We all know today is Star Wars Day, but it is also Horace Crichton's birthday! Out of all of Nicole's male friends, Horace has the most characterization. He's selectively mute and, after struggling at his old school, he dropped out and was transferred to Nicole's, where he's had an easier time making friends and is gradually getting over his shyness. When I create a character, sometimes I worry about them being flat, so I try to input as many defining traits as I can into them.

I haven't posted anything to do with Nicole in a long time. Probably it's because I spent all that time trying to come up with a good enough story for her. First, I had in mind a feature-length webcomic called Ups & Downs of Life. Production began in the summer of 2013, before it got quietly canned in mid-2017, though character art did still pop up on rare occasions. Drawing each panel of the comic could get long and tedious, so now I think I've found a way to get panels made a lot faster for its reincarnation, which might have a different title.

Horace's design hasn't changed much. He just has smaller eyes and his hair is a darker shade.