Word of God

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This page is a compilation of statements made by Kory herself in the comments or on her Formspring account regarding the Skin Deep universe. All statements here are definitively canon about the world of Skin Deep.

The Avalons

• Do Avalonian kids go to school? Is there any kind of school in Avalon? Do parents would consider sending their kids to human schools?

There is an elementary school of sorts in the Liverpool Avalon for kids who are too young for medallions, but most residents attend human schools once they have medallions.

• What are the Elders' role in the Avalon?

They kinda keep everything under control. They're the closest thing to "leaders" that the community has, and most people obey what they say.

• So are there any Avalon-exclusive celebrities? We've seen monster bands now, so there must be one or two that made it big that the rest of the world has never heard of. (or book writers, or whatever)

Are you asking if there are popular celebrities that are secretly mythical creatures? Or people that are popular only in the Avalon? Liverpool Avalon is the biggest Avalon, but it is still a pretty small community, where most everybody knows everybody else at least by sight. There are popular people, but nobody is really a "celebrity" (although Jim is pretty infamous in the L.A.). As for mythical creatures that have made it big in the human world, there are several, but since they are hiding as human there's no solid proof of what they are. There is a lot of speculation among Avalon-residents, however.

• I'm wondering about communication between Avalons. Just the occasional traveler? Reliant on human cell phone technology? Complicated magic telecommunication systems?

Probably cell phones. Those things are magic as far as the Avalon residents are concerned, since most people can remember when communication was a lot more difficult and involved unmarked phone booths outside of the Avalon, or mail delivery to an unassuming location.

• Does Vancouver (BC) have an Avalon, and do I need to ask Sfémonster for directions to it? (I'd guess that's it somewhere in Gastown)

Most cities of a decent size have an Avalon of some sort! Although the North American Avalons are a lot smaller than European ones, as most mythical creatures hide out in the open wilderness away from most humans.

• Have you made a world map of the Liverpool Avalon? Is it something that you’d be willing to show off?

I do have a map, but it's mostly for my own purposes and doesn't look pretty at all! A sellable map is just one of the many many projects I have on my plate. You can see a rough 3D render of the whole Avalon here! http://twitpic.com/rsqvm

• Are there any actual humans who are integrated into the mythical world, or vice versa?

Sure! There are humans that live in Avalons for one reason or another. I don't know what you mean about "vice versa", as mythical people integrating into the human world is kind of what the comic is all about!

• What is the justice system like? And kinda related, was madam U always blind or did she ever wreak havoc on the denizens?

It's different all over, but for the Liverpool Avalon the government is pretty libertarian in the sense that it functions under a "take care of yourself and do what you want, just don't be a jerk" concept. There is a council of Elders that keeps everything running smoothly and organized, but unless the secrecy of the Avalon is in jeopardy or an obvious injustice is being committed they stay in the background for most of the time.
Nemean lions are a little different because of the implications that go along with being super strong and invulnerable. Nobody likes a God Moder, so they have a sort of mini-government and all Nemeans must swear an oath to follow Nemean Code (a set of rules designed to curtail violence and collateral damage) and if they break Code there are consequences.
And Madam U was not always blind, but she doesn't talk much about the days before she lost her eyes, so not much is known.

• Mythical creatures come in all sorts of crazy shapes and sizes. Are there any interesting houses or buildings in the Avalon that are built to accommodate that?

Yes! While most living spaces are designed around human shapes because it's easiest, there are several places that are designed with non-human shapes in mind. The most common example I can think of are beds, as many mythical creatures prefer to sleep in their natural forms. Jim, for example, normally sleeps on a big floor mattress on the ground, while others could be thought of as elaborate dog-beds (don't call them that, though).
There are also several buildings in the Liverpool Avalon that have been modified for its flying residents, with balconies or external doors affixed to non-floor-level apartments.

Bands

Boney Kings of Nowhere

• In Handshakes 35 Paul mentions the Boney Kings of Nowhere, and something about their drummer not staying human. Who is their drummer?

Their drummer hasn't yet been introduced into the comic as of yet, but he is a hyperactive satyr.

• Who is the drummer for The Boney Kings of Nowhere?

His name is Silas and he hasn't been properly introduced in the comic yet. He's had a cameo on this page, however:
http://girlamatic.com/skindeep/2009/02/17/handshakes-7-just-a-bandersnatch/
He's the black-haired satyr.

Characters

• What does the Skin Deep cast think of the Muppets?

It is a known fact that Jim and Lorne have Sgt.Floyd and Dr. teeth costumes.
Eleanor loves Rowlf the Dog and Sweetums.

