about an American couple.

[Leo in Tujunga]

Please give ARLO and JANIS a try. Great strip, topical, well drawn, really large fan base. IMHO rates up there w/ Krazy Kat, Pogo, Peanuts, and Calvin and Hobbes.
Arlo and Janis, the Jimmy Buffett of Comics.

[calif.haley]

Please keep running FBOFW. I have been reading it for years and it is still fresh and relevant. Re-starting the story line is a good move and can only add interesting depth to the characters we already love.

[merrill]

I'd very much like to have For Better of For Worse repeated for another generation's enjoyment,
BUT
I'd give it all up for a repeat of Calvin & Hobbes, the best strip fo all times.

[beverly baroff]

Please bring back For Better or Worse.

Every thing else pales in comparison. Even her reruns are fresh!

[Ed Stone]

In this day and age, we need MORE comic strips! I could skip reading the Times altogether if not for the comics, and For Better or Worse is definitely one of my favorites. We started reading the strip as a newly married couple, and our family grew up with the Pattersons. Reviewing old story lines (interspersed with new details) is like reliving our own lives -- don't families sit around and reminisce?

Please bring it back, and make room for more comics. It looks like we are going to be in for some hard times, and good comics can entertain and comfort.