Author Archives: stripfix

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Here is where I switched to another storyline. In order to keep the Connie and Ted arc going, I included this strip. I guess I should have stuck with hockey, but at the time I was into the politics of the game and not too keen on drawing the boys in the arena. What had happened was; Aaron had gone on a trip to the "playoffs" in Thompson. It was a long ride in a school bus and the team had to be billeted with families there. Because he was not one of the strongest players, he and several other boys sat on the side hardly getting to skate at all. When they returned one of the chaperones called to say that her son and Aaron had only skated for 30 seconds, during the whole time they were there! I was furious. I knew there was a tournament to win - but these were such young kids and such favouritism was so unfair. Together the other mother and I went to see the coach to find out, cordially, "what could be done". It was evident that the answer was "nothing". After that, our boys left the team, gave up their gear and skated for the fun of it. Parents worry about their kids getting hurt playing hockey. Not much is said about the emotional hurt of being left out of the game!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Lynn's Comments: My husband wasn't a hockey fan. He'd been a figure skater though and believed the exercise would be a good thing. Despite the availability of second hand gear, equipping a kid with uniform, gloves, padding and skates was expensive. I wanted to make sure my son was going to enjoy the sport and stick with it for awhile. Aaron did play for a few years - until the coaches became serious and really wanted to win. This is when the good players get to play and the kids who are there for the fun of it get to sit on the sidelines.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Lynn's Comments: In Lynn Lake, all the kids played hockey. I was surprised when Aaron declared his interest in joining the juniors - he had never been interested in sports before. Because there were no sporting goods shops, we all relied on hand me downs and the Sears catalogue. The sports exchange happened in the church basement; you could tell it was happening as soon as you went in the door - just by the smell. Everyone was keen to get there early for the best pickings and if you were lucky, you could make a deal with a neighbor before the season began.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Lynn's Comments: My kids were born almost 5 years apart. When you have a little kid - one you can pick up and cart around...and one the size of a St. Bernard, the littlest always seems to get the most affection. Older kids sort of shrug off the hugs and wriggle out of cuddles, but they need them nonetheless. I guess the love wasn't being distributed evenly when Aaron asked this question and it really hit home. I put Katie down and gave him the biggest cuddle right then and there. A lesson well learned. He's almost 40, now and still not too big to hug!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Dr. Patterson's receptionist has been based on a number of people over the years, but at this time, she was our friend, Ann-Margret Plummer. Her husband managed the mine and I think she managed everything else! Efficient, sweet natured, honest and fair, we relied on her for everything from book keeping to bringing home the bacon. Years later, we remain great friends and see each other as often as possible.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Lynn's Comments: The patient in this strip was our dear friend, George Fast. He and his wife Sigrid were our curling partners and we spent some wonderful times together. I often poked fun at friends by putting them in the strip. Sadly, George passed away far too soon. Seeing this again has brought back some great memories.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Few women have the luxury of combining a satisfying career with being a "stay at home mom". I have never taken this blessing for granted. I have, however always been disappointed that I never finished my education past high school. With Elly Patterson in mind, I imagined how she would feel, trying to pick up where she left off, trying to achieve her degree in English and then wondering... "What now?" What do you do with a potential career now that you've got young children to raise? Raising children is the most important career of all....but for some of us...it's just not enough.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Lynn's Comments: I do feel that a writer must also be an entertainer. This is why there is structure in a sentence, and cadence in dialogue. I soon discovered that poetry is an essential ingredient in writing- especially as it applies to comic strips wherein the reader has less than 30 seconds to visually ingest an idea. Any "speed bump" in the writing has to be smoothed out. If the punch line here was, for example; "Let me think, now.....when did we decide to get a dog?" the cadence would be interrupted and the last line less effective.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Lynn's Comments: I could have done a better job on this strip. The trick is to put an ironical twist into the dialogue which involves the reader. I missed the mark here, by not having Elly thinking in crass, basic and unacceptable terms- ie: "#@**!#*" and then ...dropping the punch line. At the time, I thought words like: "lousy, stupid, crummy" were enough to make the ending work- but they aren't basic enough! I needed some...well, garbage!! With luck I can help other writers improve their dialogue by pointing out my mistakes.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Lynn's Comments: During the years when my children were very young, I did not have the option of going back to school, although I would have liked to. My life in a tiny remote mining town in northern Manitoba provided an education of another kind! The character "Elly" is not me. She is someone I MIGHT have been, given other circumstances. My real life wasn't nearly as plausible as Elly Patterson's. Putting myself in her position, I imagined what it would be like to have not accomplished my educational goals and in the soap opera of life, to be playing a minor supporting role. Aside from her identity as a loving, caring and competent mom, Elly was "Mrs. Doctor so and so"...and she wanted more.