I have never been comfortable talking about my work. There was a time I simply refused to do it. I felt as if it were my job to put the work out there, and it would have to speak for itself. Then, along came the internet and the Web and email and forums and blogs and Facebook and on and on. I found myself almost obligated to interact at least a little bit. And you know what? It didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. I sometimes even enjoy bloviating about my comic strip, although I still believe, ultimately, it must speak for itself. I say all this, because Arlo and Janis have a new neighbor this week, Robin. Any new character in Arlo & Janis is big news, believe me. That is, I hope she’ll be a new character. One never really knows about these things, and I’m not yanking your chain when I tell you, not even I know for sure whether Robin has legs. I hope she does. I’m badly in need of new foils.

There were a lot of comments yesterday, when she first appeared, about her physical similarity to Janis. She was supposed to have silvery hair, as above, but my instructions to the colorist were lost. It probably was my fault. Silver hair would have gone a long way toward eliminating any confusion. Already, by her second appearance today, she is taking on a more distinctive and permanent look. Many cartoonists when pondering a new character will spend months filling sketch books with studies and prototypes before introducing a winner. Not me! You get to see it happen at Arlo & Janis!