wapsi square

A webcomic by Paul Taylor

LIST OF CHARACTERS

Updated 30 July 2013

Shelly Wahnee and Monica Villareal

Abuela – Spanish word for "grandmother", used by Monica to refer to both her unnamed grandmother (who lives in Monterrey, Mexico with the rest of Monica's family – and makes a great molè) and her also-unnamed great grandmother. Her great-grandmother supposedly lived in their guest house, and taught Monica glyph reading. After asking her parents why no one went to visit her in the guest house, she found out she'd been dead for over a dozen years. Monica later found out that it was actually Jin's mother, Mayahuel, who taught her glyph language in disguise.

Adeobie, Jin (aka Tochtli) – The Timekeeper's Daughter. Previously a part of the Chimera; her actions may have been the reason why the creators lost control of the being – and nearly destroyed the world in the process. Jin is the snake creature in the chimera, and has snake-like eyes that flash at times. As Tochtli, she is represented as a black rabbit. She says that her job as Tochtli is to "keep things running smoothly." It was in this role that she apparently was part of a vision quest that Shelly undertook when she was 13 – about the same time Monica ran in front of a bus to avoid her own Self-Doubt. Jin/Tochtli apparently saved Monica from being hit by the bus; however, the driver of the car behind the bus died in the crash. That person was Tina. Jin's "mother" was the one who taught Monica glyph language. She stated in a flashback to the accident that her mother "trusted" Monica with her words, as a way of keeping her mother "alive". Phix revealed to Monica that Jin is older than the Mayan calendar, having wandered into the original Sun Stone "room" at 18 and never aging. Apparently is also the writer of the book, "Machine Before the Sun Stone". She also apparently had a romantic liaison with Monica's grandpa, Aaron Sullivan. She also was the one who "appropriated" the tapestry from Bud's storage area – and put the design on it onto her one-time friend Shelly. Went a little batty when Monica finally solved a problem that Jin had never been able to overcome in previous cycles of the calendar machine; was "talked down" by Bud and Alan, but ended up taking out a wall in the ladies' bathroom of the Cerberus Club. Suffers from a temporal-like schizophrenia that causes her to "see dead people." The gang thought that destroying the calendar machine would "fix" her, but apparently it made things worse. She has since become "human", thanks to Bud, Shelly, her mom – and an overgrown squid named "Stinky". A primary cast member.

Adeobie, Mayahuel – Also known as Jin's mom and "The Timekeeper". The unseen person behind all the machinations of the Calendar Machine, and the person who developed the process to make golems. A glyph reader, she created Tepoztecal as a mini-golem, apparently from a weasel – which explains a lot. Finally made her first "appearance" in mid-January of 2010, but was disappointed to discover the mental state of her daughter.

Alan – Kevin's friend. Helped Kevin break the ice with Monica one day in the park, though he got chased by Dietzel for his troubles. Comes off as a bit of a philosopher when it comes to life and love, though he came off as a bit of a lothario early on. Has pretty much cemented his relationship with Jin as of late, convincing her that she's "stuck with him." Helped Jin get through her "suicide attempt", but couldn't stop her from blasting a hole in the wall of the Cerberus

Club. Jin has apparently clued him in on her situation, and he doesn't seem to mind. Oh, and he also loves snowmobiles.

Albrecht, Ellen – Owen's sister. Never seen, only mentioned in Owen's biography.

Albrecht, Owen – Short guy, and Shelly's musician friend. Once, Shelly's main and completely unknowing love interest. Now together with Lakshimi Prasad. Lives over a bar in the Twin Cities. Guitarist for the band Fermented Banana; name for the band came from a discomfiture that Monica experienced one morning. Instead of brushing her teeth with toothpaste, she did so with a fermented banana. He and Lakshimi haven't been seen in the strip for quite some time – turns out they moved in together and eventually eloped (much to Shelly's chagrin). Was once considered a primary cast member.

