Last week marked the return of Red Rich to the pages of Animus Funnies. It had been eight months since I’d drawn him in a strip and let me tell you I’m happy to have him back.
When I drew Red Rich sadly walking away from Crismus’ house back in January (remember I draw strips three weeks in advance), I knew that was the last time I’d be drawing him for at least three or four months. Normally, even when a character isn’t actively involved in a storyline, I’ll still add them into a strip as a spectator to the action just to show I haven’t forgotten about them. But Red Rich was GONE. The only time I drew him was when I featured him in a mash-up. I had to remind myself not to add him to the crowd scenes. I’d say the toughest strip to leave him out was the tribute to Untchie strip I drew. I wanted Red Rich to be there for Big Oonch when he was grieving, but couldn’t add him.
I’d been sitting on the idea for Skitter and the subsequent Search for Skitter storyline since fall 2012. When I wrote Red Rich out of the strip, I knew right away that I wanted to have him come back just in time to accompany Zoë in her search for Skitter. It felt like a great dramatic opportunity. Little did I know that it would take so long to get to this storyline and that Red Rich would be missing for so long. I guess the extended absence helps make his return all the more dramatic though.
If you’ve missed Red Rich as much as I have, you’ll be pleased to know he features heavily in the outcome of the current storyline. I plotted out the rest of the Search for Skitter storyline this weekend. For the last little bit I’ve been writing two or three strips, just enough to have something to draw that weekend. As I bike to work every day, I think about things I want to happen, but I needed to establish the true sequence of events rather than just a vague sense of the gag ideas I wanted to hit without any idea how to get from one to the next. I didn’t write many strips, but I have a much better idea of how the pieces fit together to tell the story. I also now know that there is NO way this story concludes before Christmastime which was the very latest I wanted it to finish. I have an idea for that too now though.
Something I really like about this storyline is that it features Cyran, Sass and Red Rich together on a quest. I consider those three to be my core characters. They were the first three characters I created before there was even an Age of Animus to talk about. When you watch Star Wars, you’re following the adventures of Luke, Han and Leia in this grand world created by George Lucas. Well, Cyran, Red Rich and Sass are my Luke, Han and Leia. I hope someday to be able to do justice to the stories I have in my head for them. They’re very different from the stuff I’m doing in the Funnies (okay, Red Rich is pretty much the same in both). The Funnies stories are just easier to tell.
Okay, enough of my babbling. I have a Sass drawing to colour. Have a great week all and welcome back Red Rich!