Kokopelli & Company
Encyclopedia
Kokopelli & Company is a comic strip
drawn by science historian and cartoonist Larry Gonick
, aimed generally at ten- to fifteen-year-olds. Appearing monthly in Muse
magazine, the strip relates the adventures of the nine New Muses, talented but definitely eccentric personalities tasked with helping humanity. Unlike the Muses of Greek mythology
, the new lot includes Muses of Plants, Animals, Hardware, Software, Getting Along with People, Bad Poetry, Tunes and Tricks, and Factoids. The ninth New Muse, Urania
, the muse of astronomy, is a holdover from the original group.
The Muses appear to be somewhat clueless about their predecessor muses: Feather has been able to state only 5 or 6 offhand. When asked if there was one about pottery because the ancient Greeks were good at pottery, his reply was "Beats me. They were good at spinach pie, too, but I don't think they had a Muse for it."
Gonick began drawing the strip in 1996. In April 2005, he published Attack of the Smart Pies
, an illustrated novel featuring the New Muses and an orphan girl named Emma .
's Krazy Kat
, which takes place in "Coconino County, Arizona". (An actual Coconino County, Arizona
exists, but it does not possess the landmarks which Herriman gives it, most of which actually appear in Monument Valley
. One of Herriman's habits was replacing hard C with K, as in the strip's title; however, he rarely altered the spelling of Coconino itself, as Gonick does.
The original Coconino County derives its name from the Havasupai word for "little water" http://www.grandcanyontreks.org/place.htm#C. Gonick's revision makes the name parallel kokopelli, in which the koko- stem is (probably) a reference to a Hopi
and Zuni
deity.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
drawn by science historian and cartoonist Larry Gonick
Larry Gonick
Larry Gonick is a cartoonist best known for The Cartoon History of the Universe, a history of the world in comic book form, which he has been publishing in installments since 1977...
, aimed generally at ten- to fifteen-year-olds. Appearing monthly in Muse
Muse (magazine)
Muse is a children's magazine published by the Smithsonian Institution and Carus Publishing, the publishers of Cricket. Launched in October 1996, it is published in Chicago, Illinois, and has readers throughout the United States and around the world. Recommended for ages ten and above, it features...
magazine, the strip relates the adventures of the nine New Muses, talented but definitely eccentric personalities tasked with helping humanity. Unlike the Muses of Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, the new lot includes Muses of Plants, Animals, Hardware, Software, Getting Along with People, Bad Poetry, Tunes and Tricks, and Factoids. The ninth New Muse, Urania
Urania
Urania was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy. Some accounts list her as the mother of the musician Linus. She is usually depicted with a globe in her left hand. She is able to foretell the future by the arrangement of the stars...
, the muse of astronomy, is a holdover from the original group.
The Muses appear to be somewhat clueless about their predecessor muses: Feather has been able to state only 5 or 6 offhand. When asked if there was one about pottery because the ancient Greeks were good at pottery, his reply was "Beats me. They were good at spinach pie, too, but I don't think they had a Muse for it."
Gonick began drawing the strip in 1996. In April 2005, he published Attack of the Smart Pies
Attack of the Smart Pies
Attack of the Smart Pies is a novel written by Larry Gonick. It is the first novel written about the characters in the comic strip Kokopelli & Company.-Plot summary:...
, an illustrated novel featuring the New Muses and an orphan girl named Emma .
Setting
The New Muses inhabit a desert region called Kokonino County . This name is an homage to George HerrimanGeorge Herriman
George Joseph Herriman was an American cartoonist, best known for his classic comic strip Krazy Kat.-Early life:...
's Krazy Kat
Krazy Kat
Krazy Kat is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George Herriman, published daily in newspapers between 1913 and 1944. It first appeared in the New York Evening Journal, whose owner, William Randolph Hearst, was a major booster for the strip throughout its run...
, which takes place in "Coconino County, Arizona". (An actual Coconino County, Arizona
Coconino County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*61.7% White*1.2% Black*27.3% Native American*1.4% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.1% Two or more races*5.2% Other races*13.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
exists, but it does not possess the landmarks which Herriman gives it, most of which actually appear in Monument Valley
Monument Valley
Monument Valley is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching above the valley floor. It is located on the northern border of Arizona with southern Utah , near the Four Corners area...
. One of Herriman's habits was replacing hard C with K, as in the strip's title; however, he rarely altered the spelling of Coconino itself, as Gonick does.
The original Coconino County derives its name from the Havasupai word for "little water" http://www.grandcanyontreks.org/place.htm#C. Gonick's revision makes the name parallel kokopelli, in which the koko- stem is (probably) a reference to a Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
and Zuni
Zuni mythology
Zuni mythology is the oral history, cosmology, and religion of the Zuni people. The Zuni are a Pueblo people located in New Mexico. Their religion is integrated into their daily lives and respects ancestors, nature, and animals. Due to a history of religious persecution by non-native peoples, they...
deity.
