Author Archives: stripfix

Friday, February 12, 2016

Lynn's Comments: I can't say it enough: If it wasn't for my teachers, I'd have been a lost soul. I owe so much to the men and women who gave me challenges and encouragement, and materials to work with. Most of all they gave confidence and a real sense of worth.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Lynn's Comments: There always has to be a villain and I created Melody Morrison in opposition to Elizabeth. Again, I thought Melody would play a larger role, but it was hard for me to make a character all bad! To me, there is good in everyone and when you show both sides, you've got a character that demands the spotlight. I had no room to add more characters.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Years ago, I had the fun of touring American Greetings with Tom Wilson who did the comic panel "Ziggy" (His son, Tom Jr., continues it today). There were many artists, mostly women, working at drafting tables and in offices all coming up with ways to say "I love you," "I care," "Sorry you're sick," and so on. It was an impressive and dedicated team of talented people.

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Lynn's Comments: My brother and I fought all the time, and it was often out of sheer boredom. When there was nothing going on we created our own drama. I often wonder if I continue to do the same thing; when everything is going well, I tend to screw something up, creating a problem I then have to worry about!

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Lynn's Comments: This was directly from my childhood. Mom would push us out the door and tell us not to come in until lunchtime. We'd play in the yard until our fingers were stuck to our mittens with ice, and our noses were running to our chins.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Lynn's Comments: When you are used to living in a winter climate, an image like this will tell you the temperature has warmed up and the snow has become "sticky." It will also bring back memories of working long and hard to get to a hill for the sheer pleasure of taking a 10 second ride.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Chris is the son of Elly's neighbour, Annie. He was named for the son of a friend of mine and I thought he would play a larger role in the strip. It still amazes me how some characters would come to life and "talk to me," and some wouldn't--even though I wanted to get to know them!

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Lynn's Comments: I have just moved "home" to North Vancouver, BC. Everywhere I look, there are changes. Few of my friends' houses are still standing. What used to be a small town is now a glass and metal city, but the mountains are still there, as are the parks and the beaches--and my heart is right where I left it; on the North Shore.

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Wordless strips were always fun. Making a story evident just by drawing a sequence of images kept me challenged and aware. The cartoonists who do this consistently have my admiration and applause.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Lynn's Comments: It's strange to be reading this again and writing notes on the subject because this: I have just sold my big lakefront house and have purchased a small townhouse. I get to move in this spring!

Monday, January 25, 2016

Lynn's Comments: There were several Mrs. Bairds who thought this lady was named for her. One was a friend of my father's. Another was a neighbour we had in North Vancouver. When I needed a name, this one popped up, and I have no idea where it came from!

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Strips like this allowed me to vent to the fullest: to really let my feelings out. It was great to write, wonderful to draw, and then joyfully sent to the syndicate. When it was finally released in the papers, I had a chance to feel good all over again! I knew that letters would come from moms all over the place telling me I was right on track. Yeah. The strip, sometimes based on fantasy, made real life easier for me.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Lynn's Comments: This is an actual quote from my brother, Alan. I was fortunate in that my family always seemed to provide me with great material. Going back to the "what attracts you to certain men" subject, I was not forthcoming in giving you my list. The first requirement would be, "a good sense of humour."

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Lynn's Comments: I had no idea how hard it was for smokers to quit. My brother tried time and again and finally succeeded. It was a real triumph.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Lynn's Comments: I went to visit Farley Mowat not long after the movie "Never Cry Wolf" had been released. It was based on a book Farley had written about his experience in Canada's north where, as a naturalist, he lived with wolves to see if they truly were the menace man believes them to be. He lived the way they live. He ate what they ate. In one scene, he is eating raw, wild mice; one of the most memorable parts of the movie. When I asked Farley if he really DID eat mice, he smiled and said, "My dear, I'm a writer. If something didn't happen, it SHOULD have."

This is the long way of telling you that what Elizabeth is doing in this Sunday strip never happened but it should have. Watching Katie open and pour a can of apple juice, I thought: If she'd made multiple openings, the scene might just have gone just like this.