• Do Anthony and Blanche know Jim and Lorne? I mean they know Jim's cousin and everything.

Blanche and Jim's parents are friends, so Blanche and Jim know each other, and Blanche is good friends with Jim's cousin Rupert. Although most people in the Avalon know Jim, as he's a pretty distinctive dude and he's hard to miss. Also Jim is loud and obnoxious and people notice him.

Blanche

• Is Blanche gay? (Even though he denies it?)

Blanche gives little thought to his sexual orientation and the way he dresses and acts has no correlation to whether or not he prefers dudes or chicks. He's incredibly vain and all he cares about is looking good and blowing his parent's money on accessories.

Elise

• Was the singer Pink (a.k.a Alecia Beth Moore) an inspiration for the character of Elise?

No. If anybody has influenced Elise's look it was Kid Omega from the X-Men comics. Her current look started because I wanted a character with a mohawk and she kinda evolved from there!

Greg

• Greg’s family hates him for being a satyr. But because he doesn’t know who his father is all of the people that hate him must have some sort of satyr genes as well so why are they all so nasty to him?

It doesn't matter if some of them are unturned satyrs themselves. Greg is different and that means Greg makes them nervous. It's unfortunate, but like real life, rationality doesn't really play into the situation. If Greg hadn't turned then they would all be oblivious to the weirder things in the world, and to them that means they would be happier. It doesn't matter that it's not Greg's fault.

• I hear that most high schools have a no hat policy, and I was wondering how Greg got around this?

Greg's mother told the school Principal and teachers that Greg had a scalp condition that made his head very sensitive to light exposure, requiring him to wear a hat at all times. Greg lovingly refers to it as his "Scott Summers Excuse".

Ike

• IKE! Man I'm so excited to see him in a talking role, and I totally have a question that's prolly still a secret, but why's his tail wrapped? C:

Well considering what manticores usually have on their tails, he's probably doing it for the safety of all around him. ;)

• So let's talk about those creepy human hands on Ike: Are they medallion-induced, for the purpose of fixing the organ? Or are they there because manticores have weird human parts sometimes?

Ike is only half-manticore, if you remember the conversation between Lorne and Jon from Handshakes. Manticores don't have medallions, and neither does Ike. That all comes from the other side of his family.

Jim

• Before the curse, Jim's mane in gryphon form was just dark brown? And did it grow too, to a more fluffy mane?

Jim's always had green hair! But it acted like normal hair until he hit 16, which is also when his proportions got all out of whack. If he didn't have the curse his mane would be dark brown, a shade or two lighter than his brother and father's mane.

• Just had a fantastic May Day (though quite cold at times). This made me interested, does our Missouri gang ever engage themselves into serious partying as any good student will?

Jim is at any and all Pub crawls, although he is constantly complaining about the American alcohol laws and how they wait until the weekend to celebrate a holiday rather than celebrating them on the day.
Although technically none of them are of drinking age yet so don't tell anybody.

• I've noticed that in earlier picture of Jim he's wearing purple glasses but then they sort of disappear. Is this just something you decided to get rid of?

I used to draw Jim with stupid little purple circle glasses, but that was a long time ago! He doesn't wear those anymore. : )

• How tall is Jim in mid form?

Mid-form Jim tops out at around 7 feet. I usually never draw him that tall because I keep forgetting how freakin' tall 7 feet is. But he's supposed to be around 7 feet.

• What was Jimothy's reaction when he found out about the age difference in drinking laws from liverpool to the US?

Disbelief, frustration, and the sudden discovery of a thriving fake I.D. market in college towns.

Jim & Lorne

• Since Jim and Lorne dated, would they date other guys, or did they just had a crush on each other?

It would have to depend on the person. While Lorne is more shy about his emotions and feelings, Jim will gladly blather on and on about his sexual orientation, how he's attracted to personalities over anything physical, and how there isn't really a label for that sorta thing. This is when his brother will usually pipe in and say that the word that describes Jim best is "whore." Jim appreciates that so much, Paul.

Jim, Lorne, & Ike

• What does Jim/Lorne/Ike think about Modern Music?

Modern music as in music being made right now? They wouldn't be very good music fans if they didn't like modern music! All three are big fans of indy music, but Jim and Lorne lean more towards the rougher, less polished music, while Ike appreciates things like "good production values" and "a guitar that doesn't sound like it was played through a megaphone and then but through a meat grinder."

Jon & Lorne

• Where do Jon and Lorne live?

In the Avalon! They share a flat!

Merial

• (I hope you haven't answer this already...) Why did Merial's pants split when she first tranformed into a Nixie, yet Michelle's pants just disappear/reappear?

