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I have mixed feelings about Elizabeth and Anthony. For so long he's come across as an odd cross between wimpy, whiny, and pushy, it's hard to know if I like him anymore.. sad because I want to, and it's always been inevitable they'd end up together. I'm certainly glad he lost the mustache. For some reason it made me question what gender his partner should be. ( Not that it's an issue if he were gay, but it confused the Elizabeth story line for me ) I hope you won't bring Therese into all this too early. At least give us time to believe Liz and Anthony belong together. Let them have a real relationship first. We know she'd be a great step mom. It would have been interesting to see that develop for the many step families in the world.

I'm sorry to read the Patterson's won't be aging, however slowly. I'll miss watching everyone walk slowly through life and the lessons they learn along the way. I'm left to imagine Liz's kids and presume April will be a vet - I always pictured April as the one who'd move away permanently to be the career woman.
Being closer to Elly's age, she resonates the most with me - Housewife/working woman / mom / gramma. I'll be most upset to have the focus switch to Michael and Deanna, but understand the next generation will sympathize best with them...
Thanks for all the years of being the first place I've turned to in the newspapers and now the first in the AM with my cup of tea at the PC.
Happy retirement !

Nina E, New Hampshire

Yes, yes! I am *so* thrilled that Liz and Anthony are returning to one another! I am another person who finds great magic in your characters--you have skills in common with J.K. Rowling, in that we care DEEPLY about your people. (And, as both a mom and a special-education teacher, I must say that the addition of Shannon has been wonderful, too.)

Candy L, New Mexico

I have not read FBorFW for very long but am now completely addicted to it. I look forward to 9:06 Seattle time when I can read the next days strip. The story lines are priceless and bring out so many emotions. Keep it up, please. PLEASE keep Elizabeth and Anthony together. It is beautiful.

Brad, Seattle

What a blast - to have people become so heated over a fictional couple. Kudos to you, Lynn, for making us care so much!

Char, Ohio

it was inevitable that Liz would return to Anthony. You've made it very clear that Native American Paul, who was introduced as "Mr. (W)right," was going to be shunted off with someone of his own race, leaving Liz to reunite with her married-at-the-time old love. As a parent of a biracial child, I had hoped that the family in FBOFW would continue to be revolutionary and move outside of their homogenized world, but I guess you figured ethnic FRIENDS were enough - no ethnic spouses. Sigh. I'm disappointed that you took the easy way out.

Robyn, VA

I can't remember when I first discovered your comic, but, it has been the only thing I religiously keep up with. Now my daughter is hooked! Thank you for keeping a pulse on those on the non-fast track of life. You often provide the one breath of fresh air in my day. With my spirit refreshed and my values validated, I am ready to face the day. Thank you and your staff with all my heart.

Gay, Stamford

Hello everyone!
I've been reading the comments about Liz's love life, and I can't believe how judgmental some readers are... For heaven's sake what's WRONG with freckles, a 9-to-5 job and even, yessss, even a mustache? Who are we to know that someone who has been spotted sporting all three of these is sure to be the death of a self-respecting modern independant career girl? I AM a self-respecting modern independant career girl, with a glamorous job on top of it (I am a rather successful artist); I believe I have most of what those readers think Liz should have: long hours of exciting work, I-stand-for-myself-and-I-am-not-even-sure-family-life-is-for-me spirit, freedom to go wherever I want since no living being is home to tie me down, and even freedom to go through all the shallow, short-term, unacknowledgedly-heartbreaking affairs I need to relieve some of the frustration and misery loneliness can bring, knowing that the lack of daily conversation, support, mutual care, intellectual challenge, intimacy, (and so much more!), is beyond any affair's and even any friendship's healing! Is that where you really want a beloved cartoon character trapped in forever by her creator's retirement?
To whoever asked "what's wrong with being single for a while?", my answer is "nothing, except that you are no more single FOR A WHILE than you can be in love for a while: either you are or you are not, and if you really are you can't be sure it is not forever!"

