Wheels within wheels.

Merry Christmas!

Nice image of Kathy standing on Jinjur's chest holding her head up in one hand.

Bunners

It isn't on this page but I like the tie-in to Christmas on the website's page.

Thanks--I sometimes amaze myself by the way I can work a Christmas reference into my Dec. 25-ish updates.

I really wanted to get that strip up today here, but it wouldn't fit on the "page", and when I tried switching it with the "A" strip, it created a continuity problem.

Destined to wear the jeweled crown upon a troubled brow

Things like this I feel make the whole time travel aspect almost superfluous. It adds enough intrigue on its own.

Which makes all the other stuff even MORE interesting. Rare do I see magic AND science within the same work.

What on earth were your inspirations.

A very twisted mind that can think fourth-dimensionally.

Seriously, though--I read a lot of fantasy, a bit of sci-fi, watched tons of comedies, and studied pre-WW I European history, which is what I'm basing the plot on.

Hmm... Very interesting.

Any particular noteworthy novels or works?

Well, up until I saw "The Hobbit" in sixth grade, I read mostly stuff about animals, like "Misty of Chincoteague" and "The Black Stallion," and any natural history books I could get my hands on. Ate up the "All Creatures Great And Small" series. Then I read Tolkien. Never really liked CS Lewis.

A friend in high school introduced me to "Hitchhiker's Guide." I also got into Sherlock Holmes about the same time through the Granada TV series with Jeremy Brett. I'd read the Pern novels, and a bunch of random fantasy novels, as well as the Harvard Lampoon's "Bored of the Rings."

I credit A.C. Doyle with improving my writing style. I credit the band Marillion with helping me be a more creative wordsmith.

I read "The Phantom of the Opera" after watching a TV movie based on the story, and then wrote my own version.

I read "Alice In Wonderland" when I was in England; that became my comic strip "Alice Blue and the Gardens of Q."

I read Peter S. Beagle's works.

A chance encounter with a portrait of Grand Duchess Anastasia, who looked uncannily exactly like me, got me researching the Tsar and his family, which laid the groundwork for the Rackenroon story.

I've been writing stories since I was in the third grade, incidentally, and cartooning for slightly longer. Schulz, Browne, Walker, and later on, Foglio and Watterson, were some of my inspiratons.

Lotta good stuff in there.

If I might recommend something... The redwall series by Garth Nix. Quite a fascinating work especially since predators and prey ALSO play into the story.

It is a more medieval setting but you might find it worth reading. Figured I'd return the favor for giving me new things to look into.

I did try reading the "Redwall" series several years ago--I had written stuff about mice years earlier--but I just couldn't get hooked; the animals acted "too human" for my taste.

There are more things for my list of inspirations, but I can't recall them all right off the top of my head.

I suppose that is fair enough.

Thanks again though.

Oh--and I credit "Looney Tunes" for comic timing, and "The Addams Family" for the general atmosphere of the hyena worldview.

Hmm... I can see the influence

Comes the dawn.

Fred's changed his tune, and I'm not sure Kathy is so eager to follow through.

Edge of my seat, here!