Wednesday, November 5, 2008

You Think You're Tired? I'll Show You Tired

Sorry for the extreme lateness, everyone. It has been a very busy day. I am still not finished tomorrow's lecture and not sure when I am going to finish, as I can barely stay awake at all. My comment here may therefore be rather short and incoherent.*

I have given up trying to figure out which For Better or For Worse comics are new and which are old.** All that seems to matter is that Lynn Johnston will use every single strip to mock her ex-husband. Yes, I am being a bad English student and reading intent into the comic; no, I don't freaking care. Almost every strip constitutes a poke at John/Rod. It's beginning to get downright embarrassing.

Witness today's comic. Elly actually breaks the fourth wall in the interest of sniping at John...and FBOFW is not a breaking-the-fourth-wall sort of comic. We see perpetually grumpy Elly glowering out at us as if to say: "The men! The terrible, terrible men! They understand not the value of human life! They love puppies more than they love children! How could you leave me, Rod? The terrible men!"

Seeing as the great majority of cartoonists are forever lamenting about the terrible, terrible women, the change is almost refreshing, albeit in a brain-destroying way. Is Johnston painting the lion? In medieval terms, is she simply turning the tables, giving the wise young wife a voice for once?

Or is she going to pursue this vendetta to the grave and beyond? I'm guessing the latter, for some bizarre reason.




*Blueberry.
**Lynn Johnston has started her strip again from the beginning. Some of the comics are reruns; some are freshly made; none are less than maddening.

4 comments:

wheelhead said...

Angry Kem--See the following URL for some old/new information on the Johnston split. Check the last paragraph for some revealing information.

http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/better-or-worse-cartoonist-divorce

--wheelhead

Michael said...

The last sentence in the story wheelhead linked to reads: "She fears she would begin to come across like a 60 year old who didn't know what she was talking about." Ms. Johnston's fears can be laid to rest. She does come across as a 60 year old who doesn't know what she's talking about.

Hannah Kilpatrick said...

Well, anything's got to be better than the last year of thet actual story where EVERY. SINGLE. STRIP. was about living happily every after and everyone being suddenly wise and loving, even school bullies, and everything ending up just perfectly.

Right?

Angry Kem said...

Wheelhead and Michael: Yes...she's in no danger of writing strips that appear particularly relevant in any way.

Ceirseach: Wrong. Alas.

I'm behind again. There will be a new Jape eventually. I know exactly which strip I'll choose, too.