Monday, November 13, 2006

Lynn Johnston's Retirement


Patti Eddington writes in The Grand Rapids Press that FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE creator Lynn Johnston will, as previously announced, retire in the fall of 2007. She's been drawing one of the world's most popular comic strips, appearing in over 2,000 papers, for 28 years.

"Fans will be delighted to know that the strip will not end. Rather, it will continue as a still-being discussed hybrid of some earlier, little seen work along with some new material."

I met Ms. Johnston only once, and she was so gracious and genuine. It was my first National Cartoonists Society Reubens convention, and she came right up to me and introduced herself. She asked me a lot of questions and asked how I was enjoying the evening. I think she chatted with me for maybe 5 minutes, asking me more questions about my then-early cartooning career. It made my weekend. Heck, it was one of the reasons I decided I liked the NCS. She really is like a favorite aunt in the cartoon world. She introduced me to her daughter and husband. Such nice people.

I'm sorry that she will be leaving the strip, and (like she undoubtedly is) I'm worried it will change. But she really deserves time off "to jump out of an airplane again and bungee jump and see the Eiffel Tower ...."

Hat tip to Journalista!

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