Farley: Browse The Strips

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Farley didn't much care if there were squirrels in the yard--he reacted to food and the great outdoors. Any opportunity to disappear into the ravine behind our house, saw him gone. He would eventually be found wet, dirty and blissfully happy--no matter how hard we scolded him. Our next dog, Willy, was a squirrel chaser. If he saw one out the window, he had to be let out before he busted something. Wildly, madly, barking and running as fast as his short legs would take him Willy would chase a squirrel until it was too far up a tree to see any more. He never caught one, of course, and the squirrels loved the comedy of it all.

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Lynn's Comments: In this strip, I was able to say hello to both Charles Schulz and my friend, Beth Scott. Surprising friends by mentioning them in the paper was great fun.

Sunday December 18, 2016

Lynn's Comments: My mom called these small annoying carpets "scatter rugs." I never really thought about it until I had hall floors to protect, then the word "scatter" made sense.

Friday December 23, 2016

Lynn's Comments: Some of the funniest strips have no words at all. My son did put Christmas balls on the dog's ears and this was the result. I see in the second panel that I only drew Elly in part. Strange how the eye fills in the details that aren't there. In my later work, I meticulously drew everything clearly, and I think I lost this fluid spontaneity.

Monday January 2, 2017

Lynn's Comments: I used to ask the kids to help take the tree down. I thought it was a nice way to spend time together. Their help lasted for a few minutes, of course, and after awhile, I did it all myself. Christmas is a wonderful time of year, thanks to all the moms who make it happen!

Saturday January 14, 2017

Lynn's Comments: Our small, black Spaniel, Willy, never barked when a stranger came to the door. He would probably have welcomed an assailant on a dark street, but when the snowplow came up our long country drive, he became Superdog. He was a flea against an elephant; threatening the plow as it advanced and sure he had won when it backed away. He’d bark himself silly every time our driveway was cleared and it always made me laugh!

Tuesday February 7, 2017

Lynn's Comments: Some of our best family times have been when the electricity was out. Not only did it make us creative and prepared, it gave us a break from sound. Until the appliances are off, we have no idea how much ambient sound we live with!

Sunday February 26, 2017

Lynn's Comments: While making a big cuddly fuss over the dog one day, I noticed a wistful glance from my husband. Whether he was cringing at the "dog-ma" of mother and dog or a bit jealous, I didn't know. The scene made for a good Sunday page!

Friday April 21, 2017

Lynn's Comments: Old English Sheepdogs are a load of work. They pick up the great outdoors and bring it right into your living room. They are walking dust-mops. Even a daily brushing does little to keep the dirt at bay. Eventually, you sort of give up and learn to live with the mess. Like kids, it’s a good thing we love them!

Sunday May 21, 2017

Lynn's Comments: Another embarrassing home truth. I did this, and felt like an idiot afterwards. Fortunately, we lived in the countryside–a good distance away from our neighbours. What made the strip work was the thought: "What if?" What if I had done that in a tightly knit, urban community? "What if?" was a muse I regularly relied on!

Saturday July 1, 2017

Lynn's Comments: My mother used to make us sit at the table until everything on our plates was gone. My brother and I might sit there until bedtime, and if the meal wasn't finished, we'd find it set out (cold) for breakfast the next morning. No fooling! "Waste not, want not" was the catch phrase of the day…and I never really did understand what it meant!

Sunday July 9, 2017

Lynn's Comments: We never had a dog when we were kids, though my dad, my brother, and I all wanted one. Mom put her foot down knowing a pet would be another thing she would be responsible for. She said no to a dog, and she ruled the roost. Nonetheless, we dreamed that someday, we'd be able to have this kind of close and loving relationship with a dog. Neither my dad nor my brother ever adopted a puppy, but I did. My first dog was Farley; an old English sheepdog, purchased by my first husband, Doug Franks, and I on a Sunday afternoon drive into the Ontario countryside. He later became the character "Farley" in FBorFW. My next dog was "Willy": a sweet little black Spaniel. Katie picked him out of a pet store window and declared him "family" since he had such big feet. Willy became my pet and constant companion. My mom knew what she was talking about when she said a dog would become her responsibility. Willy was certainly mine, but it was a responsibility that brought me 8 years of fun, activity and genuine pleasure.

Sunday July 23, 2017

Lynn's Comments: Puns were a favourite punch line. They were untranslatable, however, which made it difficult for my syndicate to sell my work to non-English-speaking countries. I knew that word play limited my sales, but if I could come up with a good pun, I figured it was worth the loss.

Tuesday October 3, 2017

Lynn's Comments: Farley might have been my favourite character. He was fun to draw and he gave me subject matter that was neutral. Whenever I thought I might have run a storyline for too long, or if things were getting too serious, I’d push old Farley onto the scene for a little comic relief.