Anger – One of Monica's personal demons. Made a single appearance in the strip when the Golems had a "silly string" party (the "Personal Demons" storyline); has a shattered face and appeared to carry a razor blade. Has not appeared since.

Atsali – A siren who meets Katherine at the library annex. Slightly odd speech, somewhat reminiscent of a grand English world adventurer, she loves books (thus the reason for her presence at the library). Freckled face with (assumably) reddish hair, short wings – and a bird-like lower body. She spoke her name in Greek as "Άτσαλη", which is the feminine form of the word "clumsy" – though it is also very close to the word "steel". Her parents died when she was little, resulting in her placement in an orphanage. She has limited access to the library through this orphanage.

Baxter and Boo – Pet Cerberi (plural of Cerberus) of Tsillah, the daughter of Charon. Gave Shelly and Justin a little trouble while they were trying to reach the library annex.

Becky – The first server at Mucho Mocha, who brushed off Monica's simple request for a cup of coffee. Went unnamed for years until her name was revealed by Pablo. She is the baker of all the "yummy goods" that Tina serves in her shop, as the head baker at Feuillet's. She also has a really bad case of OCD that she controls with medication.

Ben – One of the named bikers down at Sally's in the warehouse district. They were amazed to find out that Monica's grandfather was "THE" Aaron Sullivan. The group gave her a ride home after her car conked out leaving a contributor's party at the museum. Ben is a plastic surgeon who likes to hang out at Sally's.

Bia – A second-generation Titan, daughter of Pallas and Styx, Shelly's mom – and great-grandmother (it's complicated). Was apparently a museum curator in her "life" on earth. Supposedly died of a heart attack when Shelly was ten; help wasn't able to arrive because a drunk had crashed their car into a phone pole earlier, severing the phone lines near Shelly's house. Gave her the figurines that look like the Golem Girls; may have been involved in the whole mystery behind the Sun Stone and the glyph language. Had long flowing hair, which was a reason why Shelly cut her hair off when she died. Shelly didn't find out her real nature until a recent visit with her grandma and a few friends at the library.

Bibliothiki – Greek name for The Library. It is a "universal" library run by Phix (and Nudge) that contains the entire knowledge of humankind. Brandi introduced Monica to the library – and Phix. At first, it appeared that the Library was simply a place – until it replied to a question put forth by Phix about Nudge's return. Not only is it sentient, it is also "self-healing" – both of its books and of its physical plant. The building is part of an elaborate complex in an unknown plane of existence, where time does not mean anything. An "annex" now exists in Minneapolis, but only for persons who are invited to enter – and only from the Stevens Avenue South side (not the East 18th Street door). Only about 14 cast members have actually been in the Library since it was introduced.

Bjarni – An old Viking who can't remember how to walk on ice. Is derided for this fact by a female Viking observer who goes unnamed in a flashback comic. Has absolutely NOTHING to do with anything in this strip. Move along, now.

Bontemps, Jacquline "Jacqui" – Shelly's musician friend and freckled yoga studio owner. Lead singer and founder of the band Fermented Banana. Her studio, named Punk Yoga, was started with the money she got from her parents' trust fund. Has been put in a precarious position between her secretary and her good friend Shelly, as Shelly has become a personal trainer at her studio.

Budur, Acacia "Bud" – A young and innocent girl, until she was made part of the Chimera. One of the three Golem Girls; now an individual again – but still incredibly powerful. Remains young and innocent as long as she is able to keep the horrible memories away. Now employed as a dance instructor at a dance studio (Joanne's Elite) in Minneapolis. She transforms into a huge goat-like creature as part of the Chimera, and has a "storage door" in her torso. She has hinted that she is from the Mediterranean area (and apparently has an accent from that area). Has a habit of being caught half-naked in front of people – and has a halitosis problem that can't be solved without help from a halon-gas fire extinguisher. She and Brandi live in a small apartment, probably somewhere in the Twin Cities. Was given a magical time-travel tapestry for safekeeping in her "storage door" by Tepoz (unbeknownst to her); he made her believe that it was Monica who gave her the blanket. Brandi has commented that it's no longer there – mostly because it was taken by Jin and moved to a "different location." That location turned out to be a market that was raided by an arms dealer. Bud wasn't too happy with that. Bud was the fourth sculpture for sale at the Patch Together website – a website that allows artists to create 3-D images of their characters "on demand". A primary cast member.

