En Lo Bueno y en Lo Malo: FBorFW in Spanish

In 2008 the FBorFW crew vacationed in Cuba.
Lynn talks about travel

  I've been to quite a few places in Mexico, have visited Peru, Venezuela, Cuba, Honduras and have found my second language useful all over the United States. Many people working there are not yet English speakers. It's wonderful to be able to converse with them in their own language.  

Liuba in her traditional Spanish-style dress.

  I started taking Spanish lessons 12 years ago after Rod and I returned from a Medical Missions trip to Honduras. My job during the mission was to sterilize instruments among other things, and it eventually came to me to organize lineups and work more with the people from the villages. Being unable to communicate, it was a comedy of gestures and drawings and I wished I had at least a few words with which to help out. We were so short of translators. Aside from medical skills, translation was most needed. I was already well into the broken tourist lingo when I began taking lessons at the college with Liuba Liamzina.

Liuba and her husband Alberto in Havana. Alberto supplies art materials to the Cuban conservation and restoration industry through his company, Unidos Canada. Cuba is home to several UNESCO World Heritage sites which are undergoing processes of restoration and preservation.


My introduction to Spanish as a student was with Liuba. Without her sense of humour and wonderful, easy, supportive manner, I likely would not have continued with such enthusiasm. I so enjoyed her personality I asked her to work with me, which began a long lasting and very interesting relationship. Liuba has been our Accounts Executive at the studio for more than eleven years.

Liuba and her husband, Alberto, are Cuban (Liuba was born in Russia but lived in Cuba for many years). I've visited their home in Havana several times and have enjoyed meeting their friends and family.

Cuban Spanish is different from Mexican Spanish, so if you can follow a fast colloquial Cuban conversation, you're doing well. I'm getting there!

Liuba and I frequently speak Spanish at work which helps to keep me thinking in another tongue. They say another language gives you another "personality" and I know that's true. The use of hands and body are different, expressions change and laughter often comes from different sources. I'm grateful, now to be able to understand humour in another language. Often the joke is on me. Now I have to get back to my roots and learn to speak French!  


For Better or For Worse appeared in some Spanish newspapers as En Lo Bueno y En Lo Malo. Liuba and Alberto assisted with the translations - it's not easy to make an English slang term or a cartoony sound effect sound correct in another language, but they did it! Here you can see some Spanish versions of FBorFW Sunday comics. Click on the thumbnails to pop up a larger copy!











Alberto did us the honour of translating part of our About Lynn section into Spanish!

Lynn Lake y los inicios de "Para Bien o Para Mal"
En el año 1978, Rod y yo, Aaron y la pequeña Katie planeábamos mudarnos a la ciudad de Lynn Lake en Manitoba. Fue entonces que los editores de Universal Press Syndicate, vieron mis libros, me escribieron y me preguntaron si estaba interesada en trabajar en una tira cómica diaria. Les envié veinte muestras de "Los Johnstons" - una serie basada en nuestra propia familia -. Debido al hecho que éramos las únicas personas a las que conocía, podía dibujar sobre el mismo tema con cierta consistencia. Esperando ser honorablemente declinada, recibí y finalmente firmé con ellos un contrato por veinte años. Así comenzó el trabajo.

No obstante, en el año 1979, cuando llegó el momento de la publicación, decidí cambiar el nombre de los personajes a sus segundos nombres (Aaron Michael, Catherine Elizabeth, Roderick John) con la excepción de Elly, quien fue nombrada a partir de una cercana amiga fallecida. Mi editor, Lee Salem, sugirió el título "Para Bien o Para Mal" el cual nos parece que fue una buena selección, pues en la tira no todo siempre es color de rosas. Por muchos años quise otro bebé, como finalmente no pudo suceder, ¡creé uno!, fue así que el primero de abril del año 1991 apareció Abril, la cual trajo gran creatividad la tira humorística.

La vida en los periódicos humorísticos.
La mayoría de los caricaturistas comienzan de la misma manera que lo hice yo: dibujando en cualquier cosa tan pronto tienen una pluma en las manos. Siempre me gustó dibujar y siempre tuve esta tendencia tonta que muchas veces me creó problemas. "Para Bien o Para Mal" me ayudó a encausarla por el buen camino. Siempre supe que sería caricaturista, pero nunca esperé VIVIR de eso.

"Para Bien o Para Mal" hoy:
Hoy, "Para Bien o Para Mal" se publica en más de 2000 periódicos en Canadá, los Estados Unidos y otros 20 países. Se traduce en ocho idiomas. Existen más de 30 libros en publicación. Por una lista de los trabajos publicados de Lynn, visite nuestra illustrated bibliography.



Are you interested in learning Spanish? Want to see more FBorFW en Español? Check out Laugh and Learn Spanish, by Brenda Wegmann with illustrations by Lynn.

Lynn's cartoons will have you laughing your way through your lessons as you expand your vocabulary, comprehension and conversational skills. You'll learn how to talk in Spanish about everyday things: making demands and requests, expressing hope and plans for the future, discussing household chores, going shopping, exploring relationships, and so on. The engaging story lines offer a strong incentive to keep reading and learning.