Comics I Don’t Understand » For Better or For Worse

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”Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate”

Cidu Bill on Aug 22nd 2010

Elyrest: I think this is as close to an Arlo as I’ve ever seen FBOFW come.

Filed in Arlo Award, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 19 responses so far

Sal Biondo: ”What are you staring at?” “Your camel toe.”

Cidu Bill on Jun 30th 2010

FrogChemist seconds the answer.

Filed in Bill Bickel, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, camel toe, comic strips, comics, humor | 24 responses so far

Worst Endings Ever, and Sunday’s Lost Finale

Cidu Bill on May 21st 2010

Sunday night, Lost ends.

I’m hoping for a good send-off — the writing has certainly improved over the past couple of seasons — but realistically I don’t think there’s any way they can tie everything together in a way that makes any sense: they spent too much time throwing in everything including the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, and the toilet down the hall. Maybe they’ll just streamline the ton of series mythology, ignoring 95% of it. Maybe they’ll try to fit all the pieces together and end up with an X Files type mess.

Or a Battlestar Galactica style “Yeah, we really have no idea either.”

Or maybe the writers actually had a plan all along (though isn’t that what they said about the Cylons, until they didn’t?), and we’re in for a glorious, stunning finale.

I’m not holding my breath, though.

A couple of years ago, we discussed worst-ever television endings. There were 68 comments and to spare anybody from repeating themselves now, I’m tacking this onto the old discussion rather than starting a new one.

August 30, 2008:

So Grandpa Jim will remain on death’s door for eternity. How uplifting.

This monstrosity made me think about the worst television endings ever. I doubt there are many Star Trek fans who wouldn’t name Enterprise’s finale as one of the worst ever. Quantum Leap was another stinker.

Of course, a great many television series simply go off the air and don’t have finales at all — and some go on for too many seasons and stink so bad by the end that any finale is a mercy killing (I’m sure some of you are thinking FBOFW falls into this category, so I’ll save you the trouble of pointing that out) — but the question before us here is: Worst television finale ever (or to put it in a more trendy way, worst. television. finale. ever.)

Filed in Battlestar Galactica, Bill Bickel, Doug Bratton, Enterprise, For Better or For Worse, Lost, Lynn Johnston, Pop Culture Shock Therapy, Quantum Leap, Star Trek, X Files, comic strips, comics, humor, television | 117 responses so far

Dirty Synchronicity

Cidu Bill on May 1st 2010

Igelino: My son ate dirt, but learned very quickly he had to be a stealth-eater. We olny caught him in the act now and then. But while changing diapers, it was obvious he scooped handfuls into his mouth when we would turn our heads away at the playground.

Filed in Bill Bickel, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor, synchronicity | 7 responses so far

Not That I Want to Tell Dean Booth His Business, But…

Cidu Bill on Oct 14th 2009

I think this just cries out for a fourth panel where Lizzie clobbers John with a frying pan.

Filed in Bill Bickel, Dean Booth, Dean's Comic Booth, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 10 responses so far

6 Girls! 6!

Cidu Bill on Oct 3rd 2009

I just a little confused here: The second through fourth panels fit together as a coherent discussion. The first panel, though, seems out of place, implying that Connie was born before the invention of birth control and contradicting “Your mom must have wanted a large family.”

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 24 responses so far

The Mother of All Synchronicities

Cidu Bill on Aug 5th 2009

Filed in Baby Blues, Bill Bickel, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor, synchronicity | 4 responses so far

Is There, You Know, an Actual JOKE Here?

Cidu Bill on Jul 15th 2009

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 14 responses so far

The Wrong End

Cidu Bill on Jul 2nd 2009

Okay, I understand that the FBoFW characters aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer, but shouldn’t Lawrence realize that that part of most animals — himself included — will likely smell bad?

Filed in Bill Bickel, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 21 responses so far

Nivabeff

Cidu Bill on May 5th 2009

Judge Mental: I was originally willing to write this one off as an attempt at “cute” as opposed to “funny”, but based on Elly’s facial expression, she appears surprised at Elizabeth’s answer. Who/what was supposed to be Elizabeth’s reply?

I think there’s absolutely no more here than meets the eye — Johnston was going for “cute” — and Elly’s facial expression simply reflects her sense of awe at seeing her own reflection in the mirror -Bill

Filed in CIDU, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 36 responses so far

Fb of Grace

Cidu Bill on Dec 25th 2008

Can’t say I ever wondered; but I do wonder what April’s getting at here.

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, Christmas, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 7 responses so far

For Better or For Rain

Cidu Bill on Oct 24th 2008

Kaitlyn: Is it funny because he’s got a raincoat, boots, and an umbrella on so he can’t get wet? But he can - umbrellas do jack against the rain, especially if they flip inside out. And the hood isn’t foolproof, again the wind.

I also don’t understand where they are and why she would leave him - he’s not more than six, right?

This is also kinda weird, because it’s raining today here and elsewhere, I’m sure. I know it rains somewhere every day, I just thought it was odd that I spent today running around in the rain and then I get home and don’t understand a comic about rain.

