"For Better Or For Worse" Cartoon Gets Stay Of Execution

Everyone believed that the long-running cartoon "For Better Or For Worse" was coming to an end when it turned 28 this September. But now its creator Lynn Johnston has decided to keep it going -- sort of. She'll freeze the ages of the characters, rely a lot on "flashbacks" (a fancy reference to reruns?) and generally take it easier by coasting a bit on past plotlines. I guess she's found the idea of saying goodbye just as hard as her readers. If even those changes spook you, might I suggest you dive into the original comic strip that pioneered watching characters age in real time? Give "Gasoline Alley" a shot -- it's being reproduced in loving, lavish volumes by Fantagraphics well worth collecting.