For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston

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Comments (21) Jump to Comments Form

  1. OpenWings

    OpenWings said, 17 days ago

    Hopefully Lizzie won’t eat him, though she does seem to be sizing up the poor departed little dude in panel 3! :o)

  2. howtheduck

    howtheduck said, 17 days ago

    “Maybe we just didn’t care of him very well.”

    Isn’t it so nice that Elly doesn’t blame Mike alone for killing Frank the Fish, but she blames herself as well? Of course, then I kind of wonder, just how did Elly know that overfeeding would kill a fish? How did she know Frank was overfed? Why wouldn’t she have stopped it, if she knew that was happening?

    It seems a little “fishy” to me.

  3. JodieKay

    JodieKay said, 17 days ago

    Not only with the knowledge of overfeeding, but the fact that Elly knew the tank needed cleaning too. Michael might be too young to properly clean the bowl himself, and if Elly figured she wouldn’t have time to take care of the fish, then maybe they shouldn’t have gotten the fish?

    I didn’t think goldfish bowls were ideal habitats for fish anyway, but I don’t remember where I heard that.

  4. Susan001

    Susan001 said, 17 days ago

    He might have simply died of old age.
    But it’s touching how Michael is weeping over him.
    Now, if only his parents would try to comfort him?
    Hah! Fat chance!

  5. lightenup

    lightenup said, 16 days ago

    He seemed to have gotten over it by panel 4. I don’t think that kids get too attached to goldfish. Animals with fur are another story…

    Today is going to be another Elly-bashing fest, I guess. I don’t see anything wrong with trying to explain what might have happened. We coddle our kids too much. They can handle the truth about a goldfish. We got a free fish at a carnival when I was a kid and it died a week or so later. We didn’t mourn Dirty Firty too long, that’s for sure.

  6. green_engineer

    green_engineer said, 16 days ago

    Don’t all hit out at Elly! We’ve all been there before; it’s a learning curve. Next time, they’ll know to be more careful.

  7. ninmas

    ninmas said, 16 days ago

    teach michael to gut a fish, then you’ll have a nice “frank patty”

  8. kfaatz925

    kfaatz925 said, 16 days ago

    Agreeing with lightenup and green_engineer. Elly isn’t a perfect mom, but who is? You do the best you can with what presents itself, and she’s a better example than many (if you’ve ever experienced real “irrational screaming” you know this.)

  9. Musmo

    Musmo said, 16 days ago

    Who doesn’t remember being fascinated by dead creatures, wet, fuzzy or slimy, as a child! The kids will probably want to study the effects of time on Franks’ body.

  10. sugie63

    sugie63 said, 16 days ago

    These aren’t comic strips anymore. They’re psychiatric sessions:-P

  11. Macushlalondra

    MacushlalondraGenius_badge said, 16 days ago

    I think you shouldn’t get a kid a pet until they’re old enough to take care of it. Why should Elly be stuck with the care of everything around there?

  12. Lewreader

    LewreaderGenius_badge said, 16 days ago

    Poke it with a stick

  13. Doctor Toon

    Doctor ToonGenius_badge said, 16 days ago

    I had to console my lady friend the other night over a couple of fish that were eaten by the tank bully.

  14. hookedoncomics

    hookedoncomics said, 16 days ago

    Thanks Elly for explaining it so good to Michael. This will open his eyes to a whole new life for animals and the fact that you have to take care of them regularly.

    Elly is most certainly not at fault. Its a fish, and sometimes they just die!

  15. bald 716

    bald 716 said, 16 days ago

    well kids, goldfish need care andproper feeding, remember to only feed them sparingly

  16. Magasek

    Magasek said, 16 days ago

    To those on the Elly-bashing bandwagon please keep in mind this is a comic strip so we’re seeing their lives in a strobe light, just four static images. Comforting probably already happened before she took the fish out of the water, or between the frames. Now she’s got a dead fish to dispose of (before Lizzy eats it) and I’m sure once that more pressing task is dealt with, she’ll return to the comforting. She’s not heartless, but the point of the strip was John’s final comment and not the comforting of an upset child.

  17. GretchensMom

    GretchensMom said, 16 days ago

    I hope they do a better job of taking care of Farley than they did that poor goldfish, Frank, if he died from being overfed and lived in a dirty bowl!

  18. mroberts88

    mroberts88 said, 16 days ago

    Farley was a good dog, and it was sad that he died.

  19. OpenWings

    OpenWings said, 16 days ago

    Dirty Firty - I love it lightenup :o)

    Hey mroberts88 you DID post it! You said you would, but I wasn’t sure if you really would :o)

  20. OpenWings

    OpenWings said, 16 days ago

    Aww mroberts88 I can has explanation? What was wrong with the other avatar? ;o)

    I can’t read what he’s saying….

  21. lindz.coop

    lindz.coopGenius_badge said, 13 days ago

    A. Why is everything always Elly’s fault, and why can’t she do anything right?
    B. Why do we have to keep writing about Farley’s death? – if she goes thru these strips in a chronological order, it is many years down the road.