Lynn Johnston was born on May 28, 1947 in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada as Lynn Ridgway. She is known for her work on For Better or for Worse: The Bestest Present (1985), For Better or for Worse: A Christmas Angel (1992) and For Better or for Worse: The Good-for-Nothing (1993). She was previously married to Rod Johnston and Doug Franks.
Johnston's strip is set in the province of Ontario in Canada, but she usually didn't make it very explicit beyond some relatively subtle elements such as milk being purchased in plastic bags. However, Johnston made an exception when she had the son, Michael, go to the city of London, Ontario, a city 300 km west of Toronto for post-secondary education. This was intended as a prank to fool the geographically ignorant into thinking Michael went to Britain for his schooling.
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Corbeil, Ontario, Canada [June 2007]
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Creator of "For Better, For Worse" cartoons.
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She was awarded the C.M. (Member of the Order of Canada) on November 1, 1991 for her services to the visual arts in Canada.
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The first female (and youngest person) ever to win the Reuben Award, cartooning's highest honour.
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Presently lives in Northern Ontario with her family. Her comic strip counterparts live near Toronto, Ontario.
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While she was pregnant with her first child, she was encouraged to enter the world of cartooning at the urging of her obstetrician to decorate his examination room with cartoons for the patients lying in the stirrups to have something to look at. She followed that advice and her drawings were collected as her first book, "David, We're Pregnant!", which became a best-seller.
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Brother Alan is a professional trumpet player -- his cartoon counterpart "Uncle Phil" is a music teacher and trumpet player.
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Parents, Ursula and Mervyn, brother Alan
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Modeled her comic strip "For Better or for Worse" after her own family
she just used the family's middle names for the character names
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Has one daughter, Katie, from her present marriage to Rod Johnston
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Has one son, Aaron, from a previous marriage
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Attended high school in North Vancouver, British Columbia
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Raised in New Westminster, British Columbia
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
For Better or for Worse
2000
TV Series comic strip - 5 episodes
For Better or for Worse: A Storm in April
1996
TV Movie comic strip / written by
For Better or for Worse: The Babe Magnet
1994
TV Movie comic strip / written by
For Better or for Worse: The Good-for-Nothing
1993
TV Movie comic strip / written by
For Better or for Worse: A Valentine from the Heart
1993
TV Movie comic strip / written by
For Better or for Worse: A Christmas Angel
1992
TV Movie comic strip / written by
For Better or for Worse: The Last Camping Trip
1992
TV Movie comic strip / written by
For Better or for Worse: The Bestest Present
1985
TV Movie comic strip / screenplay
Animation Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
For Better or for Worse: A Storm in April
1996
TV Movie character designer
For Better or for Worse: The Babe Magnet
1994
TV Movie character designer
For Better or for Worse: The Good-for-Nothing
1993
TV Movie character designer
For Better or for Worse: A Valentine from the Heart
1993
TV Movie character designer
For Better or for Worse: A Christmas Angel
1992
TV Movie character designer
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
For Better or for Worse: A Storm in April
1996
TV Movie lyrics: "You're Trouble" / music: "You're Trouble"
For Better or for Worse: A Christmas Angel
1992
TV Movie writer: "The Kid in the Middle"
For Better or for Worse: The Last Camping Trip
1992
TV Movie writer: "Elly's Rap Song"
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
For Better or for Worse: A Storm in April
1996
TV Movie
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Stripped
2014
Documentary
Herself
For Better or for Worse
2000
TV Series
Herself
Life and Times
1998
TV Series documentary
Herself
See You in the Funny Papers
1983
Documentary short
Herself
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1986
Gemini
Gemini Awards
Best Writing in a Comedy/Variety/Entertainment/Performing Arts Program or Series
For Better or for Worse: The Bestest Present (1985)
Known for movies
For Better or for Worse: The Bestest Present (1985) as Writer
For Better or for Worse: A Christmas Angel (1992) as Writer
For Better or for Worse: The Good-for-Nothing (1993) as Writer
For Better or for Worse: A Valentine from the Heart (1993) as Writer
$1.7 Million