Merial's turning was different than Michelle's! : ) I can't say too much about it, but Merial's turning didn't have anything to do with a medallion, and the medallion is responsible for handling clothing.

Culture

• How common are the cases of Magical Creatures chosing to live as humans? (Assuming there are any)

It depends on the region. If you live in a place with good-sized Avalons or an active mythical culture you tend to want to be a part of that. If you live in the middle of nowhere with no humans around there's a good chance you will also live as whatever creature you are. But if you live in a town with no Avalon it is simply easier to "go into hiding" as a human. Some people choose it simply because it is the easiest way to live day to day without the constant fear of discovery.

• Have magical creatures ever had any embarrassing accidents, bad publicity stunts or unwise press releases?

Well if you open any tabloid I am sure you can find one or two articles about something that probably shouldn't have gotten out into the general public. Luckily for the mythical community, most humans are pretty dense.

• What would happen if the general human population found out about the mythical population? Think chaos would ensue? Or would they live happily ever after? Or would it turn into an X-men rip off? xD

That's a topic of heated debate in the mythical community! Many people are tired of hiding and would like to just come out and live freely in the world, but others view humanity as hostile and willing to attack anything that is different, and are terrified of what would happen if they went public. Some don't want anything at all to do with humans, and still others just don't care. Naturally, there's a pretty big rift between the people who want to go public and the people who want to stay hidden. : )

Nemean Code

• What happens if a Nemean Lion refuses to swear the oath to follow the Nemean Code?

If the lion in question were unturned he/she would be refused a medallion and never allowed to turn. If he/she was already a lion then it's trickier, but if the lion is completely unreasonable he/she runs the chance of being made to comply through brute force. People don't like to take chances when violent super strong indestructible lions are involved.

Romance

• Are there cases of Creatures revealing their true natures to their human significant others? How many of those humans don't run away in panic?

If the individual in question doesn't [want] to 100% live as a human forever and they super trust their significant other they will usually tell them. However if the goal is to totally forget about their mythical side they won't tell a [soul] about their nature.

• Is it more common for Avalon natives in Liverpool to find a mate within the limited magical community, or is it more common to branch out into the larger selection in the human population (if they have the fortune of owning a medallion)?

It depends on the individual. It's certainly easier to find a partner when you don't have to hide a huge secret about yourself, but it's not at all unusual for Avalon members to find human significant others (although usually these relationships don't last terribly long). Monsters tend to stick with their own kind, if they are lucky enough to find another one of their species, and it's very uncommon for monsters to find human partners (with the exception of a few species, where it seems to happen a little more often).

• There hasn’t been much romance in the comic so far. Is it that those storylines just haven’t come into play yet or will it never feature prominently in the story?

There will be romance, but I'm not sure if it will ever be the focus of the story. There's a special balance I'm trying to find that will allow me to depict sentient creatures in love without it having any sort of squicky aftertaste, and I am finding that this is much more difficult than I thought it would be.
But there are a few characters who's personal stories rely very much on romanic plot threads, so it will feature in the future.

• Satyrs are male-only, but they commonly pair up with female fauns, right? (Or can they pair up with whomever they like?) What would be the male equivalent of a harpy? (As in, how are more harpies made?)

It works the same way all interspecies relationships work! Satyrs traditionally pair up with fauns and nymphs, and harpies pair up with whomever they can. If a harpy and a satyr got together, their daughters would be harpies and their sons would be satyrs.

History

• Considering we've seen angels and gorgons and other long-lived creatures, just how *long* ago was the Dragon/Sphinx war that no one remembers the details? :)A long time ago! The general consensus is that it happened sometime in the 1200s. Angels and other long-lived species are kinda weird and the species that are old enough to remember what happened usually do not associate with the rest of the mythical world.

Magic

• Is Michelle capable of doing magic in her human form? Similarly, if Sam was able to turn into a reverse griffin, would he be able to do magic as a griffin?

Magic isn't restricted by your form! It's just that non-natural magic (natural being inherent magic that some species have, like nixies being able to manipulate water or transform their legs) is incredibly hard and dangerous to do, and naturally magical creatures just don't see a need to put forward the energy and potential danger necessary to learn magic. Sorcerer's are usually humans, just because humans don't have any sort of natural magic and if they want to do any sort of magic they have to learn it the hard way.
If Sam was able to finally turn like he wants, he would still know magic, since he took the time to learn it. :)

• What other sorts of things can magic be used for, aside from medallions and mysterious holes in the ground?

