• The Strip's Origins
• The Characters: Who's Who
• Frequently Asked Questions
• About the Creators

The Strip's Origins

NeverNever was created c. 1996, when I was looking for ideas for a comic strip to sell to the big newspaper syndicates. I had enjoyed some success with my college paper strip, "Whistling in the Dark," but I didn't think that one would get real far. The way I remember it, the big announcement had just been made that "Calvin and Hobbes" was being retired, and I was disappointed about it, which probably was a major influence on the earliest strips. I know it definitely influenced the very first strip, shown at the top of this page, which was a deliberate homage to the first strip of "Calvin and Hobbes."

My basic idea was a simple one ... faeries, elves, and whatnot are generally assumed to be immortal, or at least very long-lived ... so where the heck are they? Well, the answer is obvious: they're right there where they've always been, we just don't notice.

Well, I figured, if we just don't notice them, then they must be pretty ticked at us, building housing developments in their meadows, paving roads over their houses, knocking dragons out of the sky with our transcontinental jets, and so forth. If I were the leader of the various magical creatures, I'd want to do something to get humanity's attention -- heck, I might even declare war!

Once I had a faerie army at war with humanity, combined with the idea of a faerie accidentally caught in a mousetrap, the rest began to fall into place naturally. Arthur and his nonbelieving dad, Col. Beowulf, General Blither, Lieutenant Bristle, and Queen Isegrayne came forward almost immediately. But I still felt something was missing ... both some sort of romance angle, and some sort of really different character. Mopsy the Pooka stepped forward for that purpose, and I knew right away that she was exactly who I was looking for. I wasn't sure what her role in the strip was going to be, at first ... that she would get involved with Col. Beowulf later rather took me by surprise.

Since at that point my goal was still newspaper syndication, I quickly threw together about a month's worth of strips. My art style at that stage was still very rough, and the syndicates were not impressed. Feeling rejected, I let NeverNever sit in a drawer for a while, trying to figure out what to do next.

Late in 1998, I was unemployed and pretty unsatisfied with how my career was going, so I decided to take up my cartooning again. A friend of mine had just introduced me to Kevin and Kell, and I was inspired not only by Bill Holbrook's artwork (which is great), but by the happy innocence of the work. (This was before the Great Bird Conspiracy. ;) ) Of my creations, I still thought that NeverNever had the best chance on the market, so I redrew the first month's worth of strips and sent it off again ... with the same lackluster response. Undeterred (it's amazing what a little inspiration can do for you), I decided to post my strips on the internet. I figured that if I built an audience, the syndicates would have to take interest sooner or later. A coworker at my new job provided me some webspace, and off I went!

I began my other online strip, The Suburban Jungle, a few months later, and for about a year the two strips ran on alternating weeks. Unfortunately, the stresses of my incredibly-hectic dot-com job, a bout of clinical depression, and various other factors began to take a heavy toll on me. I decided that I should concentrate my dwindling creative resources toward one comic or the other ... and while NeverNever had the more devoted fans, Suburban Jungle had a much larger volume of fans. So I concentrated on Suburban Jungle, putting NeverNever on an indefinite hiatus, but always intending to return to it.

A lot has happened since then ... the dot-com crash killed my job, St. John's Wort and counseling have done wonders for the depression, and my resolve to get NeverNever up and running again has finally come to fruition. I've pretty much forgotten about the syndicates ... most of the stuff running in the newspapers these days isn't worth the trouble to read anyway. All of the work I really enjoy and admire is on the web. Yeah, there's not a lot of money to be made in this space, but I was never really in it for the money anyway. As long as I can keep my house and keep eating, the rest is just a bonus.