Castela – A demon-like little girl with horns and the unfortunate nickname of "Pickle". Her parents left her at the supernatural orphanage (unlike Atsali). When she cries, instead of tears thornbushes flow from her eyes. Looks up to Atsali as a big-sister figure.

Charon – Ferryman to the underworld. Didn't care much for the Lanthians and their technology. Sent his daughter, Tsillah, as a "liaison" to Monica. Knows Bia very well.

Chimera – Also known as the Golem Girls; a creation of a long-dead civilization (scientists and priests of Lanthis), which was inadvertently wiped out as a

result of its loss of control. Made up of two young girls (Acacia and Brandi) and a demi-goddess (Jin/Tochtli); the "recipe" for its creation was originated by Jin's mother (aka Mayahuel). Represented as a combination of a lioness, a goat and a snake; is only seen in one strip as something appearing to be a bat-like creature. A later civilization (theoretically the Maya) managed to separate the three parts of the creature, and made Tepoz their "keeper". They were used as "guardians" by the Maya of the pyramids at Teotihuacan.

Claire – One of the named members of the female firefighting/model team. Amanda was taking a photo shoot of them at the same time Monica was in Mexico and Fermented Banana was playing in Des Moines.

Companion – Shelly's demon conglomerate (also referred to as "the spooky little girl" and "Connie"). Somehow, in becoming a "doorway" for the demon world, Shelly's demons all coalesced into one single demon, which looks surprisingly like Shelly did when she was a little girl. First came up when Shelly was "dating" Heather, but was never pegged as a demon until prior to the calendar machine's destruction. She apparently scares the pants off of Apotropaic Sphinxes, as she is unlike anything they've ever seen. Still not exactly sure of how she came to be, despite spending a LONG time with Shelly. Bud likes the little elemental.

Crimson Mantis – A fake "alter ego" of Monica's that she uses at times just to be silly. Started one day when she was trying to poit her bra off, and it ended up falling on her face – where it made her look like a red-eyed praying mantis. Dietzel doesn't enjoy being her sidekick (The Bumbling Bumblebee).

Curly – Guitar shop guy. Goes to Shelly's shop for his car repairs. Never actually seen, though Shelly is talking to him in the strip where she meets Heather.

Custard, Doctor – Monica's favorite brand of custard, which she joking refers to as the arch-enemy of her alter ego, the Crimson Mantis.

Dance Class Lady – One of the older women in Bud's dance class at a studio in Minneapolis; commented to her how her classes made her "feel like a kid again".

Debra – One of the named members of the female firefighting/model team. Amanda caught on film an action shot of Debra tossing a shark halfway across the oceanfront.

Deedra – Hairdresser at a salon in Minneapolis; sheared off a good deal of Monica's long hair to promote Locks of Love, a charitable work that makes wigs for cancer survivors from real human hair.

Dietzel – Monica's just-a-dog bull terrier. For once, a dog in the comics that does not speak or save the world on a regular basis. He has shown some erratic intelligence, but mostly only acts human-like when it suits the plot. In other words, he's more a comic foil than anything. Doesn't like sticking his head out the window of Monica's car after a nasty incident with a June bug when he was a puppy. Dietzel was the second sculpture for sale at the Patch Together website.

Doe, Jane – The body that Suzi "cleaned up" from the Hennepin County morgue, in an effort to keep her from turning into a vampire (or something worse). The mortician stated she was about 17 and was found in an alley, dead from exposure.

