A Look Inside... For Better or for Worse (10th Anniversary)

Long before all those dramatic, tear-jerking, life-changing sequences like the deaths of the family dog and Grandma, Michael's friend coming right out of the closet, and the arrival of the preciousy, self-centered little April, our proud young mom-cartoonist very bravely and candidly spinned out much simpler but such funny, wacky domestic adventures in the endlessly chaotic household so full of sticky fingers, snotty faces, big messes, dog pawprints, spilled crumbs on the sofa cushions, puddles on the kitchen floor, all that fussing and screaming, anything that just plain drove the poor long-suffering momma straight up the wall! Here, instead of all those sentimental, long-winded speeches about each and every of her fictional character, the author simply includes a brief introduction about herself, her family, and her blooming talents as well as the very beginning of her famous strip featuring a typical Canadian family. Then we are treated to the earliest Sunday funnies in full color as well as each memorable sequences all about sibling rivalry, Connie's feverish struggles to keep two families together, going off to the summer camp, Michael's very first romance, Elizabeth's insecurities, the big trip to the farm, Michael's greatest babysitting caper, and Elly's very first perm! A very pleasant trip that will send you giggling down the memory lane!

As a parent and husband, I can relate to many of the cartoons in this collection. I read most of this book late at night in bed with my wife at my side. At one point, I reached over and nibbled on her ear, and then uttered a "Yuk!" as my tongue made contact with a point where she had applied perfume earlier. Within 5 minutes, I read the cartoons on page 91, where the wife comes to bed after a late-night walk outside. She comments on how bad the mosquitoes were and her husband leans over and kisses her on the cheek. He immediately reacts with "Yecch? P-tooh!" She then says, "Mind you . . . . it's amazing how well those repellents work." When I started laughing, my wife asked me what was so funny.
That strip is indicative of the real-life mimicking adventures of the people in the "For Better or For Worse" comic strip. It is a mirror of the life of married people and how they interact with other adults, their dog and their children. Sometimes profound, generally accurate and always funny, these cartoons will brighten up your life.

It was great to be able to get to know the author of the comics I love so well.