I won't try to break into either the characters' or the author's hearts: love, real-life or fiction, is and must remain a mystery to those around. I may be an interested party since I do hope (and sometimes manage to believe) that I will once again feel for someone what L&A seem to feel for each other; in other words I am sure someone like Liz can go on being her lively, independant self with a freckled accountant-or-whatever-his-job's-name-is, and all the more so with the new challenge of a stepdaughter. Yes, all this is definitely on the happy-ever-after side, but hey, so is Elly and John's marriage and many other lines in the story, and guess what? Some people ARE happy. (Now that I think of it, my own careerwoman-mother has been happily married to her teenage crush for 41 years!) Even living so-called dull lives, ie lives we wouldn't want for ourselves. If something has been vividly and accurately portrayed through all these years of FBOFW, it is the fact that no one is "dull" when you take a closer look. (Funny, by the way, how some complain that Anthony is a bore and others that he is sentimentally unbalanced!) Thank you for that, Lynn & whatever becomes of Liz and Anthony. Cheers to you all (and please forgive the less-than-perfect English of a long-time French fan)!

Marthe, France

Lynn, You are both Mom and best friend to me. Sounds crazy, but even though you aren't Elly, your spirit is in her when you write. I have everything you have written because it makes me so happy to read my entire set over and over again. My husband thinks I have wigged out! Hey, it makes me happy, so there! You taught me how to laugh when life sucks and that is priceless. Learning how to cope is a gift that can be passed on to our children. I know that with my two sons, the oldest, 24 and married is a "Liz" and the youngest, 15 is an "April." He frosts my hair for free! Shew! I am able to apply your "Lynn-ism's" to many upsetting issues. Thanks for who you are and for being someone I want to grow up and be like. You were there when my Mom died writing about when your own Mom's died. I felt your hug. I need my Lynn fix every day in the funnies. It's why I buy the evening edition, your script is there! Peace to you!

Linda, Hagerstown, Md USA

I commented on this shortly before you opened the Coffee Talk forums, so it was never given the opportunity to be made public.

What I said in my earlier comment was:

"I realize that you're pressed for time in your deadline to have a marriage for Elizabeth as quickly as possible, but I wanted you to know that my objections to her being speedily latched onto Anthony stem more from my worries that we have not seen enough evidence that she's really examined this relationship as opposed to falling back on it as something safe and familiar, and not so much from not liking Anthony's facial hair. I hope you'll use the remaining time to make sure your audience isn't left feeling that Elizabeth was done a disservice. I know that you're good with a great-ending storyline by virtue of the dignity with which Farley left the strip; I have confidence in your skills."

Sondra, CT

I noticed that someone complained that Julia was "ugly" and therefore not a truly potential love-interest for Anthony.
I disagree. Julia was not ugly, although she was socially inappropriate with showing off Dr. Patterson's dental work....strange...
She was dressed nicely for a wedding. Perhaps what the person was complaining about was Julia's size: she was clearly overweight. Does being fat negate romantic possibilities? I don't think so! Anthony had tried to explain to Liz that he already had a date to the wedding with someone he worked with that he got along with very well. Romance was never mentioned (but it was apparently what was on Liz's mind).

Also, another reader suggested that Lynn doesn't write career minded women into the storyline. What about Deanna? She has a career, and is in fact the steady bread-winner in the family!
I love how FBoW has always deftly dealt with all sorts of people and family situations. We don't just have the solid family of Dr. Patterson; we also get to know about Gordon, Lawrence, First Nation People,Candace, Aunt Ruby, Lovey, and many more. Each character has been treated with respect.
I don't always agree with choices made in their lives, but I do appreciate Lynn's story-telling.
I continue to head straight to the computer each morning to ready FBoW before anything else (including my e-mail)!

Karen, Washington State

I am so glad to see Liz and Anthony together! I have read so many comments about Anthony not having a backbone...really, I think he has shown so much strength of character, starting from wanting to save his marriage, to single parenting his daughter, to saving Liz, testifying during the trial and now....to finally revealing his enduring feelings. I wish them the best!