Doubt – One of Monica's personal demons, the most powerful of them all. Monica tried running from her at age 14, and was nearly run over by a bus because of it. Jin kept her from being hit, but her heart stopped briefly as a result. Speaks in "mirror" language when empowered (sometimes leading her to be named "acinoM" in that state); her appearance changes as well. The first time she appeared, Monica wrestled with her openly in front of Tepoz, and sent it running. She has pointed out to Monica that despite what she may believe, she's not always her enemy. Has had interactions with the Golem Girls (who initially thought she was a "pet"); Doubt doesn't appear to be a "generic" demon, but changes size (and shape!) based upon her "host." Monica stated she "can be the most seductive" of her demons. And she really, really, really likes pizza.

Doug – Mostly unseen mortician at the Hennepin County Medical Center. Apparently knows Suzi enough that he has a standing arrangement for body bags and enzyme cleaners.

Dragonslayers, The – Two scantily-clad females who have apparently convinced a town that they had "killed" a dragon (who was apparently in on the ruse). The dark-haired female looked suspiciously like a certain keeper of Kachina dolls.

Dylan – Delivery girl for Papa's Pizza, aka "The Pizza Bimbo"; apparently, she delivered pizza to Dietzel every day while Monica was visiting her family in Mexico. Apparently Dietzel still orders pizza from there, as Monica told him to "remind her to take her shoes off". How he accomplishes all of this, don't ask. Name was revealed by Pablo after a sketch of her trying to convince Dietzel to eat a pizza was put on eBay. Drives what looks to be an old '78 VW Rabbit.

Earl – One of the named bikers down at Sally's in the warehouse district. Monica stated that he was an architect.

Ehrlich, Amanda – Photographer and Monica's school friend. Was the first character in the strip, along with Monica. Returned to the strip after a long hiatus, after getting a spit-take bath from Monica after asking her about "old texts, mythical beasts, riddles and calendar machines". She was "adopted" by a stray male kitten – and rather forcibly introduced to the supernatural via a little dip in the middle of Lake Calhoun. Her mother wasn't exactly the greatest in the world; her father was mostly absent from their lives.

Epimethus, Justin – The Minneapolis police officer who responded to the "exploding grill" at Shelly's place. Turns out he was crushing on Ms. Wahnee after taking a kick-boxing class at Jacqui's studio. How he ended up cuffed to her bed is up for conjecture. He states he's a "psycho-chick magnet" – which would explain why Bud did her Fargo-like impersonation for him a few times. Shelly discovered (the hard way) that he is actually Epimethus, brother of Prometheus; he has quick healing powers, but does not remember that he's essentially immortal because of a gunshot wound to the head.

Euryale – a Gorgon with a southern accent, a sunny disposition, and snakes for a hairdo. Daughter of Ceto, and sister of Medusa; she has "accidentally" frozen Monica several times, despite her fangirling over M and her exploits. A marine biologist, archaeologist, and a hugger – so watch out. And don't get her – or her snakes – upset.

Evil Wizard – The leader of the priests of Lanthis who were keen on trying to create the Chimera using a formula provided by Jin's mother, Mayahuel. He was very impressed upon his first meeting with her. (Oops, did I give something away?)

Farmer, Egyptian – Unnamed individual that popped out of Bud's "stomach door", looking for Tepoz (who apparently owed him a bunch of tomatoes). Later revealed that he owns the other tapestry, which he displays in his market in Egypt (which may have been a prevarication on the part of Tepoz). Unfortunately, when Monica went in search of the other tapestry, she found he wasn't exactly in one piece.

FBI Boss – The boss of Lily Pratt and Suzy McBride, the Vampire FBI agents. Doesn't like having to "debrief" them after Suzy does something dumb – like feed on a serial killer.

Fear – One of Monica's personal demons. Was only seen in one panel, with empty, hollow eyes. Has not appeared since the "Personal Demons" storyline. Not to be confused with Panic (see below).

