A new character seems to be slithering his way into the comic strip. He is a non-venomous California King snake. They are quite common up in Paso Robles.
I love the new character. I do. It’s just that researching snakes is hard for a cartoonist who is afraid of snakes. Make no mistake, I am not anti-snake in any way. I am pro-snake. Absolutely pro-snake all the way. Some of my best friends are snakes. It’s just that they come across as a bit shady. They move as if by magic. So, right at the get-go they seem untrustworthy. And first impressions are everything.
When I was young and naive, I actually liked snakes, snakes and other dubious characters. Once in college, a girlfriend and I visited some boys who had enormous pythons and we played with them (the pythons, not the boys … though maybe she was dating one of them (the boys not the snakes), not sure). Maybe they were constrictors (again, the snakes, not the boys). Can’t remember. What was I talking about? Because that just came out like one long dirty joke. But that’s how snakes work: they’re tricky.
Oh yes. I used to like snakes, but then I met my husband who is terrified of them and it rubbed off. All of his misinformation stormed into my brain, turned off the lights, put on it’s infrared glasses and locked my education in the brain-broom closet.
I’ve learned a lot about snakes, snake names, snake warnings (yellow stripes next to red = run as fast as you can) and I’d like to learn more. But every time I open a page with it’s inevitable snake photo, I get the creepy crawlies and feel like snakes are about to start dropping from the ceiling.
There are true stories of people who have found snakes in thier toilets. Now that you know that, let’s see how tonight’s potty run goes.
This character must be researched. I can’t just invent snake characteristics. That would be irresponsibly ignorant. And I am unwilling to be irresponsibly ignorant. For the most part. At this point.
Excuse me, I need to scan the premises.