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Heaven was lying on our living room couch, eating and watching TV. With the old wood and coal furnace, our house was always cold and the warm spot on the couch was something my brother and I fought over. Yes, we fought over the warm spot! So, once ensconced on the sofa, I hated to remove myself and lose that precious bit of heat! If Dad was the one to order you off the couch, you might be able to beg a few more moments of repose. An order from Mom, meant immediate compliance. In this strip, John uses the "ferocious" method of kid-removal. I used it, too. When all else fails, we parents often resort to animal behaviour. I stopped at taking them by the scruff of their necks with my teeth, however!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Lynn's Comments: The town of Lynn Lake was so small, an older kid could successfully hit every single house on Hallowe'en - as long as the frost didn't get him. Our place on Elgin Avenue was right in the middle. With a lane behind us and one of the busier streets in front, both our front and back doors were busy from about 4 in the afternoon until late at night. Some years, we might count as many as 180 trick or treaters and I remember dipping into our own kids' treat bags after we'd run out. Our favourite thing to give out was toothbrushes. One year, fearing we'd get egged for handing out something other than "treats" we decided to give the kids chocolate bars. Surprisingly, people were disappointed. Turned out the toothbrushes were something they all looked forward to! Just goes to prove- that on a night when witches, devils, and scary things roam....you never know what to expect!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Lynn's Comments: My son, Aaron had a great cowboy costume- right down to the vest, chaps and 6-guns. He would get into this even if it wasn't Hallowe'en, bounce around the house as if he was on a horse and shoot everything in sight. We bought the hat, gun, Sheriff's star and plaid shirt in Winnipeg. I made the chaps, vest and neck scarf. He was just another kid until the outfit was on and then he turned into the wildest of the wild. This was his costume of choice until he grew out of it. This, too, I have preserved in an old trunk, waiting for someone else to make it come to life!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Part of the fun of drawing Farley is the dirt, the sound effects and the facial expressions. Humans have to be kept believably human, to some extent- especially in a strip that is supposedly realistic...but I could always push the limits when it came to pets. I doubt that a dog would see a pumpkin as a threat unless it was on fire...but in this instance, a cartoon dog has a cartoon experience - and I had a laugh drawing it.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Lynn's Comments: I dressed Katie up in a "Little Bo Peep" outfit for Hallowe'en one year and she looked so cute, I couldn't stand it! Trouble is, we lived a northern community where the temperatures dipped well below zero at this time of year and every costume had to fit over a parka. I took her door to door, opening up her jacket to show off her costume to friends. Kate objected to this strenuously. I eventually resorted to explaining who she was and what she was wearing so she could go directly to the loot without preamble. She lasted for 4 blocks ...a good space for a toddler, not far enough for me. I was just getting into the swing of things. I still have her costume and some day, if I'm lucky, I'll see it worn again.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Remember when the thought of recording a personal message for our answering systems gave folks hives? Some asked friends to do it, others signed up for an automated system and others became comics, DJ's and public announcement pros. The other day, I called a friend who still has one of those recording devices on her counter and regularly updates her message. This week it's: "Hello?? HELLO?! ...HELLO!!!!!" and when you repeat for the third time "Hi! It's ME! Hello?" the message says "Hah! You thought I was here, didn't you..well, I'm not, so leave a message!" The message I left was a loud "AAAAAUGHHHHH!!!" followed by my home number. So far I haven't heard back.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Thank goodness the days of taking your cheque book into the bank and waiting for a teller to roll her eyes are gone. My thinking was: as long as I wrote down MOST of the cheques, remembered most of the dates and never bounced one, I was doing just fine- thank you very much. Besides, my wonderful dad-in-law did the book keeping and regularly kept me from committing a serious breach. Some of us excel at keeping accurate records of things... and some of us draw cartoons. In the end, we are all good at something in this world, and it behooves us all to employ, enjoy and rely on the skills of others.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Farley...the REAL Farley was both the source of dirt and the mop which picked it up. He would go about the house sniffing and rooting for crumbs and other household flotsam, his fuzzy face pressed to the floor. When he raised his head, his chin would be flattened and full of dust. A lot of the dust was his. He was so hairy that even with regular vacuuming, a slight breeze would cause a wave of grey to float across the kitchen. It was unending. Still, despite the responsibility and the extra work, he was loved and he was part of the family....and in retrospect, he was probably much, MUCH cleaner than the kids!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Still learning about the craft, I did a couple of "in the dark" strips wherein the subjects talk with the lights out and black panels ensue. This is sort of a cop out, since you don't have to draw anything! It wasn't until this strip came out in the paper that I was disappointed in myself for taking such a shortcut. Funny...when you see your work from the perspective of the reader "out there" you have a totally different opinion of it. Still, I wonder if the gag would have worked had I drawn everything!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Lynn's Comments: In the early years, I bounced from subject to subject. Other cartoonists did a “gag a day” and I tried to do the same thing. I had, however found that doing short sequences worked best for me and in time I learned how to bring one idea to a close before introducing another. The ups, downs and dial tone hums of marriage were always good fodder (and mudder) and although I never did wear face cream to bed, I couldn’t resist doing a gag about it.