New-run vs. Old-runs
Lynn Johnston originally said that September would be all new and then from thereafter, there would about 50% new-runs for the first year. So far she has kept that promise:
September - 30 days new-runs
October - 19 of 31 days new-runs
November – 16 of 30 days new-runs
December – 11 of 31 days new-runs
Even though the number from October to December average at about 50% as Lynn promised, I notice a definite downward trend in the number of new-runs. 3 less in November and 5 less in December. If Lynn continues on this trend, then we could expect about 7 new-runs in January, 3 new-runs in February and no new-runs in March. On the other hand, the reason for the decrease in new-runs could be directly related to Lynn’s desire to take a long holiday in December and November. January will become a crucial month for establishing if December’s numbers were a fluke due to the holidays, or part of the trend.
Crucial things I notice in December:
1. Anne Nichols is set on having that one child and not mentioning his name and the child is about Lizzie’s age. Anne and child finally matches hers and her child’s appearance in the reprint strips. This shows that Lynn may be closer to ready to go to straight reprints, since Anne and her child are finally straightened out.
2. Lynn has stopped introducing new Farley storylines and is resorting to showing Farley much more often in the background. This shows that the big push for Farley may be over.
As for today’s reprint in For Better or For Worse, it plays to one of Lynn Johnston’s all time favourite bits of humour (aside from jokes about body functions), the comparison between the child and adult perspective. In this case, the children take the standard position of “Christmas is too short” to constract with the adult standard position of “Christmas is too long.” There is nothing new about this comparison even back in 1980. However, what makes the strip for me is the wine glass and the beer bottle lying on its side on the floor in the final panel. You don’t see that kind of thing on the floor when the Family Circus does this exact same joke.
September - 30 days new-runs
October - 19 of 31 days new-runs
November – 16 of 30 days new-runs
December – 11 of 31 days new-runs
Even though the number from October to December average at about 50% as Lynn promised, I notice a definite downward trend in the number of new-runs. 3 less in November and 5 less in December. If Lynn continues on this trend, then we could expect about 7 new-runs in January, 3 new-runs in February and no new-runs in March. On the other hand, the reason for the decrease in new-runs could be directly related to Lynn’s desire to take a long holiday in December and November. January will become a crucial month for establishing if December’s numbers were a fluke due to the holidays, or part of the trend.
Crucial things I notice in December:
1. Anne Nichols is set on having that one child and not mentioning his name and the child is about Lizzie’s age. Anne and child finally matches hers and her child’s appearance in the reprint strips. This shows that Lynn may be closer to ready to go to straight reprints, since Anne and her child are finally straightened out.
2. Lynn has stopped introducing new Farley storylines and is resorting to showing Farley much more often in the background. This shows that the big push for Farley may be over.
As for today’s reprint in For Better or For Worse, it plays to one of Lynn Johnston’s all time favourite bits of humour (aside from jokes about body functions), the comparison between the child and adult perspective. In this case, the children take the standard position of “Christmas is too short” to constract with the adult standard position of “Christmas is too long.” There is nothing new about this comparison even back in 1980. However, what makes the strip for me is the wine glass and the beer bottle lying on its side on the floor in the final panel. You don’t see that kind of thing on the floor when the Family Circus does this exact same joke.
posted by howard at 10:11 PM
11 Comments:
howard,
In this case, the children take the standard position of “Christmas is too short” to [contrast] with the adult standard position of “Christmas is too long.” There is nothing new about this comparison even back in 1980. However, what makes the strip for me is the wine glass and the beer bottle lying on its side on the floor in the final panel. You don’t see that kind of thing on the floor when the Family Circus does this exact same joke.
NO, you do not. Not only do the Keanes impress me as being a dry family, Thel surely wouldn't leave a mess behind that long. She'd pick up after herself as she went and encourage her family to go and do likewise.
howtheduck, I've continued my ongoing quest to amuse you with visual details over at today's FOOBAR. If you thought the beer/wine detritus were bad, wait until you see this. :)
I personally am thrilled about less new runs. She has not used them to flesh out the story line--just to repeat stuff and make jokes. I like the strip better when it's mainly old-runs. Moves along at a snappier pace. I'm kind of sorry that we aren't actually going to get any real backstory on some of the characters, like Lynn promised. It would be really interesting to me to hear more of Connie's actual thoughts, or learn more about Phil and Dr. Ted.