If you are skilled enough magic can be used for nearly anything! But magic is super hard and dangerous and most people don't do it at all and instead rely on their own natural magical abilities. This is why there are so few sorcerers around, and why most sorcerers are humans.

• Are all humans capable of magic? What about mythical creatures?

Magic is an incredibly hard thing to do, and as much as it amuses Jack and Royce, it has a high failure rate. Many mythical creatures have natural magical abilities and don't see the point in risking your life learning something that's so difficult and not very rewarding. Anyone can do magic, but you have to be super dedicated to it to make it work the way you want. Basically you have to have a really good reason to want to go through that.

Medallions

• Do you have a sense of just how many hidden mythicals exist in the Skin Deep universe? It's obviously a tiny number, but are we talking a few hundred in the world, few thousand, tens of thousands?

It's not all that tiny of a number, but it's not huge either. I would say maybe a couple million, in total, maybe more. That seems like a large number, but when you compare it to 7 billion humans, they're a pretty small minority!

• How did you decide which species to give medallions and which species to have as "monsters"? Was it mostly random or did you have story reasons?

Some of it is random but the general rule is "If it is from European/Middle Eastern descent and has a mostly benign reputation, it has a medallion." It's a little more complex than that, but that is the basic rule!

• When were the medallions created? Was it BCE or CE? And when around did mythical creatures have to go into hiding? I ask because I may or may not be thinking about doing a short fan comic about ancient Mesopotamian creatures. :)

The medallions were created in the CE. :)

• You've said that the art of medallion-making is lost, right? Does that mean there's only a certain amount of medallions out there?

Yes, there are a finite amount of medallions around. That doesn't mean they're terribly scarce (a lot were made originally), but they are not being made anymore.

Age

• Why can young people not get their medallions (for example, why didn't Jim and Lorne get their medallions when their brothers had one)?

Young kids are generally not mature enough to handle the concentration and skills needed to properly control a medallion, so they're usually not given one until they are about 10 years old (or an equivalent age for a species that ages differently).

• How old is one supposed to be when they get medallions?

The minimum age is "around ten" or whatever comparable age ten years would be for a creature that doesn't age at the same rate as humans. Any younger and the kid would have trouble controlling the spell, as it takes a certain degree of concentration that younger children just don't have.

• How do creatures who live longer and age slower than others, live among humans and with medallions disguising them?

Unturned creatures who are born, live, and truly believe they are humans will live a normal human life span. However, creatures merely living disguised as humans will live normal lifespans for their species. It's a little psychosomatic, possibly linked to the medallion's spell, but nobody knows for sure how it works.

• How do creatures who live longer than regular humans stay hidden in human form? Also what happens when one of these creatures is in a situation like michelle and never find out they are under the medallion's illusion spell?

Um. Magic.

For unturned mythical creatures they will live their lives 100% as a human. Also because of magic.

Medallion Appearance

• So it would appear that a medallion can look like just about anything, regardless of what species it can code for. Does the owner of the medallion have any control over that? Can they be custom-shaped?

The owner has no control over what their medallion looks like because all the medallions are antiques. They can do some custom work on them by incorporating the medallion into other things (Jon's medallion is set into the back of his bolo tie, for example), but you can't change the shape of the medallion or else you'll risk destroying the magic in it.

• Do the scratched and beat up medallions have some weird effects sometimes like Greg's medallion?

No, a piece of the medallion has to be missing completely for he spell contained within to start screwing up. There's a small chunk missing out of Myra's medallion which causes her eye to stay permanently bugbeary, and Greg's is missing almost it's whole right side. Scratches aren't enough to cause any major problems.

Physical Form

• If a Gryphon, puts on a jacket while in human form, then turns midform causing jacket to form slits for wings to poke through, then takes the jacket off, what happens? Does the slits for the wings stay or does the jacket return to normal?

The jacket has slits in it for wings because the jacket was specially made for people with wings! That is why Michelle had to rip up all her shirts if she wanted to wear them while she was a sphinx. The magic that makes the wearer appear normal is the same magic that makes the wearer's modified clothes appear normal (example: The stems on Lorne's glasses are specially shaped to fit around his higher-up ears, but when he is human they look like normal glasses).

If Jim was human and took off a shirt or jacket that had been specially modified to fit around his wings, that shirt or jacket would lose the spell as soon as it left his physical body and appear the way it really is. For the reason nobody really does this when they are around humans.

This is also why Jim'm midform does not have wings in the Exchanges arc. He wanted to wear that jacket but that jacket had not been modified for his wings, and if it had been modified it would have "ruined it" for Jim. He suffers for fashion.

