(Untitled)

[howtheduck]

For Better or for Worse Complete Library Vol. 09 HC

The For Better or For Worse saga comes to an end in this final volume that finishes collecting Lynn Johnston's comic strip masterpiece. A fire at Michael and Deanna's apartment building leaves their family without a place to stay, but this coincides with John's retirement and desire to downsize

Comments

[aprilp_katje]

So this means that Lynn has written every comment she will ever write, for the remaining run of the strip. I feel a bit sad about that. By the time they run, if she was making any "current" references (about herself or the world), they will be wildly out of date, I expect.

Also, I wonder if she wrote any comments about the "new run" discontinuities. "Oops, I introduced Richard before he was actually born and made Christopher older than he was supposed to be!"

[howtheduck]

That would be great if she did. Finding out might actually motivate me to buy this one. For some reason, I suspect when they get to the end of the current run of reprints, they will not use the new-runs.

[aprilp_katje]

For some reason, I suspect when they get to the end of the current run of reprints, they will not use the new-runs.

That's my expectation, too.

[howtheduck]

I also wonder if the syndicate will even be able to sell the comic strip for another round of reprints in 13 years. I also wonder how quickly Kate will try to market a new version of the comic strip once Lynn gives her the rights.

[aprilp_katje]

1. I'm not sure whether there will be a market for a new version of the comic strip, but I guess time will tell.

[howtheduck]

If you wait long enough, the fans who loved the old comic strip will all be dead or near death. I imagine how I will be in 13 years, still snarking away. However, the stuff coming up in the final years where the comic strip went off the rails and started slamming women and morality and women's roles will not age well.

[aprilp_katje]

And Kate might want to retire. With good investments, she probably could comfortably.

[howtheduck]

My thought is that she looks towards the kids of the creators who are now doing the creating. Greg Evans is clearly setting up his daughter Karen to take over Luann when he gets too old for it. Likewise, Bil Keane set up Jeff Keane for Family Circus. Mort Walker's sons, Neal, Brian and Greg Walker, who are continuing his comic strips. Chic Young handed off Blondie to Dean Young. There are all these examples that Kate knows. At this point, the comic strip is more popular in reprints than most comic strips are in their first run, so it's not difficult to imagine there being an audience for new stuff. It's not like Lynn's artwork is so sophisticated that an art major like Kate could not handle doing it if she wanted. The only thing really standing in the way of that happening is Lynn.

[aprilp_katje]

And since she won't live forever....

[howtheduck]

Mort Walker lived to be 94 years old. However, Schulz died at the same age Lynn is now. I would not be surprised if Lynn Johnston ended up outliving me, so I would never get to see what happens.

[aprilp_katje]

The question might be whether she inherits Unity's longevity or takes more after Ursula.

[dreadedcandiru2]

And since creative control is all she actually has.....

[howtheduck]

They spent the money to get the rights all those years ago, and the payoff is that it ended up paying for Lynn's retirement.