Readers of the popular comic strip “For Better or For Worse” Creator Lynn Johnston announced she will draw the comic strip in the style she used 29 years ago when the Patterson family first appeared on comic pages. Johnston will start retelling their story from the beginning, blending half of the classic original strips with new material.

That also means the storyline of the family comes to an end this week.

Divorce plans led her to back off from earlier plans to retire in September.

“At this time in my life I thought I would be on a cruise ship to Panama or the Mediterranean, retired with my Tilley hats, my sneakers. But I’m a single lady now, and I want to keep working,” she said. “Because I don’t have to work 365 days of new material into a year, I can still take some time off to paint and travel.”

Johnston lives in Ontario and claims a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. She describes the new situation as a “renewal, not a retirement.”

“For a generation of new readers unfamiliar with ‘For Better or For Worse,’ it’s a chance to begin an exciting journey,” she said.