Fields, Gregory – Monica's boss at the University Historical Museum. Likes to give Monica assignments and run the other way. Regardless of this, he thinks highly of her. Name was revealed when he walked in on Monica talking with a humanized Phix. Phix has had some "early morning discussions" with him. (Insert "man-eater" joke here.) His secretary (who has never been seen "on screen") is Barbara.

Freckled Red-Haired Guy – He helped out Katherine when her fish Oscar accidentally swallowed some ice cream by giving her some fresh water for his bowl. Noticed she was having a "good butt day." Looks a lot like Napoleon Dynamite. Dang.

Gilchrist, Katherine – Museum curator and spider collector (though she is afraid of them). A social disaster. Likes Starbuck from the new Battlestar Galactica, as was shown by her Halloween costume. Had some half-dead plants that she wanted to have "more of a social life" than her – until squirrels ate them. Katherine then ate the squirrels – "taste like chicken" was her comment. Big fan of the local plant conservatory. Caught the eye of a cute guy when his volleyball accidentally hit the bowl of her pet fish Oscar. Monica somewhat reluctantly let her in on some of the secrets of the calendar machine and the time-travel tapestry. A primary cast member.

Golem Girls – see "Chimera".

Gretchen – The receptionist for Lydia, the custom bra-maker for Monica. Most prominent feature is large roundish glasses. She was finally named when Monica and Tina went in to be fitted for a sports bra.

Guards, Lanthian – The two heavies that tried to attack Mayahuel (Jin's mother) in the flashback scene that begins the third Wapsi Square book. Mayahuel showed the one guard her "look ma, no hands!" slicing technique – which impressed the Evil Wizard to no end.

Guzmán, Tina Rosario Aldaco – Barista who makes the best damn coffee in the Twin Cities at her shop, Mucho Mocha. After that, it gets complicated: she was the driver who was involved in the accident when Monica ran in front of a bus to avoid Self Doubt; her "soul" apparently died and her personal demons took over her shell. The "conglomerate" decided to open a coffee shop in the Twin Cities, providing wisdom to others despite having no recollection of who she was prior to the accident – save for a few newspaper clippings that suggest she was the daughter of a drug lord and was on the run from him. Possesses a special clock with a key that looks a lot like one of Shelly's clay dolls; Brandi happened to notice prior to the calendar machine storyline that it contained some sort of stiletto knife. She also has a set of notebooks in some sort of shorthand that spooked Monica when she told her about them. Her demons are apparently visible to others who are similarly "undead", like Bud; to everyone else, she just has really strange-looking eyes. For the longest time, Nudge had taken control of the collective, but Phix did a monster-ectomy on her at the library. Has been out-of-sorts on occasion as of late, but is still bright and cheery – though she has warned Monica that she's not "domesticated." She is not sure about what her continued existence will be, but she's already come to the conclusion that this time around in the calendar machine loop was the first for the "rats steering the ship." A primary cast member.

Hatred – One of Monica's personal demons. Very dark, almost a negative image of Monica, with a grill-like mouth and hollow, "glowing" eyes. Only appeared in the "Personal Demons" storyline.

Jin Adeobie, Brandilyn Oduya and Acacia "Bud" Budur

Janet – Co-worker of Monica's at the University Museum. First mentioned back in the first full year of the strip, she was only referred to by name – until Monica mistakenly thought she was Doubt. May have been Monica's best friend in one of the last "cycles" of the calendar machine reset.

Jason – Amanda's personal assistant, a nerdy sort who was intimidated by the firefighter models at the beachfront photo shoot.

Joanne – Owner-operator of a dance studio in Minneapolis (Joanne's Elite Dance Studio). She hired Acacia (Bud) as one of her dance instructors at the end of 2006. Sometimes questions Bud's sanity.

Joe – The pretend street-robber and psychologist. He tried robbing Heather (twice) and Shelly once. Unfortunately for him, Heather was packing some serious heat the first time – and Shelly was ticked off the second time.

Julia – One of the named members of the female firefighting/model team.

Junior – the MiB special agent who likes to eat salted caramel latte popsicles.