• If some part of the mythical creature is injured during it's fullform (like a wing or tail), how will the creature feel it in it's human form?

I would imagine that would be something that would vary from person to person depending on how well they could use their medallions.

• How do missing limbs work with the medallions? For instance, if you're a creature that, say, has only one set of legs, and you lost an arm, would that affect your fullform? Or vice versa?

When you say "only one set of legs" do you mean they have no arms at all? Jim's dad has had his wings and half his tail amputated, but since humans don't have wings or tails it doesn't effect the way his human form looks. But if he had lost an arm instead of his wings, his human form would probably be armless.

• Do any physical creature-abilities carry over to the disguised illusion human-form? What I'm really asking is: Could Michelle star in a remake of Over the Top?

I don't know what Over the Top is, but physical abilities do not carry over between forms, be it human traits or mythical creature traits. Jim can't fly unless his wings are visible, for example.

Transfer of Medallions

• So can people willingly give one their medallion while stile alive, (like, a poor family) and transfer the magic, therefor, say, turning their kid? And then the parent reverting to their true form, would that happen?

Yes! But there are rules. Many grandparents will willingly give up their medallions for one of their grandchildren, especially if the grandparent has no plans of ever entering human society again. However, once a medallion is given up, that person cannot use another medallion. So, for example, if Greg gave up his medallion, he could not get a new, non-broken medallion. So giving up a medallion is a very serious decision.

• And if one can willingly transfer a medallion, what if an unturned person accidentally touched someone else's, of the same species, medallion? Would the medallion turn them, become bound to them, and leave the former owner without a medallion?

No, only one person can use a medallion at a time. A medallion can only be used by a second person if the first person willingly gave it up. Magic! Full of stupid rules!

• I've been wondering about the medallions. Once someone uses one is it bonded to them until they die (which it seems to be) or can a family all use one? So, for example, could Colin steal Jim's and goof off with it? I'm a curious beastie. :)

If a medallion is currently being used by one person, it can't be used by others. Also, if you are currently using a medallion, you can't use another one! Medallions can be voluntarily given up and given to someone who does not have one, but if you're a poor schmo like Greg who could benefit from a new medallion you are out of luck, because you already have a medallion. And you can't give up a medallion in favor of a new one, it won't work that way.

In short: Magic!

Turning

• Let's say someone hasn't turned yet and they get their leg amputated. If the first thing their medallion touches is the severed leg, would it transform? If they touch their medallion would the leg transform as well?

Ew this is a super gross question. I'm gonna say no to this. Medallions only work on living beings (or parts). Otherwise you could, like, turn corpses and stuff and that's kinda gross.

• Okay so, medallions can't be used to turn someone unless they are currently being unused or are willingly given up, correct? But even still, how is a medallion deemed as "unused"?

Because magic is how!

Honestly, medallion magic is weird and complex, even by magic standards. It's hard to explain adequately.

Species

• What species can and can't talk in fullform?

Technically a great number of species can't speak human tongues in fullform and use medallion magic to be able to communicate. Elise could probably talk in fullform if she took the time to practice, but she's not the greatest at her medallion and hasn't figured that out yet.

• Are there any non-sentient magical creatures?

There are a few, but not many.

• Are there ways of telling what an unturned beastie is? Or is it all guess-and-test?

There are some hints, like your race and family history. People of English decent have a smaller chance of being a Greek creature, for example. But mostly it is a huge guessing game.

• What sort of mythical creatures only come in a restricted colour selection? (i.e. It looks like Bugbears only appear in black or dark colours)

Not entirely sure what you're asking, actually! Most lion critters come in tawny lion colors (except for Bohemian lions, which are silver). This is like asking "what sort of living creatures on earth only [come] in a restricted color selection?" Or maybe I'm reading your question wrong! :)

• Are some certain mythical creatures specific to living in certain areas of the world? (such as kappas in Japan, or other creatures living in the origin of their myths) sorry for my bad english!

Sure! Just as you would be more likely to find Italians in Italy, you're more likely to find Greek mythical creatures in Greece, or Japanese mythical creatures in Japan. That doesn't mean that you can't find a fu-dog outside of China, but you'd have a better chance of seeing one if you went to their region of origin.

• So, mythical creatures with natural magical abilities: Do they still have to learn and practice how to use them, or it like birds and flying, such that all they really need is a good shove and then it comes naturally?

Everything takes practice! They might discover their magical abilities on their own, but they need to train (either training themselves or having others teach them) to reach their full potential, just like any other ability or talent!

• How many/which of the mythical creatures in SD are your design/not exactly what where in the textbooks? Were there any that were created by friends or fans?

