Paul Jones, Saint John, New Brunswick
I am U.S. citizen, and I have known for years that Canada and Cuba have diplomatic relations and that it is possible for Canadians to travel to Cuba. The same thing is true for Mexico. U.S. citizens should NOT attempt to travel to Cuba through Canada or Mexico or any other country. It is not legal. Violators are subject to heavy fines and other penalties. Besides, how are you going to explain that Cuban visa stamp on your passport when you attempt to re-enter the United States? In my opinion, there is nothing in Cuba that is worth the legal risk that a U.S. citzen takes if he attempts to go there.John, Scottsdale, AZ
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Diane Siracusa
I burst out laughing yesterday after noticing multiple cat nose smudges on the window where our cat likes to sit on the sill to look out. Before reading of the lip and ear window smudges here, I'd never paid attention enough to realize how the little smudges got there. :)Beverly F.
Whoever said necessity is the mother of invention had to be a woman. I've heard of milk baths but never potato baths (must try that)...it had to be a woman who said that and it is so true. One time I gave one of the kids thick socks to use as mittens when theirs were soaked with snow...it worked!Geri C New York City USA
You're gonna hear it for this one!!! Many USA fans won't realize that Cuba wasn't closed to Canada. For most of that time US citizens who wanted to visit Cuba went a round about way, starting with Canada. Our (US) trade embargo hurt the ordinary person in Cuba mostly. People in power can always get what they want. Things do change and people do learn. Telling it like it really is does help a lot. Thanks Lynn. Your papa tapa hopefully will pull the plug on some misconceptions!Hometown, Il. CJ
Dear Lynn Johnston, I noticed your Lynn's Notes comment to the Sunday, January 29, 2012 comic strip were word-for-word the same as the comment for the same comic strip in "In the Beginning, There Was Chaos: For Better Or For Worse 2nd Treasury" p. 293. However, the punctuation of the comment in the Treasury was different from the punctuation of your comment in Lynn's Notes. Which came first -- the Lynn's Notes or the Treasury comment? Which one has the correct punctuation?Paul S. Oro Valley, Arizona
Hi Paul! The notes for this book came first - we completed "In the Beginning, There was Chaos" last spring so that it could be printed and on book shelves for the fall of 2011. You will see some overlap between the Lynn's Notes on our site and the comments in the new treasuries - Lynn wouldn't be able to be "semi-retired" if she had to write and re-write every comment for every strip. The slight variations in punctuation are due to changes from the editors at the book publisher - so, the book punctuation is likely more formally correct. ~ Katie Hi...My husband and I moved my son and his family into their first home yesterday and we gave them your book "Home Sweat Home" as a housewarming gift. Your funny strip and the great reader's comments brought back happy memories of window smudges and video games. Our favourite game in the 1980's was Astro Warrior by Sega. Thanks to everyone!Lu Fraser, Sidney, BC
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This is in response to the recent criticism of my not liking to see Elly hurl things at people like a child throwing a tantrum. I know it's a comic strip but it's supposed to be a slice-of-life thing, not the Three Stooges. In the real world, the only way Elly would throw things at John is in a thought-bubble so that's what we should have seen. That or a thought-bubble filled with mixed-up punctuation marks.Paul Jones, Saint John, New Brunswick
I find that I disagree with Lu Fraser and Mylene S. over the “measuring cup to the head” comic strip from January 22. With other characters, if they got angry, Lynn Johnston would draw a black storm cloud over their heads (which you knew was not an actual weather condition), or she would have them imagine a violent situation, like when Shannon Lake imagined Becky McGuire tied to a rocket in a thought balloon. All the times Elly threw things at John's head, Lynn Johnston never drew it in a thought balloon. I think the reason it was never drawn as imaginary is because it never was intended to be imaginary. Old style humor used to feature women hurling real things like plates, dishes and cups at men's heads, while the hapless man cowered behind tables and ducked. I think it's OK to get that Lynn Johnston's style of humor was lifted from the TV shows and movies she saw during her youth.Paul S. Oro Valley, Arizona
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Here's something that troubles me about today's strip....what is Elly's problem with Phil dating someone a few years younger than he is? Does she have some sort of mental block that makes her think that only people who attended school at the same time should marry?Paul Jones, Saint John, New Brunswick
About the measuring cup thrown at John...lighten up, people!! A sense of humor is so essential to getting through life. Don't take every single thing so seriously, much less a comic strip! I'm sure I never do!Lauren - Pleasantville, NY
]]>Philippa, Sudbury,Ontario
Ironing? I'm not so good at doing, but I like to wash dishes...mindless, yes, but a chance to reflect on the day and warm my hands. When my husband does them, it's by loading the dishwasher!Dawn A
The "objects flying toward heads" trope is not funny. Thousands of Canadians and approximately 1.7 million Americans suffer head injuries annually; a considerable portion of these originate from acts of violence. I'm glad Lynn did not actually throw a measuring cup at her husband's head but the effect of a measuring cup hurtling toward John's brain stem was a chilling way to begin my morning.Monica, Bakersfield, CA
Did you have anything in mind when Mike built the snow sculpture. It looks like Snoopy's head to me.summerdog
You're right! The snow sculpture seen in the January 20th strip does look like a Snoopy head! This was not intended, however, it was purely coincidental. I saw something I didn't like to see yesterday and it's not the hurled heavy object: it's the childishness in Elly that makes her want to do stupid stuff like that. It amazes me that their marriage lasted as long as it did because she's just so damned hard to live with. Granted, John is no prize either but he doesn't throw nearly as many tantrums as the clod who wastes time she should be using to see that her kids aren't drinking bleach so she can do something 'important' like shrieking about non-events.Paul Jones, Saint John, New Brunswick
