Every Character Has a Part, Part I (Deanna)
A lot of weird jaws in today’s For Better or For Worse strip. This is one of these things that makes me think this cannot possibly be Lynn Johnston drawing the strip; because this is a significant style change, and not a style change where the artist is trying to make things look more cartoony. If you look carefully, you will see that the jawline makes a long arc all the way up to the ear, when the drawings are anything but facing front. The ears are also placed back on the head relative to the neck. The effect is that it makes the characters look as though they are Barbie dolls with a detachable head. Another distracting style is Liz and Deanna’s heads in an exact profile. The eyes are set too far back into the head and the lips are drawn where the upper and lower lip are the same length. Lynn Johnston usually makes the upper lip, much longer than the lower lip. This the "lips of loveliness" effect she often uses with Liz and Deanna. It is not there in today's strip.
As for the content of the strip, it seems to be following the flow of the “Each Character Does Something For the Wedding” which will culminate with some of the final characters making outlandish presentations to the wedding. In today’s episode, Deanna plays the part of seamstress, a role she has not had before. In the monthly letters, she talks about knitting, but we have never seen her knit.
As far as characterization goes, Deanna is actually arguing against Liz and Anthony getting married. This would make sense for Deanna. However, I get the impression Deanna is trying to play the wise, older married woman part; but it comes off as “You and Anthony don’t know what you’re doing.”
As for the content of the strip, it seems to be following the flow of the “Each Character Does Something For the Wedding” which will culminate with some of the final characters making outlandish presentations to the wedding. In today’s episode, Deanna plays the part of seamstress, a role she has not had before. In the monthly letters, she talks about knitting, but we have never seen her knit.
As far as characterization goes, Deanna is actually arguing against Liz and Anthony getting married. This would make sense for Deanna. However, I get the impression Deanna is trying to play the wise, older married woman part; but it comes off as “You and Anthony don’t know what you’re doing.”
posted by howard at 11:04 PM
18 Comments:
I am kind of disgusted that Liz is having the heirloom dress chopped up because it's not sexy enough for her tastes. The destruction of an heirloom should NOT just be done on the whims of one or two people. What if April had a future interest in the dress, since, you know, she is the one who is named after Marian? What about how Grandpa might feel? If she doesn't like the dress as-is, she should just go out and find something that suits her.
I don't think that warning someone about how difficult marriage can be is necessarily an anti-marriage sentiment. Frankly, this is the kind of thing I would be SCREAMING at Liz if I knew her personally. She has taken this all very lightly for someone who is not just getting married, but assuming the role of mother to a small child. To Liz, marriage is something you do to avoid annoying old boyfriends who don't take no for an answer. She hasn't given any thought to the difficulties she might encounter once the deed is done. I have no doubt that Dee wants Liz to get married. These people are all ridiculously pro-marriage. But Pattersons also believe marriage consists of unrelenting drudgery. I think Dee is just trying to tell Liz her attitude is too positive. ;)
Does anyone else think Liz looks like Shannon in the final panel?
qnjones:
I have no doubt that Dee wants Liz to get married. These people are all ridiculously pro-marriage. But Pattersons also believe marriage consists of unrelenting drudgery.
They're pro-marriage, all right. They're also anti-enjoyment. The Pattersons seem to be transfixed by the notion that if something feels good or makes you happy, it must be morally wrong. That's why they plug away at jobs they hate. The more they loathe what they're doing, the more certain they are they're doing something noble and good.
I am kind of disgusted that Liz is having the heirloom dress chopped up because it's not sexy enough for her tastes.
Maybe this is their way of secretly acknowledging that this isn't Marian's dress. "No. Mom doesn't mind [if we hack up this stranger's dress from the crawlspace.]" Okay, just in my imagination they're acknowledging this. ;)
howrad:
As for the content of the strip, it seems to be following the flow of the “Each Character Does Something For the Wedding” which will culminate with some of the final characters making outlandish presentations to the wedding.
Culminating, of course, in an atrocity that will only please those people out there who send gifts to fictional characters and do not realize that criticism of Lynn's work is permissable.
qnjones,
The destruction of an heirloom should NOT just be done on the whims of one or two people.
I have seen heirloom wedding dresses taken up a bit to fit the bride. However, you are right that a wholesale destruction of the style would not be done, unless those sleeves were already pretty tattered from age.
