"Home and Away" on the comics pages
The Times is giving a new strip a trial run in the spot where "Luann" has been. Here's the note to readers that appears in Calendar starting today:
"Home and Away" joins the Calendar section today for five weeks. This new comic strip is one of four that we are asking readers to sample as a possible replacement for “For Better or for Worse,” which is now in reruns. "Home and Away," by Steve Sicula, will continue until Jan. 18. After that we’ll sample one more comic, then make a selection. Please email your comments to comics(at)latimes.com and include your name and city.
For those keeping score, yes, the game of picking a new strip is going into overtime: The editor who oversees the comics pages, Sherry Stern, says, "We originally planned to offer three comic strips for readers to try out, but we've decided to sample a fourth, which will begin after 'Home and Away' ends its trial run on Jan. 18."
Here's what the Washington Post Writers Group syndicate says about "Home and Away" on its website: "The feature’s premise is about a husband and wife dealing with the juggling act that is maintaining a home in today’s hectic world. The husband, Sam, telecommutes and mostly manages the home, while his wife, Sandy, is often away on business. They have two kids."
Since August, when "For Better of for Worse" returned to its earliest strips, The Times has published two other strips: "Between Friends" ran Oct. 6 through Nov. 9; "Luann" has been published Nov 10-Dec. 14.
Panel from "Home and Away" courtesy Washington Post Writers Group
"For Better of for Worse" was our favorite strip and we were looking forward to the second time through.
Posted by: Dennis McGillis | December 18, 2008 at 07:09 AM
We gave "Home and Away" a fair shot for a few days- but it is really bad!
Insipid, stupid, and far from funny
Better stick with "Luann."
Posted by: Don Keeley | December 22, 2008 at 02:01 PM
What fun! I think a reality in modern living today.
Posted by: Jennifer Hafner | December 29, 2008 at 02:51 PM
Please, please keep "For Better or For Worse".
Posted by: wwoodward@socal.rr.com | December 29, 2008 at 02:53 PM
LUANN is by far the best of the potential replacements for "For Better or For Worse."
Posted by: Ron Matejcek | January 02, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Home and Away -- not good.
I agree with Don Keeley and it bears repeating --"Insipid, stupid, and far from funny."
Love and want to keep "For Better or For Worse"
Posted by: Jacque Arthur | January 07, 2009 at 10:40 AM
HOME and AWAY is so bad I thought at first it was a joke being played on us ... like Ashton Kutchners PUNKED TV show. It is embarrassingly awful. If this is a comic by a 3rd grade student then I would judge it differently.
Posted by: Michael Gabriel | January 07, 2009 at 10:40 AM
I'm not a fan of either Between Friends or Luann. But compared to Home and Away, either of those strips would qualify for a Pulitzer.
PLEASE bring in one more trial strip that has some freshness to it!
Posted by: mark mason | January 07, 2009 at 10:40 AM
I am not a fan of Between Friends or Luann. I think they're predictable and bland. But compared to Home and Away, either of those strips would qualify for a Pulitzer.
PLEASE provide a trial comic strip that has some freshness to it!
Thanks.
Posted by: mark mason | January 07, 2009 at 10:41 AM
After all is said and done, I would rather you went back a few years and brought back Agnes. If this is not possible, so far Home and Away is getting my vote.
Posted by: CJ Ryder | January 07, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Home and Away is a cute comic strip. I like it.
Posted by: M. Cross | January 08, 2009 at 10:34 AM
I emailed too, but I will say it anywhere I can. Please don't replace For Better or For Worse with this comic. Even in seemingly (?) tense situations of this comic the protagonists are smiling...why? There is just nothing there, no moral, no story line, no lesson, no laughter, just banal conversation between a couple I could care less about or hang out with even only for the 7-8 seconds a day. The Daily News is more interesting. I don't mean to sound hurtful but I've never been so compelled to write in about a bad comic, I just skip them.
Either rerun a classic like For Better or For Worse or go with Luann. She's atleast well drawn. If it makes any difference, I still look forward to reading Peanuts and wouldn't mind reliving the Pattersons daily lives.
Posted by: Tim Faught | January 09, 2009 at 12:20 PM
I have not cared for any of the recent comic strips presented to us. If this is the best that is available, I vote for Classic For Better or For Worse. I've been a big fan for years and it is one class act.
Posted by: Judy Holden | January 11, 2009 at 04:38 PM
Home and Away is just plain stupid. Luann is not far behind, Between Friends had a little story and continuity. Not great, but better than the other two. I really liked For Better or Worse and grew with the family. To repeat it when we know how all the characters and events turn out would be boring.
