John: Browse The Strips

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Lynn's Comments: We questioned ourselves. Were we being too liberal? Too trusting? Was it wrong to let such a young boy go so far on his own?

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Lynn's Comments: When this strip appeared, I had immediate responses from stargazers who told me that on that date in our time zone, the crescent would be going in the other direction. They were right. From this time on, I made sure I checked out the phases of the moon on our calendar before drawing a moon in the sky!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Lynn's Comments: I used this same punch line again years later, and even made it the title of a collection book. You'd think I'd remember every gag and not use it again, but sometimes I slipped up!

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Lynn's Comments: It was so hard to let Aaron get onto that plane alone. We worried about him all day. He had to change planes three times, and even though he was being monitored by friends and friendly airline staff, we couldn't sit still until he had safely arrived.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Lynn's Comments: My husband had all kinds of models. He loved to make them just for the fun of figuring them out. He even built a model aircraft when we were on our honeymoon, so modelling was definitely in his blood. He could focus for hours, shaving off an infinitesimal piece of plastic here, fitting an impossibly tiny piece there. He had endless patience when it came to building complicated model ships, vehicles, and aircraft. Interestingly, he had much less patience with kids!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Lynn's Comments: Aaron had a wonderful time in Vancouver. He was spoiled and pampered, and if he ever felt that he was getting less attention than his little sister, he was well compensated by the way my folks doted on him. Ahhh, this is what grandparents are for!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Lynn's Comments: When I saw this in the paper, I almost wept. I had done the strip as a "bit of truth," but had no idea how serious the situation was and I berated myself for my poor mothering skills.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Lynn's Comments: My father loved to dance. He would pick me up and dance with me until I fell asleep in his arms. He could sing so well and knew the words to so many songs that he never seemed to run out of waltzes or shanties or tunes from the bar. I remember the swoop of his body as he waltzed to the "Blue Danube" with theatrical panache. He could two-step and tango and polka and jive, and I melted into his shoulder with the rhythm and the warmth of his style.

Last November, my daughter, Katie, and her husband, Lane, presented me with my first grandchild. Laura is now almost two years old, and she loves to dance with me. I hold her the way my father held me. I sing the same songs, and I move with the same style. I thank him again and again for this memory and a gift that I'm now passing on.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Lynn's Comments: Rod spent every minute he could in his treasured workshop. He could make or repair almost anything. Even though he was usually very careful, there were times when he did go to the clinic with a bandage or two! This always gave his patients a laugh and inspired me to do this strip.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Lynn's Comments: Now that I am dogless, I find dog breath hard to take. When I had Farley, his breath came with warm licks, and his enquiring sniffs were more than welcome. Even so, there were times when I couldn't stomach the smell. Once, when Farley ate my chives, I was overwhelmed by his breath, but there was one time that was much worse; I was standing at my kitchen window watching him happily lying on the warm driveway, chewing something he'd found with obvious relish. He chewed with that look of ecstasy, the look children have when they're eating ice cream, that blissful satisfaction that comes with flavour and fun and mouth-watering fulfillment. He'd toss his head back, reposition his prize, and chew again. He was happy. Eventually, my curiosity got to me and I went out to see what succulent something he was chewing on. I couldn't believe my eyes. The object he was blissfully savouring was a flat, well-rotted, dried-out toad. To Farley, it was dog jerky. To me, it was horrible. I would have shown the true source of Farley's halitosis, but really, it was too gross for publication! [Eventually this gag did make an appearance, with Edgar doing the dirty deed.]

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Lynn's Comments: When I read that saying "I don't do mornings," I see someone who doesn't have kids. If you have a family, you do mornings until everyone is grown and gone. You do mornings in your pajamas and housecoat, and if you're lucky, you can swill down a coffee while you dress. The only family member with the luxury of NOT doing mornings is the family pet, who simply wonders why everything has to be so complicated.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Lynn's Comments: There were times when housework depressed me terribly. The fact that it had to be done over and over again made the effort beyond unsatisfying. Being a mom and managing my other job meant that I was working (I figured) 10-12 hours a day. Eventually, my mom-in-law suggested I ask one of her friends to help me once a week, so I happily made arrangements to hire "Mavis." This hard working and thorough housekeeper indeed lightened the load, but she wanted to have her lunch prepared and she scoffed if I gave her a store-bought dessert! This meant that the time I saved was spent in the kitchen...but it was a CLEAN kitchen!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Lynn's Comments: I could never understand the cavalier way in which the men and the kids in my life regarded cleaning and maintenance of the house. They never seemed to take into account that the hall had been neatly tidied--they just kicked off their boots and happily dumped their clothing on the floor. My complaints were greeted with surprise and a "what's your problem" shrug. Later, after I hired someone to help me clean up, I too became complacent about dirty shoes in the hallway and wet towels on the banister. "Oh well," I'd say to myself, "Mavis will take care of it tomorrow!" A mess only registers if you have to tidy it up yourself.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Lynn's Comments: I have always needed a career. I needed to express myself creatively. I needed to earn my own living, and I needed the companionship of other adults. Even though I felt guilty for putting Aaron in daycare, I was a better parent because I was working. I was also able to pay the bills! The alternative at the time was to go on welfare, and I wanted so badly to avoid this.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Lynn's Comments: Curlers had gone out of style along with the housedress, but Elly occasionally sported them. Curlers and gobs of face cream were a cartoon cliche. Television sit-coms and comic strips often used these props to make a woman look her most unattractive. Today, comedy has to rely on other props...and fortunately, the shapeless housecoat is still first choice in comfortable morning garb. The good thing is that husbands look bad in them too!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Lynn's Comments: My mother joined a weight loss program for which she needed one of those tiny food scales. After buying both Alan and me a pack of Smarties, she actually weighed them to prove that neither of us was getting more than the other.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Lynn's Comments: My brother and I fought like crazy until we were both safely out of the house and on our own. Now, in our sixties, we are the best of friends. We've talked about our childhood and tried to figure out why we were so hard on each other. The old Smothers Brothers line "Mom always liked you best" was part of it but, we were also creative, competitive, and bored. Yes, it's a family fact: boredom is nicely relieved by a good dust-up!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Lynn's Comments: One of my favourite props was a punk-rocker "wig" which I gave to the accordionist, Ray Johnson, of the Newfoundland comedy team, "Buddy Whatsis Name and the Other Fellas." After attending a show, I realized that one skit needed a punk-wig, so I offered it as a gift. It was a gift that keeps on giving. I got to know these talented and fabulously funny guys--just a bit. I get a card from Wayne Chalk (guitarist) every Christmas, and some day, I've promised myself that I'll go to see them live on stage in St. Johns.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Lynn's Comments: This is one of the most reprinted strips I ever did. Many dads received a signed copy for Father's Day, and others received it "just because." It pleased me to think that dads who spent real, quality time with their children were getting the thanks they deserved.