Try as I might, I just can’t seem to find a name for this guy that I’m happy with, even after featuring him in a story in Doghouse Funhouse #1! But, since he’ll have a bit part in the current Watusi storyline, it’s high time to get it figured out! While the names of his buddies (l-r) Chuck, Emma, and Kirby came with no problem and seem to fit them just right, I still haven’t found anything that quite suits him. Here’s a little background on the character: he’s a 10-year old classmate of his friends, and gets along with them pretty well. He’s smart (like Kirby), but downplays it. His family is pretty well off, and he lives in the tony part of Wonder Valley, but doesn’t flaunt it Richie Rich style. In fact, his parents send him to public school just so that their wealth doesn’t go to his head. He’s not a goof-off, but (partly because he’s so smart) he doesn’t have to work very hard at school, so doesn’t take things too seriously. Who knows, maybe he’ll grow up to be a slacker…
By the way, you might think I’m trying to swipe Alfred E. Neuman, but that’s not my intent. Until I colored this drawing I didn’t even know what color his hair was (and while I did try others, this was the one that felt right)! Besides, it’s not like Alfred E. Neuman was created out of whole cloth to begin with (find out more than you probably want to know here).
As for the contest, I’m looking for a few specifics for his name– ideally, it would be a name that’s not a shortened version of his real longer name (like Chuck and Emma’s names) and not end in a “y” sound (like Kirby’s). I’m not planning for this to be a popularity contest, but rather pick my favorite name from among those submitted. The prize– an original drawing of the character– will go to the first person who submits that name, as chosen by me. Entries can be submitted in the comments section below, or e-mailed or posted to me at the contact addresses at the bottom of this page. Everyone else who submits an entry will be entered into a prize drawing of some sort (quite likely for an upcoming issue of Watusi’s print comic), so be sure to include some sort of contact info, in case of a prize-related followup. Deadline will be October 20, 2013 (following my convention appearances at Project: Comic Con and Free State Comicon). Good luck, and thanks for the help!
And, in a case of great minds thinking alike, “There’s Something Happening in Crawford, Kansas”‘s Mike Sullivan is running a contest of his own to rename one of the characters in his strip! See here for the details, but do it quick– his contest deadline is September 10, 2013!