Please find a comic that has a story and continuity with it.
So that each morning we feel like we have to read the comic strip to find out what happened. Something with interesting characters that evolve, from adventure to adventure.
While your'e at it, find a replacement for Cathy. That comic strip is so boring, shallow and repititious.. All we read about is her weight and diets. Also, it's too wordy with all the nonsense diet talk and clothes that don't fit.
Posted by: Elaine Hunt | January 12, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Home and Away- Hilarious!
That's putting a positive spin/great humor for couples that juggle between work and home...
Posted by: Alison Hau | January 14, 2009 at 09:20 PM
Why are you putting us through this? Between Friends and Home and Away are (were) torture! Not funny and stupid.
I used to read LuAnn in other papers and thought it was dumb but occasionally OK. It's easily the best so far, which isn't saying much.
How long can this take? Back in the day, people like you got paid to make decisions. So make a decision!
Hagar the Horrible, Beetle Bailey, anything.
Posted by: Jim Ruggirello | January 15, 2009 at 02:55 PM
None of the comics that have been sampled are any good. Keep For Better or For Worse. So many comics keep replaying the same year of it's characters lives, over and over and over again. At least For Better or For Worse is original and the characters grow, are interesting and are funny and sometimes inspirational!
Posted by: Karen Rapelje | January 15, 2009 at 11:11 PM
I agree with others that all of the strips presented so far are inferior to "For Better or For Worse." If this is the best that's out there, either keep "For Better or For Worse," or donate the money for this space to the California section so they can keep Al Martinez.
Posted by: Anabel Adams | January 16, 2009 at 01:33 PM
PUHLEASE! All of you clamoring for FBOFW to continue in reruns need to do one thing….BUY THE BOOKS. You can read all of the reruns you want. I certainly don’t want the Times to rerun news from the 80’s, you see, I already know how Iran/Contra turned out. And I certainly don’t want them running rerun strips. Of the test strips so far, Home and Away is the best. It is current and funny. Ozzie and Harriet it isn’t. But Ozzie and Harriet had their turn and would not reflect current times. As I look around my office, almost all the people are in families where both parents work and they are constantly juggling tasks. I’ve been reading the current Home and Away strips on gocomics and they are spot on.
So go to Amazon.com and search for For Better or For Worse books. Then you can re-read them dozens of times.
Posted by: April Suchanek | January 16, 2009 at 04:38 PM
Please rerun For better or for worse. It outclasses all the other ones you have tried. It is funny, sad, touches all human emotions and deals with universal issues to which we can all relate. Furthermore, I'm sure most people were not reading the strip back when it started, so I, for one, would love to see the beginning and the middle. It evolved, the people evolved, life evolved and unfolded, and life lessons and truths were both, humorously, honestly and poignantly presented.
Posted by: Bryn Barkan | January 18, 2009 at 10:53 AM
'FOR BETTER OR WORSE" IS NON PAREIL. IF YOU MUST
REP;ACE IT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE "WIZARD OF ID"
OR "B.C."?
Posted by: SAM SOBERANES | January 19, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Home and Away was possibly the worst comic strip I have ever see. Any of the others would be better than this. Maybe its time to bring back Apt 3 g.
Posted by: Lisa De Rego | January 19, 2009 at 09:20 PM
How about the LA Times pick up Lela Lee's Angry Little Girls? :) Points for witty/funny commentary and diversity.
Posted by: Charity Tran | January 20, 2009 at 06:18 PM
I loved Home and Away better than any other strips. Keep it!
Posted by: Comic Reader | January 21, 2009 at 04:26 PM
the art is not very professional
Posted by: Rex Patel | January 28, 2009 at 12:15 PM
"For Better or For Worse" is not in RERUNS...it is in RETROSPECTIVE! The strips are all new, but they are taking us back to when the children were young. The strip is clever, witty and wonderful. Why replace it?
Posted by: Dyanne | January 31, 2009 at 03:59 PM
I prefer Luann.
Posted by: Merrijo Hatfield | February 09, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Please do bring the "For Better or For Worse" back! No comics has quality better than that. If you need new strips, fine, please run one of those new strips, but instead eliminate any of "Lio", "Prickry City", "9 Chickweed Lane" or "Non Sequitur" to replace with "For Better or For Worse". I do not see any reason those strips should survive while "For Better or For Worse" does not.
Posted by: Renee | February 19, 2009 at 12:37 AM