Lynn's Comments: Living in small towns meant that we got to know the medical folks pretty well. Meeting a doctor at a party, who had just given me a physical check-up, was a challenge at first. Then, like everyone elseā¦I just got used to it!
Lynn's Comments: I was about seven and my brother was five. We had been having one of our knock-down, drag out fights. Mom was in the basement and either ignored us or couldn't hear just how angry the fight had become.
Our one bathroom, which had a locking door, became a refuge. If you could get in there first, you were safe. You had to slam the door to get it to lock. I ran into the bathroom, slammed the door and Alan screamed. Thinking he was just screaming with rage, I continued to shove the door shut not knowing that his finger had been caught in the door jamb. By the time I realized there was something wrong, I had seriously injured his finger. Mom rushed us to the hospital where he was given a shot and had his finger bound with gauze. It wasn't broken, but his knuckle was severely bruised and the skin had split with the pressure. I was so sorry. Even though Alan accepted my apology, I've never forgotten the incident and I have never forgiven myself!
Lynn's Comments: My punch lines often relied on figures of speech. I thought that Elly's fainting in the last panel here would make sense. Sometimes, readers were left wondering what there was to smile at because the gag was a bit obtuse. All I can say is that cartoonists are on a tight deadline. We have to use what comes to mind and hope for the best.
Lynn's Comments: When this story began to unfold, all of the thoughts one would have if confronted by this news began to buzz in my head. What would I do if this was happening to ME?
Lynn's Comments: This observation about the ceiling is directly related to the origin of this comic strip. Since patients spend a lot of time looking at an examining room ceiling, I asked my obstetrician to put something interesting on his. He said, "You're the cartoonist. I challenge you to draw something for me to put up there!"
Lynn's Comments: A friend who was a chiropractor allowed me to take Polaroid photos of him in his office with a patient who was in on the scheme. I wanted to show that I had done my homework!