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Like household chores, homework was approached with the cry of "Do I HAFTA???!!!" The more you rebel against a chore, the bigger it becomes. From time to time our folks would sit down and do our schoolwork with us and this made it fun. Once, over a long weekend, I had to find a bug, draw it, find out where it lived, what it ate and how it benefited the earth. I was in elementary school...and wondered how long it would take me to do this thing. As I recall, Dad and I spent an afternoon chasing down grasshoppers, learning about them and he even helped with the drawing. It was a big project for a little kid...but with Dad as my biology partner, the time went all too fast.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Lynn's Comments: The small school annex that housed our grades one and two classes was 3 blocks from home. I would often forget or lose things and Mom would make me trudge down 5th street to search for whatever it was that had been left behind. It was a short distance to go, but en route were several neat houses we had to check out, hedges with secret openings in them, dog houses, a corner store and a small vacant lot. It's no wonder we were often late coming home. It's no wonder that books, jackets, lunch pails and even socks would vanish on the way home! Mrs Hardacre really did exist. This was a salute to a memorable lady and a fine teacher- with an unusual name!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Lynn's Comments: My Mom could make anything. She was artistic and creative and like Dad, she loved theatre. Since our choices were endless, it was hard to come up with an idea ourselves. My brother and I would waffle from one thing to another until the last minute- but somehow, our parents would come up with the best costume ever and out we would go into the night- on our own. Hallowe'en was a safer time, then. At least it seemed to be!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Deciding what we were going to be on Hallowe'en was always a challenge. Everything depended on what was cool, what could be made out of found materials and what would survive in the rain. Vancouver weather was a factor in all outdoor activities, but nothing could keep us from our quest to score the most loot possible on the 31st of October. Ours was a neighbourhood rich with pickings. Lower middle class, mostly new immigrants and Canadians "home from the war"; the folks around us were generous, kind and imaginative. All you needed was a costume, a pillow case and energy to run up and down the steep hills of the North Shore.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Lynn's Comments: My dad was not into discipline and ran from having to do it. He delivered his style of direction with sarcasm and humour and more often than not, won the battle hands down. This exchange I remember clearly. On a rainy day, when the cure for boredom was war, Dad intervened with a raspberry and a smile leaving my brother and me in stitches. He was the one who taught us how to pratfall like the comedians in silent films. He could make farting noises with his hand cupped into his armpit and could whistle like the guys on the ferry dock, hauling in the lines. He could burp "God Save the Queen" and he showed us how to spit off the back porch without dribbling on our chins. Stuff like this other kids had to learn from each other. We were coached by the best. Mom probably knew about our alternate studies with Dad...if she did, she didn't let on. Dad might not have been a disciplinarian, but he sure knew how to get our attention and defuse a fight!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Without knowing it, Connie has been taking her frustrations out on Lawrence. Desperate for companionship herself, she has unwittingly upset her son. Sensing ambivalence and insecurity in his mom, Lawrence has become worried and insecure as well. There is nothing more rewarding than telling your kids that you're not perfect, you're sorry and they are so very loved.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Moms need best friends, too; someone to confide in, someone who will tell it like it is. Friends who tell you the truth with kindness and diplomacy are a gift. I am lucky to have such friends.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Taking your elementary school woes home to mom was often an unrewarding experience. Grownups forget just how stressful and meaningful these first relationships can be. My mom tried to comfort and understand, but she'd often brush my worries aside, saying things like "you'll have plenty of time for"...well, whatever! Time isn't a factor when you have no concept of time. When your world is a blur of new people, new feelings and new things to learn, time is just another four letter word.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Kids can accept an intrusion, but if the "best friends" status is threatened, it's serious. Sharing toys and time, games and secrets makes your connection intimate. Nothing is trivial when you're a kid- it's all about relationships. From Kindergarten until grade school I hung out with a girl called Arlene. She was my best friend until Caroline was around, and then Caroline took my place. When Caroline was around I became the odd number three. I lived with the knowledge that I wasn't Arlene's favourite and it was OK. Still I wished I had a VERY best friend and when Lucia Messina's family came from Sicily and moved across the street, she and I formed a bond that lasts to this day!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Gordon was a year ahead of Mike and Lawrence when they met, but a slow learning curve and troubles at home made school work difficult. He was later moved back a year, giving him a chance to catch up. Easy going and non confrontational, Gordon was likeable. He was the kind of kid who always saw the bright side. He could make the best out of a tough situation. He was a survivor.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Lynn's Comments: Elementary school relationships were intense and serious. A "best friend" was validation that you had worth. Best friends gave you confidence, security and status. There was serious competition here and if a third person came onto the scene- the change in chemistry could be explosive. The old adage "three's a crowd" is never more true than in early grade school. I remember adding a new friend simply because I was offered the opportunity to use a bike or share some candy. I bought into others' friendships, too when I had stuff to share. Allegiances morphed, changed and regrouped according to the mood of the day, but the "best friend" was always at the centre of the relationship.