It's becoming a habit...

Hey! Another post is due, about Simon this time, since the final chapter of Double Trouble got posted.

First of all, news about the posts: our editor was sick these last few weeks and wasn't able to get as much editing in as usual. Hence there is no Endless Plight post this week. Sorry for Zach and Shaun's fans. I thought of posting the unedited chapter, but I decided against it, considering the improvements Nicholas' contribution brings.

So here is my entry on Simon.

There would be much to tell, but I'll focus on the beginnings.

I got acquainted with Simon on the GID board back in the spring of 2006. It was one of the many boards that popped up and disappeared quickly, usually without any notice.

There was an original character contest, and BC entered Simon with a Simon and Stilo drawing, and a quick blurb on the magician’s assistant who got stuck at the end of performances.

I liked BC’s drawing style, and the idea for Birthday Party Gone Awry came to me almost immediately. A private party for posh kids, with one of them plotting to keep the escape artist after the show.

We traded back and forth with BC to refine the plot. We came up with the cigar smoke causing Stilo to snap, and the Wilhelm character arose too. We even wondered if we wouldn’t hurt our German readers’ feelings, but ended up dismissing these concerns, as it was fiction and for a pulp story as ours, having a Nazi villain in the 1930s seemed obvious..

As last summer, for Knotty Peril, I had to keep pace with BC, who got all the drawings in quickly.

Being plunged in this fictional world helped at the time; it was the moment my dad died, rather unexpectedly. I still had to perform my duties as a son to help my mom, but writing the story when back home allowed me to get out my gloomy mood a few hours a day.

I was really glad to get an illustrated story. Especially with BC’s art. It was also fun working with someone else, and getting feedback from the people on the board, many of whom still are around.

Simon stuck with me and it’s always a pleasure to get back to the character and have him live new adventures. Having people suggest plots like for the last two stories allowed to have a fresh take on the story. Expect more adventures for the ginger escape artist, there are more villains who want to have him as a permanent guest!