A hero shouldn’t go questing alone. That’s why I added Archibald “Stumpy” Stumbledon to my cast of characters. I create some of my best characters on the spur of the moment, with almost no thought going into them beforehand, and Stumpy certainly fits the bill.
Creating a sidekick is just as difficult as creating a viable hero, if not more so. I had to avoid the pitfall of creating a goofy character to show how awesome the hero is. No, Stumpy is heroic in his own right. It’s also a temptation to make the sidekick just someone for the hero to talk to with no discernable personality traits. Stumpy has his own ideas, and he Bran don’t always agree. Stumpy offsets Bran’s impulsiveness with an even temper and common sense. It’s probably obvious to most of you that Stumpy is based on Sam Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings. Bran and Stumpy see each other as equals, though; no “Mr. Bran” from Stumpy. Like Bran, I needed someone with the skills to make sure Bran didn’t get himself killed. Stumpy was a scrum-half in his school rugby team, and also a champion marksman. He’s definitely someone you want on your team.
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AuthorI'm Ian Wilson; an eccentric comic artist, just telling a story.
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