The poster child for original designs would be Eleanor and bandersnatches! They have nothing to do with the brief description Carrol gave of them. Most creatures have been changed a little to fit into Skin Deep better, such as Nemean lions being mostly maneless, or Opinici being maned gryphons. Sheana Molloy discovered bugbears and decided to make them bear-shaped instead of the more popular goblin shape, and then we both added a lot more details onto them that aren't found in the myth. Sfé Monster came up with the Jub-Jub Bird design, and there are many many other examples that I won't list here or else this answer would take up a whole page! Just assume that most creatures in Skin Deep, while heavily based in myth, have something about them that makes them uniquely Skin Deep. : )

• Are all creatures magical? Or there are some mundane, plain, boring ones aside from humans?

Gryphons don't have any specific magical abilities, and neither do satyrs, for the most part. There are several mythical creatures that don't have any magical powers, and it would take a long time to list them all!

• Are certain mythical creatures only available to those of certain ethnicities?

Since certain mythical creatures come from certain geographical locations, you usually have to have at least a little bit of that in your background. You can't really be a Grecian sphinx unless one of your ancestors were Greek, after all.

Inheritance

• Is it possible for the child of a human and a (non-single-gendered) creature to be a human?

Yes, but it doesn't happen all that often. Usually the mythical creature side of the family is dominant.

• I noticed that the Finns have two different beak types that don't follow the species. Is this an example of traits from a parent getting passed to their child, despite the species not being that of the parent?

If you are talking about how Jim has his mother's beak even though his mother is technically a different species, then yes! Maned gryphons and common gryphons are similar enough where that sorta thing can happen without much fuss.

• Greg's case (his mother's father is a Satyr, so he is one) is common in Magic terms? The oposite sex child of Single-Gendered species can pass the magic genes to their offspring?

It's not common, but it's been known to happen with single-gendered species, especially when humans are involved.

• Say we have a Common Gryphon who's parents were a Nemean Lion and a Common Gryphon, and they have a child with another Common Gryphon. Would it be possible for the child to be a Nemean Lion since its grandparent was one?

While it's not unheard of, it's usually very rare. The scenario you described is usually only seen in couples involving humans or single-gender species. Example: Greg's mother is human, but his grandfather is a satyr. It's incredibly uncommon when humans aren't part of the equation.

• Satyrs are exclusively male, right. Good now if a satyr has kids with a human all the boys are satyrs and the girls human? Or could the girls be satyrs provided that they turn male?

Gender-swapping is not a common occurrence in the Skin Deep world. If, for some reason, the daughter of a satyr somehow turned into a male, there is little chance that he would suddenly become a satyr as well.

Monsters in General

• What do you mean with "if they are lucky enough to find another one of their species" are monsters usually on their own or what?

There aren't a lot around and unless they live in a huge Avalon it is hard to find other members of their species. Isolated monsters tend to stay isolated because of how difficult it is for them to move around undetected.

• So Kory, I'm a bit miffed about the monster thing. Will the by-definition monsters have medalions in the future? I mean, does the magical community have the ability to?

There's nothing the magical community can do. If there aren't medallions for certain species there aren't medallions for them. They can't conjure them out from nowhere. :)

• Why is it that some of the mythological creatures don't have or are not allowed medallions? Or will that be answered eventually in the comic?

It's not really known in the community why some have medallions and some don't. It's usually the "nastier" creatures that do not have medallions, like gorgons, harpies, manticores, chimeras, lamias, etc, so some are of the opinion that those species weren't worthy of them. The true reason isn't known, however, as it was lost the same time the knowledge of how to make medallions was lost.

• I think maybe (don't quote me on this) what Floppybelly was asking was why some species have medallions and some don't. That is to say, why is there a divide between "Monsters" and everyone else?

Not every species has a medallion, so monsters are kind of out of luck if they can't disguise themselves naturally. It's not clear why some species don't have medallions (whether it was intentional or that those species just weren't around when medallions were being made), but there seems to be a stigma in the mythical community against monsters (see Jon's reaction to Lorne's friend Ike, for example), as a lot of people are under the impression that monsters are just not "worthy" of medallions, so there's a bit of a divide.

Bandersnatches

• If Bandersnatches are monsters what are they afraid of having under their beds or in their closets when they are kids?

But bandersnatches don't have beds! As an arboreal species they primarily sleep hanging from tree limbs.
They're also not fond of water.

• You have an ilustration of a non-sentient Bandersnatch. Is that for ilustration purposes or there are really non-sentient bandersnatches?

