Maybe Bowen is an L.S. Bumblebee?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5vOLtTwjm0

HAHA! I'm gonna say...probably not the same bumblebee, here! ^__^

It's always handy to stash little notes like these around in places where you won't lose them, so you can always look back on them to check if you're staying in continuity when you're writing or drawing your characters *chuckles* Also, if I might make a suggestion, for Casey, it might be fun to choose the Jamaican cricket, because that way, you could use that to give him an additional bit of backstory and/or a character quirk by having him speak with a Jamaican accent - which I know will be a half nightmare to write and keep consistent, but which will also be really funny and worth the effort, hee >^_^<

Thanks! Yeah, you should see the notebooks and notebooks and notebooks I have written hundreds of pages of stories, notes and various things about my characters, the universe that live in and the events that happen to shape their lives. So these type of notes are incredibly important to me for, as you said, continuity and consistency ^_^

Oh, it's funny that you mentioned giving Casey a Jamaican heritage, because with Bowen, I noticed that the great yellow bumblebee is spread out across many countries and continents as opposed to the orange-belted which is just in North America. I had entertained the idea of making him a native of the UK, so I could give him an English or Scottish accent + backstory.

Hmm...Casey you meet early in the series, as soon as the first comic/story, most likely. But, he lives alone. Mari is his closest friend. So, there is a lot of wiggle room with him. Bowen doesn't appear until quite a bit later, so he has nothing but wiggle room! I've got some decisions to make. I will say, however, that the Jamaican field cricket is much closer to Casey's color scheme. Also, I like the other name, "silent cricket" as there is DEFINITELY a lot to play with, there. Hmm...

You're very welcome, dear! *chuckles* And do I ever know what you mean, hee! I used to have tons of notebooks and ring maps full of papers filled with partial scenes and notes and little bits and bobs about SO many characters, hee!

A UK backstory would be very interesting actually, if you go the Scottish direction, there is so much lore and interesting and funny history there that you could look into and possibly incorporate into the character. And a Scottish accent is easier to write than a 'plain' English one because it's more distinctive. So that is certainly something worthy to look into!

Wiggle room is always good! I have noticed with some of my own characters that they sometimes change a bit over time as I write for them, and while in most cases it's their current behavior that changes (which I can then contribute to character development, hee), sometimes it's also small things about their backstories or histories, often because I had forgotten specific details, so wiggle room is definitely good to have! *chuckles* Jamaican would still be quite funny, especially if Casey shows up with something resembling dreadlocks, and humming in a reggae manner and rhythm, and perhaps he is mainly interested in cannabis plants... but he could also be a very interesting character as being a mute, or having some kind of affliction that causes him to not make sound with wings or other parts of his body, which would be why he would be a 'silent' cricket, hee. So, yes, there's definitely still a whole lot for you to think on and consider and play with! But the nice thing is, you can just let those kind of things run and flow through your mind while you're doing other stuff like chores, or in your case, packing/unpacking and things concerning the moving >^_^< Whatever you eventually decide on, though, I'm positive it will be a fantastic result!

Actually, Mari's father already has locs. Casey has short, messy hair. I like the silent cricket term, because it opens up many possibilities. I did a little investigating and it appears that in a version of the species, the males are mute. It means that he could have to speak using sign language, or that he often plays his violin to convey an emotion. ...actually, he plays his violin to convey this anyway. But, being mute would be interesting and I really like trying to include various traits and abilities to my characters. Shilah is an albino, for example. I have an idea for a character that's paralyzed and another that has neurological issues. I'm working them out, right now. But, with Casey, he could represent people that cannot speak with words.

Also, silent crickets are often used as food for pets like lizards. He could have escaped from a pet store, or from a person who was about to feed him to his pet bearded dragon. That would give him a unique view of the world and especially of humans. ...hmm...

As for Bowen, I love Scottish lore. The ancient things and mystical legends are fascinating and enchanting. I'm leaning more toward him being a transplant from there, rather than England. But, I will have to see. ...interestingly enough, Miele is a Western/European Honeybee. What does that mean for the two...? I have some thoughts. ^_^