For better or for worse

For Better or For Worse is a comic strip by Lynn Johnston which began in 1979. There are numerous information on this strip in the websites listed below.

These websites are wikipedia.org and answers.com.

Set in the fictitious Toronto-area suburban town of Millborough, Ontario, the strip tells the story of the lives of a Canadian family and their friends. The father, John Patterson, is a dentist who model railroading as a hobby; he appears less often than the mother, Elly, a housewife turned book store-owner.

John and Elly Patterson have three children named Michael, Elizabeth, and April. Michael is married to Deanna, Elizabeth teaches on a native reserve, and April is in high school. The strip also features Elly's father, Jim Richards, and his second wife, Iris. It is said that the comic's characters were based upon Johnston's real family. When her children were younger, she asked their permission before depicting events from their lives; and she only once used a "serious" story from their lives.

For Better or For Worse past storylines included topics about mid-life crisis, divorces, coming out, and death of Elly�s mother.

For Better or For Worse current storylines include topics on dishonest employees, vain friendships, fighting parents and jealousy.

For Better or For Worse future storylines may deal with poverty related topics.

Characters in the For Better or For Worse comic strip age in real time. So it would not be uncommon to see a main character die because of old age, like when their dog Farley died when he saved April from drowning in a stream. The dog�s old age could not bear the coldness of the stream and latter passed away.

Popularity Factor

For Better or For Worse is a comic strip that is very realistic. Johnston presents real life topics that many of the readers can most likely relate to, but at the same time Johnston tries to make it entertaining.

Primary Characters

John Patterson: is a dentist whose hobby is model railroading. John appears less often than his wife Elly.

Elly Patterson: is a housewife turned toy store-owner. She tends to take life quite seriously, sometimes to the point of looking grumpy.

Michael Patterson: one of Elly and John Patterson's three children. He works as a senior editor at Profile magazine. He is married to Deanna.

Deanna Patterson: Michael Patterson�s wife, who is a pharmacist. The couple has had two children: a daughter named Meredith and a baby boy named Robin Michael.

Elizabeth Patterson: John and Elly's adult daughter, who teaches on a native reserve in Mtigwaki, Ontario.

April Marian Patterson: the teenage daughter of John and Elly Patterson.

Jim Richards: Elly�s father, who is a war veteran and is known to the Pattersons and readers as "Grandpa Jim".

Iris: is Jim Richard's second wife, after the death of Elly's mother in the 1990s.

If you want to learn more bout this comic strip, click the link below.