For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 08, 2024

Uh oh

As someone who’s fallen under the water in a pool multiple times,this is scarier in color than the original B&W.

Darwin Award coming up!

And here it comes… :(

And now it’s finally begun. No more omnious foreshadowing… April is in danger. And this chance to watch it daily will be both gutting.. but also allowed me to notice how good the art is on panels 2 and 3. The sheer terror in poor apirl’s face, the layers on the underwater shot, it’s all REALLY good and the coloring for this reprint is only making it better.

SPOILER ALERT: At least April did become a veternarian. Maybe as atonement for her heedless childhood?

The dog’s facial expressions are priceless.

Jacob Mattingly could at least have used the SPOILER ALERT on his comment.

I think I’ll take a break from this comic strip for a week or two.

I remember this, and wish I didn’t…

Splish, splash, I was takin’ a bath

I don’t know if I can bring myself to read this.

You can tell Farley is Edgar’s father, they look so much alike.

Which dog will hit the waters ?

From Lynn’s Comments: This illustration was hard to draw. I was very emotional when I did it. I could see the outcome immediately, but readers had to wait for 24 hours to find out what happened next.

This all stems from John and Eloy’s bad parenting

A river swollen with rain like this is not clear. It is muddy brown.

oh great, now you’ve lost the boat aypo – what else could possibly go wrong!

I vividly remember the third panel and the terror on April’s face from when it originally ran, air bubbles and all. A dramatic tale, well-written and well-illustrated. What a treasure Lynn Johnston gave us with her creative gifts.

Is that a river or a swimming pool?

Boo! I read the script to feel good. Not to worry for 24 hours

How can there be a spoiler when I’ve read this for years and don’t remember this happening before!

This hits so much harder now, as a parent myself, than when I read this in the original run. And beautifully highlights FBFW’s minimalist, but striking storytelling style!

Isn’t this deja vu all over again?

oh no, April! :{

And that is how fast things can go sideways – and honestly, I bet if it was Liz or Mike, they’d still be in trouble even for knowing how to swim. Rushing water isn’t to be trifled with, no matter the age.

Strip is 30 years old.

And the art is mediocre.

Too bad it wasn’t Michael.

Aypo sleep with fishes.

Kids can get out so easy. They watch to learn from everything you do – even what you don’t want them to learn. When I lived in Utah, I looked out my window one snowy winter day and my neighbor’s toddler was in my front yard in diaper only. Just tromping in the snow. Only takes a minute – to look away, to make coffee, to take a call, step into the restroom. Impossible to watch every second. My neighbor’s son was lucky – they had not even missed him when I took him home.

Sing along, “Running Bear loved Little White Dove…”

Oh wow, didn’t see that one coming. Here I was expecting her to have a little fun floating her boat, then go home before anyone noticed she was missing.

And the disaster begins. The price of Kleenex always goes up when this part of the series is rerun.

I thought comics were suppose to make you smile …

Where’s Lassie when you need her?

As I understand it, Lynn has updated some of these old strips. Not in essential substance, but some references and maybe artwork (not sure about that one). Has this arc been updated in any way? I didn’t start reading regularly until sometime after this.

Unless I’m mistaken, which is quite possible, the original time this was written the entire family was camping when April fell in. Regardless, it’s beautifully written (and drawn).

If you can’t wait, go back to April of 1995.

Headline: Hero dog rescues 4-year old girl from drowning, gets medal from mayor. Parents jailed for felony child neglect. [We can hope].

I wonder how far Lynn will go with this. It will put a lot of guilt out there. I just hope it ends well!

I still remember the first time I read this arc. I was 35. It still makes me cry.

Oops

Will the dogs save her?

Poor little April. Just wants to sail her boat, but she’s young and doesn’t realize how deep the water is and just how much danger she is in. Still just as scary as it was the first time. Little ones can get into trouble just so darn quick!

Dogs to the rescue ! Can’t wait to see how they do it…

ABOUT THE SPOILERS!! If, like me, your reading this arc for the first time, you can go back to April 10,1995 and read the whole arc at one time and ease the affect of the spoilers.

bad parenting 101.. leaving your kids unattended.

The hardest comic story arc I have ever read begins. And yet, joyous, with what is yet to come…

Today is Eclipse Day.

Long ago, I read that Lynn’s cartoonist collegue, Charles Schulz (Peanuts) was angry at her because of what happens in this arc.

Excellent story. Well-told and honest.

Autobiographical or educational?

But the twist here is that it’s Farley that survives.

I hate this.

Every time.

The dogs will ruin the plot and drag her out