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 20 responses so far

Elvis Calls CIDU His Favorite Website

Cidu Bill on Oct 12th 2008

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor, tabloids | 17 responses so far

Okay

Cidu Bill on Aug 28th 2008

Did I miss a panel here? I didn’t see anybody particularly saying Grandpa Jim was going to be okay, yet I really don’t get the sense that Elly was lying. And geez, the entire strip essentially ends in a couple of days. Would it have cost Lynn Johnston, you know, money or anything to let the guy regain some semblance of health before then? I mean what is this, Funky Winkerbean?

Filed in Bill Bickel, For Better or For Worse, Funky Winkerbean, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 20 responses so far

For Not So Bad

Cidu Bill on Aug 23rd 2008

I’ve never hesitated to complain about this strip’s forced and often-inappropriate quips, but I have to come to its defense on this one: Given the multiple stresses of the day, and the assurance that Grandpa Jim will recover, this is both a realistic and reasonable joke for Ellie to make.

I myself have made similar comments in similar circumstances.

Filed in Bill Bickel, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 15 responses so far

My Own Comics List

Cidu Bill on Aug 14th 2008

since i was asked…

Comics I Like So Much, I Would Actually Buy a Newspaper If I Had To

Arlo and Janis (along with Arlo and Janis Redux on Jimmy Johnson’s blog)
Frazz
Heart of the City
Kevin and Kell
Joyce and Walky (requires a $2/month payment; you receive a special URL once you pay)
*Least I Could Do
Out There
Punch an’ Pie (I’d still love to know what the strip’s name means)
Questionable Content
Shortpacked
Something Positive
Zits

Comics I Read Every Day and If I’m Out of Town For a Few Days I’ll Make Sure I Hit the Archives to Make Sure I Haven’t Missed Any Continue Reading »

Filed in 9 Chickweed Lane, Argyle Sweater, Arlo Page, Arlo and Janis, Baldo, Between Friends, Bill Amend, Bill Bickel, Bizarro, Brevity, Brooke McEldowney, Clear Blue Water, Cleats, Crankshaft, Curtis, Dave Whamond, David Willis, Days of Thunder, Dilbert, Doonesbury, Edge City, F-Minus, For Better or For Worse, Fox Trot, Frazz, Funky Winkerbean, G.B. Trudeau, GPF, Garfield, General Protection Fault, Grimm, Guy & Rodd, Hagar the Horrible, Heart of the City, Hilary B. Price, In the Bleachers, Jef Mallet, Jerry Scott, Jim Davis, Jim Meddick, Jimmy Johnson, Jump Start, Kevin and Kell, Least I Could Do, Leigh Rubin, Lio, Luann, Lynn Johnston, Mark Tatulli, Meaning of Lila, Medium Large, Mike Peters, Monty, Mother Goose, Non Sequitur, PVP Online, Pardon My Planet, Punch an' Pie, Questionable Content, Retail, Rhymes With Orange, Rose is Rose, Rubes, Safe Havens, Sally Forth, Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, Scott Adams, Scott Hilburn, Shortpacked, Six Chix, Soap on a Rope, Something Positive, Speed Bump, Stange Brew, Stone Soup, Strange Brew, Stuck Funky, Tom Batiuk, Zits, comic strips, comics, comics that made us laugh out loud, humor, lists | 15 responses so far

Prag?

Cidu Bill on Aug 12th 2008

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor, prag | 13 responses so far

Walls

Cidu Bill on Aug 3rd 2008

They’d say “Huh???”

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 19 responses so far

Happy Birthday

Cidu Bill on Jul 8th 2008

Filed in Bill Bickel, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, birthdays, comic strips, comics, humor | 20 responses so far

Chew

Cidu Bill on Jun 26th 2008

Julie: Chewed gum really grosses me out, so this FBoFW is definitely an Ewww for me.

Filed in Bill Bickel, Ewww, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 3 responses so far

Crash

Cidu Bill on Jun 23rd 2008

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 17 responses so far

Woodstock

Cidu Bill on Jun 14th 2008

How old is Anthony, exactly???

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, humor | 17 responses so far

Glove and Marriage

Cidu Bill on Jun 11th 2008

I like a gratuitous over-reaction as much as the next guy, but John’s comment is very likely the most sensible thing anybody’s said in the 30-odd years that this strip has been running: It’s a given that if the bride has any sort of relationship with her mother, the two of them will organize the wedding. The groom’s input is barely welcome, let alone the bride’s father’s.

Filed in Bill Bickel, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, comic strips, comics, weddings | 28 responses so far

Cell Out

Cidu Bill on May 27th 2008

Because, of course, complaining that cell phone use is responsible for a decline in the English language is entirely inconsistent with using cell phones for an entirely different and very practical purpose. Why do these women even own cell phones, then?

Filed in Bill Bickel, For Better or For Worse, Lynn Johnston, cell phones, comic strips, comics, humor | 20 responses so far