The Characters: Who's Who

ARTHUR Occupation: Kid Alignment: Good Relations: Son of "Mom & Dad" Arthur is a shy and geeky suburban kid who, unlike most humans these days, can see faeries, pookas, dragons, etc. and recognize them for what they are. He was also able to draw Excalibur from its stone scabbard, making him Pendragon, or high king of the forces of good. While this theoretically gives him authority over the Arcadians, it also makes him a target for destruction by the Abyssians.	COLONEL BEOWULF Occupation: CO, 49th Feline Cavalry Alignment: Good The only brain in an army of featherheads, Col. Beowulf commands the 49th Feline Cavalry. He is also Arthur's best friend. Colonel Beowulf remains steadfastly devoted to Queen Isegrayne and loyal to the faerie cause -- even when that loyalty is rewarded by failure after demeaning failure. Why he does this is something of a mystery to himself.	MOPSY THE POOKA Occupation: Household Guardian Alignment: Good Relations: Matthew's neice Magical critters who adopt homes and use their powers to keep the house safe and happy, pookas are shy and retiring and Mopsy is no exception -- as long as you're on her good side. Like all pookas, Mopsy is inherently lucky, and can change her size at will from mouse-sized to house-sized, and she can turn invisible or return to visibility at will. She may look cute and cuddly, but don't get her riled or she'll hang you from a table lamp.
GENERAL BLITHER Occupation: Commander of the Arcadian Armed Forces Alignment: Good This great faerie is a veteran hero and a military genius of the highest caliber -- just ask him, and he'll tell you so. What some would call ridiculous, he calls grand. What others call idiotic, he calls bold. He misses the grandeur of the great old days, whenever that was. The faeries of Arcadia, including the Queen, all have implicit faith in his ability -- except for the only one who knows what a moron he is, Colonel Beowulf, the General's own right-hand man.	LIEUTENANT BRISTLE Occupation: Member of the 49th Feline Cavalry Alignment: Good A junior officer in the 49th Feline Cavalry, Lieutenant Bristle is bright, young, idealistic, and committed. Unfortunately, he's also inexperienced, unaware, and hopelessly naive. He met Lady Dewdrop at an annual Autumnal Equinox Ball, and it was love at first sight -- luckily, Colonel Beowulf, who was courting Lady Dewdrop at the time, was more than happy to step aside in favor of young Bristle.	QUEEN ISEGRAYNE Occupation: Ruler of Arcadia Alignment: Good The Faerie Queen Isegrayne (pronounced, "Is a grain?"), daughter and heir of Oberon and Titania, may have the face and body of an elegant young woman, but she has the heart of a panther, and the mind of a butterfly. Flatter her and please her, and she'll order the world handed to you on a silver platter. Say the wrong word, and she'll have your rotten head chopped off -- at least until the next distraction comes along.
MOM AND DAD Occupation: Dad: Lawyer Mom: Business Executive Alignment: None Relations: Arthur's parents Solid, stolid, and very normal in every way, Arthur's (as yet un-named) parents love their son but can't comprehend him. They don't believe in faeries and never will -- even when the faeries show up at their house with declarations of war. Whether they're in denial or simply incapable of seeing the truth, Arthur's parents are the crushing normality of everyday life incarnate.	THE BLACK KNIGHT Occupation: Champion of Death, Entropy, and the Forces of Evil Alignment: Evil (duh) The Black Knight has bedeviled Pendragons since before recorded time. Although he's usually just a little more annoying than an internet troll, occasionally he can be genuinely dangerous, particularly when hell-bent on Arthur's destruction. (You ever notice that you never hear of anyone being heaven-bent?) The Black Knight was recently evaporated by a bolt of lightning -- but he's been in worse situations. He'll be back.	LADY DEWDROP Occupation: Queen's Lady-in-Waiting Alignment: Good One of the Queen's many attendants, Lady Dewdrop is a starry eyed, beautiful young maiden who is, sadly, a bit on the vapid side. Raised on heroic tales of chivalry and courtly romance, Lady Dewdrop would love nothing more than to be carried off by a hoard of goblins so her handsome and dashing Lt. Bristle could come and get killed trying to rescue her. How romantic!
COLONEL THUNDER Occupation: CO, Red Hawk Brigade Alignment: Good The bravest, boldest, handsomest, daringest, everythingest hero of all Arcadia, the leader of the Red Hawk Brigade, the one and only Colonel Thunder! Children worship him! Men respect and envy him! Women want him for their very own! There's no danger too great, no task too arduous, no risk too intimidating for the mighty (and loud) Colonel Thunder! So keep hope in your heart and lock up your daughter, for Colonel Thunder! is here to save the day!	GNORMAN G. GNOME Occupation: Arms Dealer, Consultant, Legal Counsel, Anything Else With Money Attached Alignment: None "Specializing in gnarled and gnasty gnives and gnets! Are your gneighbors a gnuisance? When Gnorman's done they'll be gnashed and gnotted!" A hustler with the tongue of a salesman and the morals of a shark, he's willing to keep fleecing General Blither as long as General Blither is willing to be fleeced. In other words, your typical government contractor. His middle name is Gned.	JENNY Occupation: Kid Alignment: None Relations: Camille's daughter A mysterious girl Arthur met at camp, who was vital in getting rid of the Black Knight (this time around, anyway). She is easy to spot by her enormous glasses and backpack full of all sorts of bizarre things. She is smart, studious, down-to-earth, and a bit socially awkward, basically a nerdy tomboy. A match made in heaven for Arthur if ever there was one.
MATTHEW THE POOKA Occupation: Pooka High Warren member Alignment: Good Relations: Mopsy's uncle Mopsy's uncle Matthew is a member of the High Warren, the leaders of pooka society. As such, he values harmony, consistency, and discretion above all things, even when that puts him in conflict with his beloved neice.	CAMILLE Occupation: unknown Alignment: None Relations: Jenny's mother Col. Beowulf's best friend for a year when she was a little girl, Camille was forced by her parents to stop believing in faeries and grow up faster than she was ready to, and is determined not to let the same thing happen to her daughter. In fact, Jenny's more grown up now than Camille would prefer...	AGATHA THE DRAGON Occupation: Dragon Alignment: None Agatha is a sweet little old lady who likes tea and cookies ... except that she also happens to be a fire-breathing, bat-winged dragon. Compelled by her draconic instincts to hoard treasure, she has amassed a huge collection of frilly tablecloths, pillow shams, tea cozies, and other cutesy, countrified crafts. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
DARK LORD OF THE ABYSS Occupation: Ruler of Abyss Alignment: Evil The dark counterpart to Queen Isegrayne, Dark Lord rules over the Abyss with an iron hand. From his skull-topped throne at the heart of a dark castle, he sends forth goblins, monsters, and of course the Black Knight, to wreak General Badness on Earth and Arcadia. He's not a nice guy.	HERBERT THE BICORN Occupation: Riding Beast Alignment: None A magical beast with the head of a goat, the body of a goat, and the legs of ... a goat ... Herbert has a sour attitude, and doesn't mind who knows about it. One would assume that, being magical, he has some kind of special abilities beyond being able to talk ... but if he does, he doesn't seem willing to use them.	THE ALL-KNOWING ORACLE Occupation: Soothsayer Alignment: None How much sooth would a soothsayer say if a soothsayer would say sooth?   Or something like that.   This guy ain't real helpful.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the faeries real, or in Arthur's imagination?
They're real.

