This strip marks Finch's first appearance in Mynarski Forest. Finch's primary purpose was to provide Skippy with a friend with whom he could talk to about Liska behind her back and discuss his various problems with her - sort of like the role Wilson played for Tim Alan in Home Improvement.
Named for Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, Finch was originally supposed to be very wise, reserved, and respectable - a pillar of the Mynarski Forest community. That idea has kind of gone a bit by the wayside over the years; although he's still somewhat more sensible and stoic than the other characters, I just can't imagine Gregory Peck playing his part now.
Finch, would also go on to fill an important role I hadn't anticipated when I first began the strip: that of Heywood's friend/chaperone/guardian. In this capacity, he plays a Skippy-type straightman to Heywood's Liska. It's one of those serendipidous cases of a character fulfilling a need you didn't even realize you had."
|
Previous Strip
Next Strip