stuart@rochester.UUCP (01/16/85)
From: Stuart Friedberg <stuart>
Excuse the amateur biology, the real COMICS question is at the end.
Over the holidays, I learned about the zoological family _Mustildae_,
(my spelling may be incorrect), which contains the badger, otter,
fisher, skunk, mink, wolverine, and weasel.
All of these creatures have a well-deserved reputation for being
vicious fighters capable of successfully taking on animals many times
their weight. They are generally carnivorous, with long, flexible
bodies carried close to the ground. The shapes of their heads are
similar, usually triangular. Many of these animals can emit a strong
musk. The skunk and the wolverine in particular are noted for this.
The badger, skunk and wolverine (maybe others) have prominent light
strips in their fur. The badger is a burrower; the otter and fisher
are semi-aquatic, although at least the fisher climbs trees very well;
the skunk is renowned for its smell; the fisher is reputed to be the
only animal that can eat porcupines without fear of infection or
internal damage from the quills; mink are noted for breeding like,
well, mink; and the wolverine is so cunning at raiding human traps and
so ferocious a fighter the northern Indian tribes believed it to be an
incarnation of the Devil. And finally, (almost?) all the members of
this family are natives of North America.
Now for the comics question:
Wolverine is very aptly named, given the geographical distribution of
real wolverines, their reputation as fighters and their fairly small
size. (The physical description is not very close, though!) What I
would like to know is when/where other comic characters with the names
of Badger, Otter, Fisher (as the animal, not an angler), Skunk, Mink
or Weasel may have appeared and what their significant power/method/
personality traits might be. A "thumbnail" sketch would be fine.
Reply to me personally or to the net as you think appropriate,
Stu Friedberg {seismo, allegra}!rochester!stuart stuart@rochestertim@cmu-cs-k.ARPA (Tim Maroney) (01/17/85)
Well, of course there is the Badger, a psychopathic vigilante who is bodyguard to a fifth-century druid living in present-day Wisconsin. He is extremely violent and insane, but he means well. He is now published by First Comics. Mike Baron takes the credit or blame for this character. Also Wolverine MacAlistaire, of "Journey". He is a consummate woodsman and not at all violent except when he has to be (not very often). When he is violent, it is time to see if you can break the four-minute mile. He has incredible stamina and a taste for Lord Byron's poetry. "Journey" is published by Fantagraphics Books, and written and drawn by William Messner-Loebs, who you will remember for "Rex Mason, Boy Transvestite" in Bizarre Sex 10, from Kitchen Sink publishing. Incidentally, Baron and Loebs are two of the best in the industry. Anything by either is well worth checking out. -=- Tim Maroney, Carnegie-Mellon University Computation Center ARPA: Tim.Maroney@CMU-CS-K uucp: seismo!cmu-cs-k!tim CompuServe: 74176,1360 audio: shout "Hey, Tim!" "Remember all ye that existence is pure joy; that all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass & are done; but there is that which remains." Liber AL, II:9.