Why don't humans notice faeries, pookas, dragons, etc?
Well, it's implied that kids are more aware of them than adults are ... so maybe it's something to do with innocence or some such thing. It is clear that humans can see them, even hold conversations with them -- but it just doesn't seem to register. Behold the power of denial, I guess.

Arthur's dad has been attacked by faeries and argued with the Black Knight -- but he still doesn't believe? What's up with that?
Arthur's dad has very skillfully acclimated himself to living in The Real World.

What is Arthur's last name?
Unknown. (No, his name isn't "Arthur Unknown!" I mean, it isn't known was his last name is!)

What are Arthur's parents' names?
See the previous question.

Where does Arthur live?
At his parents' house. Oh, no, wait, you mean where in the world? Um, the U.S.A., somewhere.

Is Arthur a genetic descendant of King Arthur Pendragon?
Probably, but not necessarily. Excalibur's choice of Pendragons seems to be based on the personality traits of the person in question, rather than the bloodline.

Is Excalibur still laying around in the forest?
Yes, it's still there waiting for Arthur to draw it again. He put it back like Beowulf told him to, and they haven't been by there since.

Is Mopsy the pooka the same Mopsy from Beatrix Potter?
I don't know, and Mopsy isn't telling.

Where are Oberon and Titania?
The King and Queen of the faeries from various mythological sources (and Shakespeare) passed away a few hundred years ago; Queen Isegrayne is their daughter.

Is Arcadia the same as Heaven? Is Abyss the same as Hell?
No, and no. The denizens of Arcadia and Abyss are "ethereals," which is to say, they are supernatural, but not divine. Arcadia and Abyss are just removed enough from the mortal world to allow for magic.

What is it with faeries and cupcakes?
Hey, they just love cupcakes, okay? Is that so wrong???

About the Creators

John "The Gneech" Robey has spent most of his life either drawing cartoons or writing fantasy and science fiction stories. During his years spent gaining a B.A. in English from Virginia Commonwealth University, he created a strip named Whistling in the Dark that ran in the college newspaper and was quite popular as well as counting as his term paper for a course entitled "History of the American Comic Strip." Gneech currently spends his days as a graphic artist and web coder in northern Virginia, and his nights continuing to pursue his cartooning and writing.

Tiffany Ross has been doing comics online since 1998 starting with the skunk themed comic, Satin & Silk. Currently she does several comics under the Shivae Studios label. She's a stay at home mother and mostly self taught through time. (The two years at WTA&M University don't count.) She likes to try her hand at different ways of doing things and what better way than to do it for someone else? Now, this is SUPPOSED to be a temporary arrangement, but the last time I did something temporary, it ran on and off for 5 years and is now in the progress of being written up for standard publication.)

Susan Rankin is a tea-driven cartoonist. She's been drawing since the day she was able to hold a crayon and began drinking tea on a regular basis shortly thereafter. She's a renaissance woman. Always got her hands in something different artistically; sculpture, set design/painting, CnC woodcarving and animation are the latest things. Her first love though, besides tea, of course, is cartooning. From Middle School in Havertown, PA on up through a brief stint with the SCA, she's been doing cartoons for publication. When she isn't cartooning, she's lamenting that she really ought be cartooning, whereas tea tends to be concurrent with nearly all activities. Playing "Bejeweled" on Endless is not one of them. Tea gets cold.

In addition to NeverNever and her other activities, Susan is also the creator of A Doemain of Our Own, which is a silly, semi-autobiographical romp that's been romping around for... nearly 8 years now... Good gravy.

Higgins hasn't given me any bio information!

Richard Wyatt hasn't given me any bio information either! But he does a great strip called Dansk Folly, which you really should go check out ASAP!