So... what's this cartoon about again?
Short 'n' sweet... it's about time travel, and all the fun and interesting stuff involved with it. It's also about lampooning historical figures and speculating humorously on current celebrities.
What type of audience are you aiming this feature at?
Generally I'm targeting anybody from teens to seniors, sci-fi geeks to history buffs, and so on. From time to time the content will be pointedly mature in nature, so this comic isn't recommended for those younger than 15. I'm not giving history lessons here (though I may throw in an interesting factual tidbit from time to time).
How does the time machine work?
You simply type in the destination time, aim the pendant forward, and hit "Activate". The machine will then project a "time window" about six feet away and six feet in diameter. After the machine is deactivated, you'll have five seconds to get through the time window before it starts to close up. Be careful not to touch the sides of the time window... it'll burn you real bad.
How would I know that Cassie's in a different time?
If Cassie is in a time other than the present, this will be indicated in the panel by a yellow frame (what I call a "timeframe") surrounding the scene, with a tab in the upper left hand corner indicating what year it is. Once she crosses the time window back into the present, the frame will disappear in the next panel.
What is this time machine powered by?
At first it was powered by the cell phone battery, but after a trip into the future it's powered by a durable battery consisting of a hybrid of solar and fusion power. The machine recharges itself in seconds, and can make 20 time windows between charges.
Does this time-travel element have a name?
It's called Sesquicentium, and on the periodic table it's Element 150. This element doesn't exist in real life... yet. (And once it's discovered, more than likely it'll get a different name, and it definitely WON'T have time-travel powers.)
Who shares Cassie's secret about the time machine?
Only those that Cassie can genuinely trust to keep it secret, since she knows all hell would break loose once the secret to time travel got out and everybody got their own time machines. Only her two closest friends, Matt and Bethany, and a select other few know of her secret and won't be telling anyone.
And how can Cassie be so sure about that?
The late Douglas Adams wrote that once time travel became commonplace in the universe, the space-time continuum had gotten to the point that "the past is like a foreign country... they do things exactly the same there." Once Cassie tells someone about her time machine, she waits a few seconds and sees if a lot of stuff changes around her. If it does, she knows this person won't keep her secret... so she'll whip out a Men-In-Black style neuralyzer (procured in 2027) and erase the person's memory of her secret so everything will go back to normal.
What's Cassie's full name?
Cassandra Lorraine Wells ("Lorraine" is the name of Marty McFly's mother).
And her date of birth?
February 8, 1982. I just wanted to pick a date that would be easy to remember, like one that's palindrome-ish when you write it a certain way (like 2-8-82).
So does this mean that she and the other TLT characters will be aging as the strip progresses through the years?
Yep... I really don't have a choice there, since this strip DOES deal with the passage of time and real-life events past & present.
Are Cassie and Matt an item?
Not at this time... they're simply good platonic friends. Though you never know what might happen later on.
How can Cassie, Matt & Bethany afford to travel around the world?
Cassie has amassed a sizable stash of money thanks to her time machine and a series of wagers on horse races and sports games, not to mention some smart investing in the stock market. (But she prefers to stay at her job, because she enjoys her profession.) And she's more than willing to spend the money to accommodate Matt and/or Bethany so they can go with her. And Matt having special connections as a travel agent doesn't hurt, either.
How will you address the complexities of time travel?
Won't the time machine have to calculate where the Earth will be positioned in space or something?
Won't the space-time continuum unravel if Cassie interacts with herself?
How exactly does Sesquicentium interact with the cell phone circuitry?
Some of the storylines aren't historically accurate, what's up with that?
How will Cassie meet herself in the future if she's jumping ahead in time? Won't she be missing all that time?
I am invoking the Mystery Science Theater Defense on all the scientific relevancy stuff: Just repeat to yourself, "It's just a comic strip, I should really just relax." Basically, in terms of seriousness and relevancy, "Times Like This" is closer to "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" than "Back To The Future". There's not gonna be any paradox crap here... if Cassie or Matt run into themselves, they'll just interact like normal people... maybe shake hands, scratch each other's backs, nothing serious.
Are your characters based on anyone in real life?
Yes and no. I crafted the names from real-life people, but the personalities are just made up. "Cassie" I got from Casio (maker of timepieces among other electronics) and "Wells" is, of course, based on H.G. Wells, author of that literary classic "The Time Machine" (Cassie's not supposed to be related to H.G., by the way). Matt Gahan originally had the last name of "Gahane" and that was based on a good friend of mine whose last name used the same letters, but I decided to leave off the last "e" so he'd have the same last name as the lead singer of one of my favorite bands. Bethany Gibson is a name based on another past friend named Stephanie.
Are there any taboo subjects you won't touch?
I'd prefer to stay away from tragic events like 9/11, the Holocaust, real-life murders or assassinations, or the deaths or personal troubles of celebrities. I don't want to do any storylines that may open up a can of worms for me.
When did you first dream all this up?
I first thought of doing a time travel cartoon in 1987... back then I was gonna call it "Timefold" and it was going to be a more serious type of series, and it would've been in comic book form. I didn't have any characters set in stone, though.
Then in 1996 I gave it another thought. This time, it was in comic strip form, played mostly for laughs, and it would be more family-oriented and suitable for newspapers. Here are a couple of sketches I drew up and put on my very first personal website:
