According to Brian Walker’s The Comics Since 1945, Pat Brady just got fed up with Pasqualese. It reprints the first cartoon in which he speaks proper English. While eating one of his beloved hoffujundies (or however you spell it), his mother points out that some people are able to do extraordinary things in a time of danger. As the hoffujundie tips, Pasquale makes that statement true by cleary saying, “Don’t spill my hot fudge sundae!” Both he and his mother are surprised.
I remember when I thought Dondi was the coolest thing but I don’t even see that strip any more.
Funky Winkerbean’s creator, Tom Batiuk, was born in Akron and grew up in Elyria. He was an art teacher for several years at one of the Elyria junior high schools. A friend of mine from college had him as her art teacher. She said he was mean and she didn’t think he liked teaching very much! But I gather from reading his strips that he respects teachers, at least.
Calvin and Hobbes’ creator grew in Chagrin Falls, which is a lovely area of NE Ohio. He now lives in Hudson, which used to be a charming town - unfortunately it’s becoming rather overpopulated.
For the record, this site credits Snoopy with five brothers (Andy, Marbles, Olaf, Rover, and Spike) and two sisters (Belle and Molly). Their mother is Missy. Several discrepancies between the Snoopy’s Reunion TV special and the “more canonical” Snoopy Come Home film’s version of Snoo’s early life are addressed. No mention of the “only puppy theory” mentioned by Chronos, though.
As for Lynn Johnston’s For Better or for Worse, the strip is peppered with many Canadian references. Such spellings as “colour” and “cheque” are used. Elizabeth attends university in northern Ontario, the province in which the Pattersons live (the fact Ontario schools still have a Grade 13 has been addressed). On or around November 11, you should see a mention of “Remembrance Day”, the British/Canadian term for what USA residents refer to as Veterans Day.