Lynn's Comments: Because this storyline took place in late October, I had to make up something that would cover both the houseware party and Halloween. Imagining that John had picked up a costume for Michael created an opportunity to have some fun.
Lynn's Comments: It was fun to imagine this scenario: tea-sipping ladies caught off guard, shrieking at an evil face in the window. Funny situations like this drifted into my imagination so easily. I loved drawing facial expressions, and I loved making up names like "Nedwitt." Writing and drawing something like this was a joy.
Lynn's Comments: As I imagined this scenario, it occurred to me that the women I hung out with were all pretty strong willed and assertive. One of us would certainly have gone out to confront the delinquent outside, and she would have been armed!
Lynn's Comments: Once again, my husband complained that I had made "John" look like an idiot. He wished that I'd make him the hero once in a while, which I thought I did! It's just that comedy requires somebody to be the fall guy, and, unfortunately, John was an easy target.
Lynn's Comments: One of my husband's favourite sayings--when he was facing a seemingly impossible task was, "Details! details!"--meaning that anything can be done. This was a family inside joke, which the kids really enjoyed.
Lynn's Comments: Mike Peters (Mother Goose and Grimm) tells a story about how upset his girls would get if he embarrassed them in public. Now, Mike just can't help himself--he's a wonderfully theatrical guy with a prankster's edge. When one of his girls left her school lunch at home, he delivered it in person by leaping into her classroom dressed as Superman. This strip reminds me of that day, and how Marci still winces when she thinks of her dad in that costume.
Lynn's Comments: Nope. Nobody in our family ever made a talking head on a table as a Halloween costume. This was another descent into the "writer's mind" where silly ideas lie. The prospect of sustaining such a monstrosity made me think about how a small group of boys would treat their experimental pal; whatever they did, it would be messy!
Lynn's Comments: The North Bay Capitol Centre was almost torn down but was saved by a group of very determined people. After its restoration, it became something the politicians liked to point out as the "jewel in the crown."
Lynn's Comments: One of our dental suppliers made up special gift boxes for Halloween. In each box was a small tube of toothpaste, a small spool of floss, and a brand new toothbrush. Year after year we gave out toothbrushes and toothpaste for Halloween until I thought we would get egged for not giving out candy. I then switched to candy bars. When Halloween was over that year, one of the local moms stopped me on the street and asked why we’d changed our routine. As it turned out, a lot of kids were looking forward to getting a new toothbrush!
Lynn's Comments: In Lynn Lake, Manitoba (where we lived for six years), there was a Halloween tradition called, "Trick or Drinking." Lynn Lake was a tiny town. You could walk from one end to the other in about half an hour, so you could visit a friend, drink your fill and not have to worry about driving home. "Trick or drinking" happened after the kids were done with their rounds and had gone to bed. It was a time for the grown-ups to have some fun by dressing up, going to a friend's house and demanding a drink. If the host couldn't figure out who you were, they still had to invite you in, give you a drink and then wait until the next morning to find out who had been in the house! One Halloween, a gorilla walked into our house and demanded a drink. I gave him a beer and watched as he worked it into his head. No matter what we said or how hard we tried, we couldn't determine the gorilla's identity. Around noon the next day, we found out it had been the bank manager—one of the shyest and most unlikely pranksters in town! This just goes to show you that a costume not only changes the way you look, but can change your personality as well.
Lynn's Comments: We had a neighbour in Lynn Lake who had three boys. Their dog was used to all kinds of crazy treatment. One of the things the youngest did was straddle the dog like a motorcycle and make engine sounds while twisting his ears as if he was turning the throttle. Amazingly, the dog was perfectly fine with this!