What if April had a future interest in the dress, since, you know, she is the one who is named after Marian? What about how Grandpa might feel?
I think that in this strip, Lynn Johnston has established that the ultimate authority on all things is Elly. You can't buy a car unless Elly approves. You can't sell the house unless Elly approves. You can't marry someone unless Elly approves. April and Grandpa Jim's opinions have been shown several times to count for almost nothing compared to that of Elly.
I think Dee is just trying to tell Liz her attitude is too positive. ;)
I suppose that could be true, but the backyard swimming pool comparison, makes it sound like Deanna is telling Elizabeth that she and Anthony are swimmers who have not been tested in a larger Olympic-size pool or the ocean. It's an odd thing to say for someone like Anthony, who has been married before and had been raising his child for 3 years; unless there was something more to it. It's the kind of thing I would never say to a soon-to-be bride, unless I was really worried about the choice of partners for her.
Mel,
Does anyone else think Liz looks like Shannon in the final panel?
A little, but she lacks Shannon's overly short bangs.
dreadedcandiru2,
The more they loathe what they're doing, the more certain they are they're doing something noble and good.
So, Deanna is saying to Liz, "Marriage. When you are good enough swimmer, you will learn to hate it like I do"?
aprilp_katje,
Maybe this is their way of secretly acknowledging that this isn't Marian's dress.
I would love for that to be the case, but I suspect it is being chopped up because Lynn read all the Coffee Talk comments that pointed out her style of wedding dresses is too 1980s.
howard:
So, Deanna is saying to Liz, "Marriage. When you are good enough swimmer, you will learn to hate it like I do"?
Yes, I believe she is. Looking back on things, I believe she's just appointed herself Liz's own personal Eva Abuya and just delivered a smackdown.
I wish Dee would point out that she's "taking the plunge" with a guy who has a history of peeing in his own pool.
Oooh. Water analogy--this puts my professional skills into overdrive!
Water is usually a metaphor for returning to the womb--the environment of the embryo. Also, did you know that most women who kill their children do so by drowning them?
I think Lynn has subconsciously realized she is killing her characters.
This doesn't make any sense. Liz wants Jim to see her in Marian's dress; but now they are going to substantially alter it? Makes it seem as though Liz was angling for some way to excuse her rush to get married. Probably didn't want to spend any more time thinking about it, just get it over, and don't give the guy any time to start cheating on her (Anthony will wait until after they are married anyway).
I'm a pretty darn good seamstress, but there would be NO WAY I would touch an heirloom dress. The seams would be weak and if the dress is made out of silk or certain blends it would be highly likely the material will shatter (a term for pulling apart easily into almost cut-looking patches).
Lynn should have stayed away from this angle; like so many other things her "research" is thin just to come up with some "fairy-tale" take on the wedding.
dreadedcandiru2
Looking back on things, I believe she's just appointed herself Liz's own personal Eva Abuya and just delivered a smackdown.
Now you mention it, that is an Eva Abuya kind of statement. Just change “marriage” to “warzone”.
I wish Dee would point out that she's "taking the plunge" with a guy who has a history of peeing in his own pool.
Well, Deanna has been one of those pushing Liz toward Anthony from the very beginning.
debjyn
Also, did you know that most women who kill their children do so by drowning them? I think Lynn has subconsciously realized she is killing her characters.
Well, debjyn, I have to admit that is an original way of looking at Lynn’s creative direction these last few years.
I'm a pretty darn good seamstress, but there would be NO WAY I would touch an heirloom dress. Lynn should have stayed away from this angle; like so many other things her "research" is thin just to come up with some "fairy-tale" take on the wedding.
I agree. It’s been a perpetual problem. She didn’t bother to research 1940s dresses, or how she had previously drawn Marian’s dress or heirloom dresses in general. I am sure her thinking was, “How do I give Elizabeth just as special a dress as Deanna’s, and still maintain the ethic that it is wrong to spend a lot of money on a wedding?” She couldn’t get off her writing chesterfield to look it up, anymore than she could walk to the washroom and see what a toilet looks like, to draw it.
Maybe Lynn is trying to change her art style so that she'll be able to draw the "new old" strips in the older style after September?
Just s theory.
muzition,
I don't know what to make of Lynn's art style any more. It doesn't look like her old art style and it doesn't look like her new art style.
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