¼ new-run - ¾ reprint
The fascinating part of looking at strip like today’s ¼ new-run / ¾ reprint strip in For Better or For Worse is to see if the author drawing the one panel of new-run can duplicate her 30-year-old style shown in the last 3 panels. The answer is “no.” However, I think Lynn Johnston made a valiant attempt.
On the plus side, Michael, Lizzie, and John appear to be wearing the same clothes and they are about the same height. My only complaint is that the distinct 2-line combinations in Mike’s shirt appear to be indistinct lines in the new-run version. Also on the plus side is the inclusion of a background, not present in the reprint panels.
On the down side, Lizzie experiences a sudden round of hair loss between the new-run and reprint strips, in which Lynn has forgotten just how long it takes a toddler to grow a head of hair. The other plus is that Lynn kept the last 3 panels, which have a pretty good joke to them and there is no pun. I especially love the panel where Lizzie is chewing on John’s shoe lace. That’s the kind of minor detail you almost never see Lynn Johnston doing anymore.
On the plus side, Michael, Lizzie, and John appear to be wearing the same clothes and they are about the same height. My only complaint is that the distinct 2-line combinations in Mike’s shirt appear to be indistinct lines in the new-run version. Also on the plus side is the inclusion of a background, not present in the reprint panels.
On the down side, Lizzie experiences a sudden round of hair loss between the new-run and reprint strips, in which Lynn has forgotten just how long it takes a toddler to grow a head of hair. The other plus is that Lynn kept the last 3 panels, which have a pretty good joke to them and there is no pun. I especially love the panel where Lizzie is chewing on John’s shoe lace. That’s the kind of minor detail you almost never see Lynn Johnston doing anymore.
posted by howard at 10:47 PM
4 Comments:
John was foolish to think that a child as tiny as Lizzie could amuse herself while he buried himself in the paper or that Mike wouldn't want to do something with his Dad now that he was actually there. Then again, that was the point of the original arc. We started with John acting as if taking care of his children was a hardship and ended with him not having learned a damned thing. I don't know quite how but, as I said, Lynn is bent on making him worse the second time around.
Frankenstrip! LJ excises the original goodbye scene to make yesterday's tearful departure and then grafts in a new panel so she can still use the strip that had the goodbye scene. ::boggle::
John ought to look into that sudden hair loss Lizzie is experiencing. That's almost as abnormal as going back and forth between "baby" and "toddler."
BTW, I've made use of the April-looking hygienist at today's FOOBAR
DreadedCandiru2,
We started with John acting as if taking care of his children was a hardship and ended with him not having learned a damned thing.
That’s the nice thing about comic strip characters. You come back day after day, week after week, year after year and the characters never change.
I don't know quite how but, as I said, Lynn is bent on making him worse the second time around.
There is the only element of suspense for the new-runs: How will Lynn alter the old story to make John look worse?
aprilp_katje
Frankenstrip!
Lynn takes parts from dead strips and tries to bring them to life. Good analogy.
John ought to look into that sudden hair loss Lizzie is experiencing. That's almost as abnormal as going back and forth between "baby" and "toddler."
Either she was more aware of how hair grew on young kids when she had kids in the house, or she was better about imitating young Sally Brown from Charles Shulz.
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