What do you mean by non-sentient bandersnatch? All my bandersnatches are sentient. I've drawn a few without clothing, if that's what you mean. That's how bandersnatches usually look, it's just that Eleanor is a weirdo and thinks she'd fit in better if she wore clothes.

• How did your Bandersnatches come to be what they are today? And, in another poem by Lewis Carroll, it says that Bandersnatches have snapping jaws, can run really fast, and extend their necks, but Eleanor can't seem to have those features.

Eleanor doesn't have those features because when I made up Eleanor I hadn't read that poem! Eleanor started off as a non-Skin Deep character in an RP collaboration set in Wonderland. She was born out of my frustration at the time that all of my characters were based off existing descriptions of mythical creatures, and I really wanted a monster that I could say was 100% my creation. So I shoved a bunch of my favorite things together and out popped Eleanor!

Dragons

Eastern

• I noticed you had said Easter Dragons, were/ are different from the Western. Does this mean Easterns can have a human guse if they wish or are they stuck in their natural apperence?

Most Asian creatures, like Native American and African creatures, seem to have more magical properties than most Western species. Because of this a great deal of them aren't confined to a single physical body and can take most any shape that suits them. Spirit animals, eastern dragons, fu dogs, ki-rin, tengu, etc are all masters of illusionary magic.

• Hello! Do the dragons come in different types or are they all red easterny dragons live Bloodcarver?

Eastern dragons are alive and kicking, and it is only what is commonly called "western" dragons that have been wiped out. Eastern dragons are completely different from western dragons and only share a passing resemblance to each other. And Western dragons have been said to come in many different shapes and sizes.

Western

• Kinda confused here... you say that Western dragons died out, while Eastern dragons 'like the Bloodcarver' still live. But Bloodcarver looks like a western-style dragon to me, and is identified as a "Western Fire Dragon" in his bio. Which variety died?

I never said Bloodcarver was an eastern dragon (a person asking a question mentioned that, but they are mistaken). Bloodcarver is a western dragon. Honestly, eastern dragons have very little in common with western dragons.

Fauns

• What, in your comic, is the difference between Satyrs like Greg and Fauns.. If there is a difference at all, that is?

Satyrs are half-goat while fauns are half-deer! Also, satyrs are a male-only race, but fauns include both male and females. : ) Also, personality-wise, fauns are generally calmer and less rambunctious than satyrs, but all are fond of alcohol and dancing.

Gorgons

• You've prolly answered this already, but: In your universe, are there just the 3 Gorgans? Or is there an entire race of Gorgans (all female or mixed)? I's curious!

Gorgons are a species, so there are more than three! They are all female, however. : )

Gryphons

• I noticed on the shiny new cast page Jim's parents were both born around the turn of the century, and most of their kids were born in the 70's-80's. Question being, how long do gryphons generally live? Would Jim's parents be considered middle-aged?

Gryphons live about twice as long as humans (generally). Mary and James are nearing 100, but in "people years" they are around 50-60. They grow up quickly, aging at about the same rate as humans until they hit their mid-late 20s when their aging starts to slow.

Opinicus (Maned Gryphon)

• "Maned" is only a nickname for opinici because the males sport manes. Females, like lionesses, do not have manes. They have a more feline body than common gryphons. This includes live births over eggs, although that's not really important at all.
• About your opinicus: I've mostly read opinici were portrayed in heraldry as being mostly lion-bodied, four lion feet, a plain eagle head with no ears, a camel tail, and optional wings. Just a bit curious about the deviation from the myth here.

I use the "opinicus" name mostly in regards to the four lion feet, which, in Skin Deep, is unique to maned gryphons among the gryphon subspecies. It was a much fancier name than "maned gryphon" so I decided to use it instead.

Harpies

• Which types of harpies are there?

There are four known subspecies of harpies! Allelian, Okepetian, Podargian, and Celeanian! The comic has mentioned that the defining characteristic of Allelian harpies is that they have wing arms, and we haven't met/heard of any other type yet!

• Are harpies generally nice? Is there any creature that actually live up to their reputation?

Harpies and manticores, the two most populous "monsters", are generally pretty foul-tempered creatures. There are many exceptions, however. Whether the bad temperament comes from being treated poorly all their lives (most people just assume that manticores and harpies are bad news), or if they are naturally inclined to be nasty is up to debate.

• Google yields no such thing as "Allelian Harpy." Are there different kinds of harpies in Skin Deep? What are they, and what do they look like?

The different species of harpy are named after the names of the original harpies: Ocypete, Aello, Podarge, and Celaeno. The different harpy species come from the different ways harpies have been portrayed in mythology. The comic mentions that the main distinguishing feature of Allelian harpies is that they have wing arms instead of human arms with wings on their back.

