The day the funny page made me cry

I spent a good part of my Presidents Day off browsing through Suddenly Silver, a collection Lynn Johnston produced in 2004 to mark the 25th anniversary of her comic strip For Better or For Worse, which has been a staple of my morning for as long as I can remember.

Johnston has done a remarkable job of making us care for Elly and John Peterson and their children within the confines of the newspaper comic strip - and never more so than in the telling of how goofy family pet Farley went out a hero. I am amazed how, to this day, reading the story brought a choke to my throat and uncorked the weepies. That's a tribute to Johnston's amazing storytelling ability. In this tale she reaches into the heart of every pet owner, grabs hold and shakes loose how it feels to say goodbye to a beloved companion.

Other stuff I found today - an interview with Johnston (first half, second half) and something nice called The Farley Foundation.