I was surprised to see Ellie throwing a mug at Jon. Here in Menahga, we're more likely to throw lutefisk. It's messier but less likely to cause damage.Urho K, Menahga, MN, USA
I have to comment on the anatomically correct snowmen!! As an art teacher in elementary, you have to maintain a certain level of modesty to the art you show your students, but occasionally an accidental body part will get by the censor (meaning me). When this happens I usually don't respond with shock, because that's what my students want, they want ME to be embarrassed.I don't think my grade levels are the place to introduce the anatomy to students in such great detail, but on the other hand, I hate it that Diane S never drew like that again. The human body is beautiful, and to be able to draw the nude form and capture the graceful movement and positions is a true artistic talent. I loved the figure drawing class I took in College (Marshall University) and I am so glad it was done tastefully as to not create an environment of fear and embarrassment! Draw on Diane!!Dawn A
I've been scouring the archives, but can't find one of my favorite winter strips. It's of Elly taking one of the dogs outside in her bathrobe and the dog taking their sweet time. So, she yells at them. I think it was on the website because I seem to remember a backlash on Coffee Talk about being mean to the dog. I have been thinking about it lately while taking my own dog out in the VERY cold and having him search so long for the perfect spot to leave his mark. Can you help?Karla
Here you are. The strip's right here. ]]>Jan Cross, Henderson, NV
Dear Lynn Johnston, Your podcast from January 17, 2012 shows you inking on tracing vellum instead of applying your inks directly to your pencils on bristol board, as we have seen you do in art demonstrations on prior podcasts and on your website. Why the change? Also, the same podcast shows that a picture of Farley was added later electronically to your drawing. I haven't seen you do this before. It seems like an animation style of drawing, where some people do the background drawings and other people do the character cels and put them on top of the background. Why not just draw a picture of Farley with the scarecrow and pumpkins? Wouldn't that be faster than have to both scan in the picture of the background and the picture of Farley and then to have to merge them together?Paul S. Oro Valley, Arizona
In the video you're referring to, I was adding Farley to a drawing I had already done. This meant that I only had to draw Farley and not the rest of the illustration. To do this, I used tracing vellum over the original art and had my graphics guy (Kevin Strang) electronically combine the two images. Nifty, hum?? ]]>Barb, BC Rockies
Pre K probably means the pre kindergarten age class. At least that's what they call it where I live.It's kind of a new thing. One of my grandmothers had an Iron-Rite but I just never knew it was called that until now. This particular grandmother could afford a few luxuries. My other grandparents were poorer and when I was small (late 40's-early 50's) still would use a cast-iron iron kept hot on the old fashioned wood burning stove interchangeeably with her steam iron bought for her by one of her daughters. I still miss the outings I used to volunteer for with my youngest son to museums and such. Those were fun times but then maybe I'm just being nostalgic and have forgotten the little glitches involved. ; )Beverly Fournier
Dear Lynn Johnston, I wonder if you had any opinion about the National Cartoonist Society's recent creation of a new division award for best on-line comic strip, especially given the caveat that "Creator must earn the greater part of their living directly from cartooning." If you were to take the revenue that you make from publishing your comic strip on your website and compare it to the revenue that you get from your syndicate, would you qualify for the NCS on-line comic strip division award?Paul S. from Oro Valley, AZ
I am all for the on-line comics category. No, I don't think I qualify for any on line award...My work is being rerun and any opportunities should go to new artists whose work is being seen for the first time and is outstanding enough to be recognized. I look forward to seeing what's out there and what's being talked about now! Thanks for the question- the internet is going to revolutionize many art forms and comic art is particularly right for this amazing medium! All the bestPaul S. Oro Valley, Arizona
Pre-Kindergarten. To Katje B: Commenting on Elly's hair style and lack of change.Rene Lake Charles, LA USA
Many museums now have interactive exhibits that are kid-friendly. I am a docent in the Church History museum here in Salt Lake and we not only have an interactive children's exhibit where children may touch things, but when we give tours to school children about Utah history we present some artifacts they can touch. In a recent art exhibit where paintings from a regional artist were displayed there were kiosks where a child could sit at a computer and "color" in the paintings of that artist. Museums are not as dry as they once were. But I'm still a museum junkie and love all of them!Pat H
]]>Paul Jones, Saint John, New Brunswick
Ah, ironing. I think the anticipation of it is worse than actually doing it. We still seem to prefer natural fibers to polyester. Ironing, like oven cleaning was a chore delegated to the girls in my family when I grew up in the 50s and early 60s. But my mother had an Ironrite. Does anyone remember these? In a time before permanent press--it was a large machine with hot rollers. You would sit in a chair and feed "sprinkled" clothes into it to iron them. It worked great for tablecloths and straight pieces. Mom didn't trust me to iron Dad's shirts, although that worked very well, too.Pat H
Question for Rene of Lake Charles: to which day's strip does the "wild and crazy gal" comment refer? Context is very helpful!Katje B, Albany NY
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