Hippogriffs

• Are Hippogryphs their own species on skin deep or do they fall under the category of pygmy gryphon?They're their own species. :D

Jabberwockies

• Do Jabberwokies exist in SD?

Yes they do! Hopefully one day I'll have the opportunity to draw one in the comic!

Jackalopes

• How big are Jackalopes?

The size of normal jackrabbits.

Jub-Jub Birds

• What are the things on top of Ruperts head?

They are prehensile horns! Don't ask me how they work, he's from Wonderland.

Kirins

• Is the Kirin/quilin considered a unicorn? Why is it you chose not to add Uni's to the world?

Kirin's are an entirely different animal from unicorns! The only reason they are referred to as "Asian Unicorns" is because European explorers thought they kinda sorta looked like European unicorns. :)
And I never said that unicorns didn't exist in the past! They just don't exist anymore.

Mermaids

• Are there mermaids in the Skin Deep world? Or would Nixies and Nokks be considered the SD version of mermaids?

There are mermaids, yes! I just haven't shown any in Skin Deep yet because I like Nixies and Nokks better. The biggest difference is that mermaids don't have the shapeshifting or elemental powers that nixies do. Also they aren't blue/green.

Momewraths

• Is there any kind of asexual creature in Skin Deep?

Sure! For example, momewraths are an asexual species.

Nemean Lions

• How long can Nemean lions live naturally?

They typically live about twice as long as human beings. Some live longer, some have shorter life spans, it depends on the individual. : )

Nixie/Nokk

• Since a nokk is a male nixie, would a nokk's daughters be nixies, and a nixie's sons be nokks? Or are they two separate species?

Nokks and nixies are usually treated as separate species, but they're actually the same species with some pretty distinct sexual differentiation. So a nixie can have nokk children even if the father is not a nokk, and the other way around.

• Why did Merial transform without a medallion?

She didn't! Nixie's have the ability to shapeshift their tails into legs naturally. She needs the medallion to appear human, however.

Perytons

• Are there going to be moar perytons in the series? I love Perytons. Perytons are awesome. PERYTOOONNNSSS.

Well, Blanche's mother is a peryton, so there will be perytons when we see her. : )

Rat Kings

• Can there be rat kings in skin deep? 8D

Certainly! But they probably wouldn't be sentient. Just a big gross ball of disgusting rats. Awww yeaaah.

Satyrs

• Does Greg have goat eyes?

No he does not. Most satyrs do, however, have goat eyes.

• What, in your comic, is the difference between Satyrs like Greg and Fauns.. If there is a difference at all, that is?

Satyrs are half-goat while fauns are half-deer! Also, satyrs are a male-only race, but fauns include both male and females. : ) Also, personality-wise, fauns are generally calmer and less rambunctious than satyrs, but all are fond of alcohol and dancing.

Sphinxes

• Are there any other sphinxes besides Michelle?

There used to be lots of Sphinxes before the Great War! But currently the only known sphinx is Michelle, and even then, she is only known to a very small population.

Spirit Animals

• Can there be "Sprit animal" creatures, for any animal species? Or are there only creatures that are depicted in ancient cultures?

Usually Spirit Animals are animals native to the areas that have myths about spirit animals. Mostly it is confined to North and South American animals. Africa has a lot too, but they are usually called by something else. Europe and Asia don't have a lot, but usually that is because what some people would call "spirit animals" are actually other mythical creatures that are mistaken for spirit animals.

Unicorns

• I saw in one of the Orientations-Avalon pages that there was a spirally horn labeled "alicorn." You've mentioned before that there are no unicorns, but alicorn is the name for unicorn horn. What's up with that?

I never said that there didn't used to be unicorns.

• Are Unicorns really extinct or as extinct as Sphinxes?

The general consensus among the mythical community is that there are no unicorns. : D

Werewolves/Vampires

• Everyone thought dragons and sphinxes were gone, and you've implied that unicorns are extinct. Any nonspoilery other critters that are no more in your setting?

Vampires and werewolves have never existed as anything more than rumors and fairy tales. Sorry, Twilight fans. :(

• Now that you mention werewolves and vampires not being present...are there any other mythical critters that can 'infect' normal people? Are they missing from the setting, too, for plot reasons?

I haven't really thought too much about it! I didn't pick "no vampires/no werewolves" because of their infectious nature, I mostly made the decision because they are just too danged popular and I didn't really want them in the comic (it's the same reason you won't see a lot of elves or trolls or goblins or fairies running around, you can go to a billion other stories for those).