For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 07, 2024

That depends on your perspective…

There’s long, and then there’s lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ong.

That’s MY birthday, Liz!

A young Duncan Anderson featuring a different haircut than he will eventually get is there. Becky McGuire is there. I don’t know any of the other characters.

“I see London, I see France! I see April’s…”

I don’t know why, but kids used to be a lot more civilized!

From Lynn’s Comments: My rule for a birthday party was to allow my kids to invite the number of friends his / her age was. If Aaron was 5, he could invite 5 friends. This worked well until they were teenagers and the numbers soared. Teenagers were easier to clean up after. I’d always get them to help.

Why does Lynn Johnston consider it necessary to draw a full-on view of April’s underwear like that? We could’ve seen her stomp on the balloon without being given a complete look up her dress. Honestly.

Panel 2: Is that Farley or Edgar who just got the %$#* scared out of him?

I remember planning a birthday party for our younger daughter’s 10th birthday. We got to use the hall in our church. I made a playlist (she wanted an all-‘60s playlist), got an Elvis cake (made by a friend), planned games, and blew up tons of balloons. When the kids all arrived they attacked the balloons. They had so much fun that I didn’t even bother with the planned games.

Whoa! Starting off the day with a buttstomp, eh?

The last happy memories they had of April before she fell in the river.

Well what a relief. Yesterday April was in danger by wandering down to the river bank that was overflowing from the heavy rains, and today the parents seem to have rescued her off camera and now April is happy celebrating a birthday party at home!

what happened down by the River???

Aww, sweet,

They didn’t for get April’s bday.

My kid had two parties – one at daycare and then dinner and cake with us and the grandparents. That’s honestly the way to go at her age.

I could have sworn April’s birthday was April 1. I know Sunday comic but it could have showed last Sunday instead. Oh well. . .

Good thing they got April away from the river bank.

Where can I get a calendar that tells you the length of each day?

Aw, Aypo’s last birthday before she dwounded.

I thought it was June 6, 1944.

Threw a 7 yr old birthday party with 8 kids with the help of 3 other adults.

A must.

Not to Elly!

What a coincidence— today is my birfday, too! Happy Birfday, Aypo!

Elly looks just like Michael when Rhetta mentioned the word “marriage” to him. Imagine Michael and Elly sitting together with those bug-eyed faces. They would look like four ping pong balls!

reminds me very much of last sunday!

That child desperately needs speech therapy

One more day until the men’s championship game and the 8th.

Imagine having to read this comic strip in a 5" by 5" square. That’s how small they print it in the local paper’s Sunday comics!

I don’t understand frame 5, is it just supposed to represent chaos?

There are several different ones for everyone. . . . .

To our dear, wonderful Lynn: As so many others are, I’m grateful you made the decision to give your amazing strip a second life. I was in high school when it first launched in 1979 and it’s a gift to re-experience it from an adult – and now emerging senior – perspective. I wonder if you’ve considered a book about a Patterson Family reunion? John and El in their sunset years, how the grandkids turned out. Look ins on Gord and Tracey, Lawrence… it would be lovely!Anywho, thank you! ❤️

Too many kids. A good rule of thumb is the same number of guests as the age of the birthday child.

Normally I complain about the disconnect between the Sunday strips and the rest of the week, but in today’s fourth panel we get to see the old boy happily lounging around the house one last time. I enjoyed that.