Re: FOOB 5/1/07: Gah.

In article <1178042004.876489.145670@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Bobcat
says...

On May 1, 1:25 pm, Blinky the Wonder Wombat
<wkharrisjr_i...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On May 1, 12:29 pm, Paige <krauselu...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:





On May 1, 9:10 am, Banty <Banty_mem...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In article <koke335hgopeu1kkth44ro7qfqis94a...@xxxxxxx>, Dianne van Dulken
says...

Coyly clenching a rose 'twixt the teeth, dvan...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave
Van Domelen) sang the following in a piercing false falsetto:
Spoiler space is in order, I suppose:

Surely I wasn't the only one yelling NOOOOOOOOO!!

And I could hear it from here!

So, why don't y'all get together and make your own timed-to-life comic
strip,
make a family of three kids, and have:

1. One become a crack surgeon and join Doctors Without Borders

2. One go on The Apprentice and win (OK, maybe that's just trading moustache
for
skunk-head...)

3. One ever-so carefully, mindfully, and examining-one's-life-fully marry a
first-timer to marriage too (no step children allowed), and
ever-so-examining-one's-life-fully bear one child (with college education in
the
bank already, of course), and then adopt three more from
&currentconflictriddencountry.

Or whatever the hell else kind of script you're expecting.

Cheers :-)

Banty (awaiting the "oh, but the strip has gone downhill and hurting our
hearts, it's all become so predictable" whines..., and hoping to hell Lynn
Johnston isn't reading any of this)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

LOL! I agree, Banty. I really don't understand the animosity for this
strip. If people hate it so much, why read it? Yeah...yeah... "it's a
car wreck"... blah blah blah. That's a cop out. Quit your whining,
people.

I think it's one of the best strips out there...so what if the plot
doesn't "go my way"... so what if certain characters are irritating
(Hello, Mike and Anthony!)...and so what if it's the Brady Bunch on
java chip cappuccino!

Paige, we carp because we care. If this was Funky CancerCancer with a
long track record of improbable plot turns and deus ex machina to
clean up afterwards, I doubt we would bother commenting. But FBOFW was
once a thoughtful, fun strip populated with characters and situations
to which many of us could identiy. Now, it's become an empty shell of
what it once was and it hurts to have to watch it limp to its
conclusion, a sad parody of its former glory.

Personnaly, I think the problem started when Lynn decided years ago
that this would be the last year of the strip and she wanted to wrap
things up with a nice "they lived happily ever after" ending. I'd
rather she just decided to let things take a normal course and just
stop when she was ready. Better to speculate about what might the
character's future rather than witness this all-too-tidy wrap-up

What reveals Lynn's true artistry is right here in this thread - at
present count, 25 posts by people so involved in the Patterson
family's lives that they vent countless words vilifying or lauding the
actions of what are really only two-dimensional characters drawn on
paper. Or concerned that the "quality" of Lynn's creative output is
fading. No other comic strip gets such constant attention at RACS, so
it strikes me that Lynn has struck some resonant chords in her readers
with her make-believe family. No wonder the strip is read in so many
countries in so many languages. Yeah, I know this sounds trite, but
it's true. She's drawing *us*, and IMO doing an outstanding job of it.


Yep.

And folks here project their own wishes and fears on the characters. And wish
for some kind of validation of themselves and their world view. And, dammit,
the strip just ain't doing that for them.

I mean, exactly WHAT is the big freakin' cosmic dissapointment about if Liz ends
up with Anthony??

Maybe there's an underlying value being expressed that solidity (even to the
point of stolidity) is very valuable. Maybe there's some underlying values
about people and families and children being expressed that isn't one bit
bothered by the presence of his little girl in the picture. It sure bothers
people HERE. But y'all aren't writing the strip (thank the nearest &diety!)

Oh, woe to the folks who want (wantED, maybe?) to actualize themselves in great
worldwide adventures, want (wantED, maybe?) excitement in their lives, to really
Be Somebody, really really *cringe* at seeing that symbol of plain ol'
steadfastness and boring dependability. "No no not THAT! Liz settling down for
good, close to extended family with a boring but loving guy who has demonstrated
that he'll go the distance, having a family with a guy who most of all wants a
family - no no it CAN'T BE".

Gah indeed.

Banty

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: FOOB 5/1/07: Gah.
    ... blah blah blah. ... fun strip populated with characters and situations ... I think the problem started when Lynn decided years ago ...
    (rec.arts.comics.strips)
  • Re: FOOB 5/1/07: Gah.
    ... blah blah blah. ... long track record of improbable plot turns and deus ex machina to ... fun strip populated with characters and situations ...
    (rec.arts.comics.strips)
  • Re: [Strips] Heh, this applies so broadly
    ... One other strip I was going to mention was 'Jack', ... about it's titular and supporting characters. ... local anime club and it was more than a little amusing in places. ... why these characters are now a part of Megas. ...
    (rec.arts.anime.misc)
  • Re: FBOFW - July 22
    ... Therese's only interest in the baby that's been shown in the strip ... None of these things have anything to do with the characters of ... Anthony or Liz, who are bearing the brunt of the vitriol here. ...
    (rec.arts.comics.strips)
  • Re: Retail 8/16
    ... where he lists all the characters appearing in that strip. ... Cow ... Billy (Cow & Boy by Mark Leiknes) ...
    (rec.arts.comics.strips)