Monthly Archives: September 2019

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Sunday September 1, 2019

Lynn's Comments: I'm looking back at these drawings from a grandmother's point of view now...and the first thing that came to mind was, "Why is Elly criticizing the kids when they have actually mowed and raked a lawn?!—For heaven's sake, girl, leave the complaints for bigger misdemeanors!"

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Monday September 2, 2019

Lynn's Comments: When I was a kid, I knew where every squeaky floorboard was in the house. Dancing about on them really annoyed my mom. This strip was done for her.

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Tuesday September 3, 2019

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Wednesday September 4, 2019

Lynn's Comments: When I asked my son one day what he remembered most about his school days, he said, "the lunches you made!" What a compliment!

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Thursday September 5, 2019

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Friday September 6, 2019

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Saturday September 7, 2019

Lynn's Comments: I've told this story before, but here it comes again! I was beginning to regret having the characters age in real time. I was losing the art and sweet comedy of "the baby days." My young characters were speaking in adult language and having adult concerns. I talked to Cathy Guisewite ("Cathy"), and she suggested that Elly should have another baby. I argued that I only had two kids in real life and didn't know what it would be like to have three. She said, "Lynn, it’s a comic strip. Make it up!"

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Sunday September 8, 2019

Lynn's Comments: When copiers became commonplace, everyone squashed and copied their faces…and other personal things, as well. In one office at McMaster University, where a large copier was in constant use, I saw the distinct form of a cat pressed onto the plate glass surface. There were no photocopies left at the scene and there was no cat on the premises. The outcome of the caper was not known, but people did look for scratch marks on the arms of workers in the area.

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Monday September 9, 2019

Lynn's Comments: After some thought, I decided that Elly's pregnancy would not only provide me with another baby character to have fun with, but I'd have nine months of "expectation" to cartoon!

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Tuesday September 10, 2019

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Wednesday September 11, 2019

Lynn's Comments: Suddenly, I had all kinds of situations to poke fun at. Cathy's suggestion was great.

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Thursday September 12, 2019

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.

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Friday September 13, 2019

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?

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Saturday September 14, 2019

Lynn's Comments: I became a little obsessed by the idea of having another baby.

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Sunday September 15, 2019

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Monday September 16, 2019

Lynn's Comments: I began to talk to friends and family about "what if?" This was a catalyst, and some very personal stories came to light.

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Tuesday September 17, 2019

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Wednesday September 18, 2019

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Thursday September 19, 2019

Lynn's Comments: In reality, my husband and I did talk about having a third child. Our son and daughter were growing up, I did miss "my baby," and we had room in our home and our hearts for another. The sobering truth was, we just didn’t have the time.

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Friday September 20, 2019

Lynn's Comments: Still, the storyline gave me a whole new focus in the strip. I could imagine how the news of another baby might affect our other two siblings.

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Saturday September 21, 2019

Lynn's Comments: All of these thoughts were based on the "what if?" question.

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Sunday September 22, 2019

Lynn's Comments: This was done at a time when several people I knew were dealing with serious health problems. The "rainbow day" remark came from my dad. My parents lived in Hope, BC. Dad and I were coming home from visiting mom in the hospital and it was raining. Set in the Fraser River Valley, Hope is surrounded by mountains. When it rains, the slanting rays of the sun always seem to make a rainbow. Dad said, "Look, it's a rainbow day!" Since we had both been in tears, it was a lovely observation. I saved it for a later time when I could use it in the strip.

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Monday September 23, 2019

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Tuesday September 24, 2019

Lynn's Comments: In order to be up to date, I read books on pregnancy. I became very aware of how many weeks along Elly was and how she would be feeling. If you start to think about these things, you start to feel them yourself. The idea of cravings made me want to buy stuff I didn’t ordinarily buy.

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Wednesday September 25, 2019

Lynn's Comments: A flashback in time: I once saw my mother at a party (after a few drinks) put a green grape up her nose and ask for a Kleenex. You never know when a flash from the past will come into your head and become a comic strip. This is what cartoonists rely on: a memory bank full of crazy scenes!

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Thursday September 26, 2019

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Friday September 27, 2019

Lynn's Comments: Whenever a serious story was on the rise, I always had to remember there were other things going on in the Pattersons' lives. There were other characters to include. In real life, there so many facets to every day…we don't focus on just one topic. Here, Farley comes in to break up the pregnancy storyline.

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Saturday September 28, 2019

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Sunday September 29, 2019

Lynn's Comments: In order to teach a kid to have good table manners and decent attire, nagging is a necessity…but, you have to do it while they’re young.

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Monday September 30, 2019

Lynn's Comments: Now that I live on the West Coast, I see these images of an Ontario winter through different lenses. I miss the beauty of the autumn leaves, the warmth and the smell of a wood fire…but I sure don't miss the snow!