Tracy, Bingelrade, Netherlands

It's a comic strip, people! Anthony and Liz are not reliving everyone's relationship problems and they aren't making a big mistake because they are FICTIONAL CHARACTERS! Lynn has been working for decades at weaving a great story: one which we are all, obviously, wrapped up in. However, it is just a story. Until you have tried writing something like this, and tried to come up with plausible reasons for each characters actions, you don't know how tough it is. Personally, I think she's doing a great job. Let's leave her to it.

Jane, KY

When I read the "spineless" comment about Anthony and Elizabeth, I had to respond. Anthony saved Elizabeth from a horrible assult. He did his absolute best with Therese, sticking with her when other men would have quit, taking on the responsibility of a single father when his best efforts failed. All the other men in Liz's life have been either losers, or, at best, adequate. Anthony adores Liz, always has. All I can say is, it's about time they both figured that out.

The relationship that should end and end fast is the one between April and Gerald.

Wendy, Pennsylvania

While I grew up loving your strip I am sorry to say that it has now turned into a source of irritation rather than entertainment. Youu appalling sexism as shown by the lopsided Mike and Deanna relationship, the portrayal of the family as a moral compass with disdain for everything from a young girl with ambition to a woman with the gall to value her career over raising kids (with the undertone that it is still alright for a man to all but abandon his family for work), and the strips odd attitude towards April - who is described as a little princess - who has been ripped from a bedroom that (according to the letters) she paid to furnish and decorate and relegated to the den in favour of a spoiled brat of an older sibling who can't be bothered to find an apartment somewhere. The result is a preachy strip that reeks of favoritism and pretension rather than the quirky, witty FBOFW of the 80s and 90s.

Dana F, St. John's

I just found this blog/comment area and wish I'd found it about a month or so ago. I LOVE FB or FW and have read it for years. I've especially become endeared to Michael as I, too, am a writer. I realize the storyline regarding Michael's making his first sale was tight for the strip but it was so unrealistic in the real world of seeking publication. First, it would be a fluke for a person to sell his first novel to a large pub without an agent unless he met an editor at a writers conference. Second, he sent them the full ms. right away. If you read writers guidelines you'll see that most publishers won't even look at a submission that comes in with the full right away. First, you query, then if requested send a proposal and then, if requested you send the full. Granted, there are always exceptions to the rule, but that is how it goes most of the time. There were other details that didn't ring true, but those were the ones that bothered me the most. Having said that!
, I rejoiced with Michael like I do with my writing friends when he made the sale, wishing all the while that life did imitate fiction in this regard. :-).

I'm sorry to hear Lynn is scaling back this fall, but fully understand. I'm glad the strip will continue and if it has to be focused on anyone, I'm glad it'll be Michael. I kinda wondered if that was where this was going with them moving back into the family home and all.

Pam, Arlington Heights, IL

Thank you Lynn FBroFW has been so important to me. I love it! It is my home page on my computer and each morning the first thing I do is fire up the computer and read the strip. I am thrilled for Liz!! Proud of Shannon!! Excited for Mike and family to own their own home!! Tickled pink that John was finally able to get Elly to see the 'little house' in the same light that he did. Loving April and her bravery to be with the people that she enjoys, even at the ridicule of others.

Keep up the good work Lynn. You know before I had a computer I would get the paper, immediatly open it to the comics read the strip and then I was done with the paper! I didn't even feel guilty that I was buying a paper for a comic strip! I needed it. Times were hard and it was the one thing I had to look forward to each day. It still is.

Take care Lynn. I hope you had a wonderful Canada Day.
With Love to you and your staff for all you do.

Michelle, Kitchener ON

Lynn,
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! When I was pregnant with my daughter, "David, we are pregnant!" was just in the stores...my husband David measured my pregnancy by that! You have been in my life every day since then, your way of making difficult things in life more humorous & light has helped me more times than I can count. I have a special needs sister, a gay relative, children and parents growing older and having to make choices. Actually, myself and my spouse having to make choices for the future. Your story line on Shannon has been great! Not only coming from a sister of a special needs individual, but as a person that works within an educational program that houses many of the programs and issues you invoke in your strip, including a Native American program. Keep up the wonderful work you and your family and employees do!

Mardi, Forest Grove Oregon