For Better or for Worse: The Comic Art of Lynn Johnston

Johnston's memoir charts the path of her Pulitzer-nominated For Better or for Worse comic and its remarkable 30-year run. It's also a moving and honest autobiography with details of her two failed marriages, early years as a struggling artist and single mom, and professional success, as well as her strained relationship with her parents and her later life as a mother and grandmother%E2%80%94some of which was glimpsed through the years in the comic. The beautifully designed book is richly illustrated with photos and art that span Johnston's life, including sketches from her youth, Christmas cards with a drawing of an old family home, her early graphic design work (including cereal boxes and medical art), reproductions of some of the artwork that influenced her, and, of course, many excerpts from the strip. Johnston's fans will be pleased that the book serves as a biography of sorts for Elly Patterson (be prepared to tear up in some spots) and the strip's other beloved characters, describing their origins and inspirations. The book also offers insights into the creative process. This is a superb portrait of an artist. (July)