Characters
The New Muses are, in no particular order:- Feather: the Muse of PlantPlantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s. A genial but often slow-witted birdlike creature, he was born in AssyriaAssyriaAssyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
and resembles the part-human, part-bird figures shown pollinating plants in Assyrian sculptures. He loves jelly doughnuts.
- Pwt: the Muse of AnimalAnimalAnimals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s. An EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian figure who was once of indeterminate gender (much like HerrimanGeorge HerrimanGeorge Joseph Herriman was an American cartoonist, best known for his classic comic strip Krazy Kat.-Early life:...
's Krazy KatKrazy KatKrazy Kat is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George Herriman, published daily in newspapers between 1913 and 1944. It first appeared in the New York Evening Journal, whose owner, William Randolph Hearst, was a major booster for the strip throughout its run...
in this respect), Pwt is usually seen trying to catch Crraw in a net. Pwt has no vowels, thanks to the nature of Egyptian hieroglyphics. (You pronounce it "pwit", according to a letter someone wrote in to Muse.) The magazine writers tried to keep Pwt's gender indeterminate, but slipped up a couple times. The magazine writers have now confirmed Pwt is male, although some Muse readers still believe that Pwt is female. .http://www.musemagkids.com/townhall/qa-with-muses
- Chad: the Muse of HardwareHardwareHardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
, born in MaliMaliMali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
. His invention of "Intelligent AirUtility fogUtility fog is a hypothetical collection of tiny robots that can replicate a physical structure. As such, it is a form of self-reconfiguring modular robotics.-Conception:...
" is what enables the Muses to watch human beings from afar and whisper suggestions, which the self-centered humans take to be their own "inner voice". He has a twin brother named Frad.
- Aeiou: the Muse of Software, born in Ulan Bator, she speaks only by waving her sleeves in a sort of semaphoreFlag semaphoreSemaphore Flags is the system for conveying information at a distance by means of visual signals with hand-held flags, rods, disks, paddles, or occasionally bare or gloved hands. Information is encoded by the position of the flags; it is read when the flag is in a fixed position...
, which fellow muse Crraw can interpret. She coded the software which controls Intelligent Air. She, like Chad, has an identical twin named Bcdtghjklmnpqrs.
- Bo: A cow from AbkhaziaAbkhaziaAbkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
, Bo is the Muse of FactoidFactoidA factoid is a questionable or spurious—unverified, incorrect, or fabricated—statement presented as a fact, but with no veracity. The word can also be used to describe a particularly insignificant or novel fact, in the absence of much relevant context...
s, miscellaneous facts with no ulterior organization. She spends most of her time chewing and staring into space.
- Crraw: the Muse of Bad Poetry, Crraw is a crowCrowCrows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
from Chicago. When not interpreting Aeiou's messages, he usually speaks in rhyme.
- MimiMimi (folklore)Mimis are fairy-like beings of Arnhem Land in the folklore of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia. They are described as having extremely thin and elongated bodies, so thin as to be in danger of breaking in case of a high wind. To avoid this, they usually spend most of their time...
: Muse of Getting Along with People, Mimi is friendlier towards humans than the other Muses tend to be (in person, that is—save for Kokopelli, they all tend to be helpful via Intelligent Air). Born in the AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n OutbackOutbackThe Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
, she is angular and tall, with elongated spikes emerging from her head which not even other Muses can quite idenitify: "was it hair? feathers? a bizarre hat?" . Because she enjoys personal human company more than the other Muses, she was less eager to make Kokonino County a human-free zone, which occasionally leads her to quarrel with her fellow Muses.
- UraniaUraniaUrania was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy. Some accounts list her as the mother of the musician Linus. She is usually depicted with a globe in her left hand. She is able to foretell the future by the arrangement of the stars...
: the AthenianAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
Muse of AstronomyAstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, she is the only one of the original GreekGreek mythologyGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
MuseMuseThe Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
s to continue working with the new group. She is often the target for Kokopelli's pies.
- KokopelliKokopelliKokopelli is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player , who has been venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture...
: Hailing from ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and now the Muse of Tunes and Tricks, Kokopelli is a flute-playing, PuckPuck (mythology)In English folklore, Puck is a mythological fairy or mischievous nature sprite. Puck is also a generalised personification of land spirits. In more recent times, the figure of Robin Goodfellow is identified as a puck.-Etymology:...
-like figure with a silhouette body and wiry hair. His general form is patterned on the kokopelliKokopelliKokopelli is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player , who has been venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Like most fertility deities, Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture...
seen in Native American petroglyphs. When he is not inspiring humans to play tricks upon one another, he is setting up elaborate practical jokePractical jokeA practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...
s, which often culminate in pie-throwing. He appears to be the most popular with readers of the comic strip.