Kate Worley
Encyclopedia
Kate Worley was an American comic book
writer best known for her work on Omaha the Cat Dancer
. She was a writer and performer for the science fiction
comedy
radio program Shockwave Radio Theater
.
to Minneapolis
, Minnesota
, Worley became one of the early contributors the Shockwave Radio Theater
there. Through fellow contributors, she met cartoonist
and musician
Reed Waller
, with whom she became a romantic and professional relationship. Moving in together, they wrote songs and performed as a duet and with local bands, as well as being popular figures at Minicon
and other science fiction convention
s.
, the story of an anthropomorphic female cat who worked as a stripper
, originated as an "adult comic strip" in an "obscure local publication" before evolving into a nationally distributing comic-book series. Four pages into issue #2, Waller suffered writer's block
, and after some months, Worley offered "a few tentative suggestions about directions for the storyline, new characters, anything she could think of that might help...." At Waller's invitation, Worley became the series' scripter.
Omaha went on hiatus when Worley and Waller were both injured in a car accident; this hiatus was greatly extended when they had an acrimonious parting, after which they refused to work together.
Worley also wrote for the publisher Tekno Comix
.
. In 2002, Worley was diagnosed with cancer
; she and Waller reconciled enough to produce several more issues of Omaha before she succumbed in 2004.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
writer best known for her work on Omaha the Cat Dancer
Omaha the Cat Dancer
"Omaha" the Cat Dancer is an erotic comic strip created by artist Reed Waller and writer Kate Worley. Set in the fictional Mipple City, Minnesota in a universe populated by anthropomorphic funny animal characters, the strip is a soap opera which focuses on Omaha, a feline exotic dancer, and her...
. She was a writer and performer for the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
radio program Shockwave Radio Theater
Shockwave Radio Theater
Shockwave Radio Theater was broadcast for 28 years on Fresh Air Radio, the community radio station KFAI-FM, 90.3FM Minneapolis, 106.7FM St. Paul. Much of Shockwave Radio is archived on archive.org or on the audio page of Dave Romm's portal. Podcasts of some shows are available as Baron Dave...
.
Early life and career
After moving in the 1970s from her native IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
to Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Worley became one of the early contributors the Shockwave Radio Theater
Shockwave Radio Theater
Shockwave Radio Theater was broadcast for 28 years on Fresh Air Radio, the community radio station KFAI-FM, 90.3FM Minneapolis, 106.7FM St. Paul. Much of Shockwave Radio is archived on archive.org or on the audio page of Dave Romm's portal. Podcasts of some shows are available as Baron Dave...
there. Through fellow contributors, she met cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Reed Waller
Reed Waller
Reed Waller is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Omaha the Cat Dancer, together with Kate Worley.-Omaha the Cat Dancer:...
, with whom she became a romantic and professional relationship. Moving in together, they wrote songs and performed as a duet and with local bands, as well as being popular figures at Minicon
Minicon
Minicon is a science fiction and fantasy convention in Minneapolis usually held on Easter weekend. Started in 1968 and running approximately annually since then, it is one of the oldest science fiction conventions in the midwest United States...
and other science fiction convention
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
s.
Omaha the Cat Dancer
Created by Waller, Omaha the Cat DancerOmaha the Cat Dancer
"Omaha" the Cat Dancer is an erotic comic strip created by artist Reed Waller and writer Kate Worley. Set in the fictional Mipple City, Minnesota in a universe populated by anthropomorphic funny animal characters, the strip is a soap opera which focuses on Omaha, a feline exotic dancer, and her...
, the story of an anthropomorphic female cat who worked as a stripper
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
, originated as an "adult comic strip" in an "obscure local publication" before evolving into a nationally distributing comic-book series. Four pages into issue #2, Waller suffered writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
, and after some months, Worley offered "a few tentative suggestions about directions for the storyline, new characters, anything she could think of that might help...." At Waller's invitation, Worley became the series' scripter.
Omaha went on hiatus when Worley and Waller were both injured in a car accident; this hiatus was greatly extended when they had an acrimonious parting, after which they refused to work together.
Worley also wrote for the publisher Tekno Comix
Tekno Comix
Tekno Comix was an American publishing company that produced comic books from 1995 to 1997.-History:The company was founded by Laurie Silvers and Mitchell Rubenstein as a division of their publicly traded company, Big Entertainment...
.
Personal
Worley was married to comic book writer Jim VanceJames Vance (comics)
James Vance is an American comic book writer, author and playwright, best known for his work from Kitchen Sink Press and in particular the lauded Kings in Disguise.-Biography:James Vance was born on April 2, 1953...
. In 2002, Worley was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
; she and Waller reconciled enough to produce several more issues of Omaha before she succumbed in 2004.