Anyway, as for today's strip: I find it really depressing. Literally. Elly's attitude is that of a depressed person. Sitting in a stupor, in squalor, resenting Christmas as being "too much work." That was my mother's attitude about the holidays when I was a kid. She had severe postpartum depression that went on for years. So I don't think this is funny at all. It makes me wonder what Lynn's mindset was, those first years of her marriage to Rod, before she hit it big.
qnjones,
Anyway, as for today's strip: I find it really depressing. Literally. Elly's attitude is that of a depressed person. Sitting in a stupor, in squalor, resenting Christmas as being "too much work." That was my mother's attitude about the holidays when I was a kid. She had severe postpartum depression that went on for years. So I don't think this is funny at all.
There are a lot of strips from this era that show Elly in a similar desperate strait so our agony will endure for years. I can't wait until the Middle Years when Lynn/Elly's outlook on life improves.
I personally am thrilled about less new runs. She has not used them to flesh out the story line--just to repeat stuff and make jokes.
::nod, nod::
During the failed "hybrid" experiment, I used to groan when I saw a reprint. Now it's the opposite. The new-runs feel like intrusions.
I'm kind of sorry that we aren't actually going to get any real backstory on some of the characters, like Lynn promised.
That's just it--if she did what she'd actually claimed she was going to do, we could have something interesting. Instead, we have filler at best, and an undermining of the characters' traits at worst.
Elly's attitude is that of a depressed person.
It's remarkable how joyless many of these early strips are. Where's the "for better"?
To be fair, I think in the late 1970s, the general cultural attitude was a lot darker. My first exposure to FOOB was that Mom and her friends read it, and someone gave Mom some of the book collections as a gift. They thought it was really funny and true to life. I think because it better reflected what was considered normal, acceptable life back then.
Back then, misery seemed more likely to be accepted and jokes were made out of it. Now we have Prozac, rehab, and interventions, because what we're supposed to do is try to effect positive change. Back then, it was more "mind your own business" and muddle through.
howard,
The main concern I have with the steady decline in the number of new-runs is how little they add to the story. From what I've seen so far, they just get in the way. In time, I think even Lynn herself will realize this.
DreadedCandiru2,
Not only do the Keanes impress me as being a dry family, Thel surely wouldn't leave a mess behind that long. She'd pick up after herself as she went and encourage her family to go and do likewise.
Here lies one of the hugely, endearing differences between Elly Patterson and most every other comic strip mom, i.e. Elly is incompetent. Compared to Thelma Keane, or Alice Mitchell, or Lois Flagston, etc.; many women could relate to Elly better because she was a slob. Every woman out there who didn’t keep a clean house had a comrade in Elly Patterson. Or, I should say, Elly Patterson of 1980. The 2008 Elly, who was an obsessive clean freak that shaved her bedsheets was an alien, with whom no one could relate.
qnjones,
I personally am thrilled about less new runs. She has not used them to flesh out the story line--just to repeat stuff and make jokes. I like the strip better when it's mainly old-runs.
I can’t help thinking that this must be Lynn’s goal. If she gets to the point where people hate the new-runs, then she will have actually built an audience for her more competent older material, by using less competent new material. It would be like the old touring pop bands who play their new material that stinks, knowing they will close the concert with their old material everyone loves.
I'm kind of sorry that we aren't actually going to get any real backstory on some of the characters, like Lynn promised. It would be really interesting to me to hear more of Connie's actual thoughts, or learn more about Phil and Dr. Ted.
I agree. It’s been too bad to learn that Connie’s new thoughts are duplicates of Connie’s old thoughts, except not written as well as her old thoughts.
It makes me wonder what Lynn's mindset was, those first years of her marriage to Rod, before she hit it big.
There is no doubt in my mind that Lynn Johnston was miserable in Lynn Lake, Manitoba in the first few years of her marriage to Rod.
To be fair, I think in the late 1970s, the general cultural attitude was a lot darker.
M*A*S*H was a considered to be a comedy, for example, but many of its themes were very dark.
Back then, misery seemed more likely to be accepted and jokes were made out of it.
That’s true. The style of humour today is much more insult humour.
aprilp_katje,
During the failed "hybrid" experiment, I used to groan when I saw a reprint. Now it's the opposite. The new-runs feel like intrusions.
The problem is story interruption. The scattershot hybrids were pulled out based on a theme, with no story in mind and interrupted the modern storyline. Now the reprints are telling a story and the new-runs interrupt it. The thing is that the new-runs don’t have to interrupt it; but Lynn has chosen to use them so poorly, that they do.
That's just it--if she did what she'd actually claimed she was going to do, we could have something interesting. Instead, we have filler at best, and an undermining of the characters' traits at worst.
And let us not forget our source of snark.
And let us not forget our source of snark.
Heh--good point. :)
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