Kevin – Monica's paramour. Freelance photographer from the Twin Cities. Until a recent case of drunken "poiting" (teleportation) on Monica's part, he's been kept in the dark about all the supernatural stuff going on. Took the revelation of all the crazy stuff in Monica's life in stride. He was a bit angst-ridden over Monica's apparent sexual overdrive in response to her issues with things supernatural. Alan, upon hearing his concerns, didn't see the problem.

Kittie –Tina's cat, with a somewhat unoriginal name. Of course, for most cats, that's no problem, because how many of them actually come when you call them?

Kramer, Doctor (no first name given) –The doctor who dealt with Shelly's bowling-ball incident; Shelly was knocked unconscious while simultaneously talking to Heather and trying to clean out her closet. Nearly got hit by a bedpan when Shelly found out she'd have to stay at the hospital overnight.

Kukulcan – Aztec god and Tepoztecal's mentor. Rough equivalent of Zeus/God Almighty. Has interesting taste in clothing. Stated to Tepoz that Monica was "trained" to be a glyph reader for a reason; apparently Jin and her mother had something to do with this.

Lenny – One of the named bikers down at Sally's in the warehouse district. He is the head chef at Palladio's restaurant.

Luci – Jacqui's receptionist. Formal, a bit odd, shy, and richly tattooed. Believes she is "dork cheesecake." Doesn't like Shelly very much. Shelly doesn't care much for her, either, referring to her as "that little insect." The two have an adversarial relationship over access to Jacqui. She was in juvie detention hall growing up.

Lust – One of Monica's personal demons. Her appearance is similar to Doubt, but instead has "made-up" lips and wears a camisole top. Doesn't stand upright (since she's a more "primal" demon). She "overpowered" Monica with desire to become rich from discovering the Calendar Machine. Tends to work in tandem with Vanity.

Lydia – Custom bra constructor. Holds a degree in architecture. Very spooky voice. Calls Monica "kotehok" (kitten), works with lingerie ninjas.

Marta – Monica's cousin, living in Monterrey, Mexico with the rest of Monica's family. Taller than Monica; she is planning to go to law school and become a lawyer.

McBride, Suzie – Bespectacled vampire girl who works for the FBI. Has some issues with this whole "don't feed on the bad guys" thing about modern society. Just ask serial killer Martin Reynolds – oh wait, you can't. Discovered the hard way why it's not a good idea to try to approach a human apex predator.

Meadows, Mr. – An anthropomorphic crocodile who is one of the staff of a supernatural orphanage. Atsali and Castela are two of his charges.

Medeia – An apo sphinx. Phix had her for lunch.

Mercenaries, Egyptian – The group of soldiers that suddenly opened fire on Monica when she grabbed the other tapestry that was supposedly in the Egyptian "fruit market".

Mike – Security guard at the Minneapolis museum. He is in charge of the storage vaults at the museum, where Monica had the time-travel tapestry placed.

Mills, Heather – Shelly's lesbian friend, and possible "love interest" from the recent past. Radio station manager, and lead singer of Intentional Thumbprint, the band that opened for Fermented Banana at The Plow in Des Moines. Is an avid shooter and is licensed to carry a gun. Had a nice little "date" with Vickie Talbot over wine. She was the first person she called after she "returned" from the Time Forest.

Nikki – One of the named members of the female firefighting/model team.

Ninjas, Lingerie – The "Elite Guard" of Lydia's "Old Master"; they can measure, undress and fit you with a new bra like a breeze in the wind – and serve you espresso afterward.

Nu Gui – The evil "ghost spirit" of the baby that was killed in Brandi's abduction. She made a deal with Brandi, which resulted in a lot of bad things happening. Has been "dealt with", thanks to Bud, Katherine, and Atsali.

Nudge – The "first" librarian of the Bibliothiki. Originally appeared to Monica as one of Tina's demons, the chairperson of the Demon horde inside of her. She has had the urge over the years to keep Monica safe, more or less as a Guardian, and has "guided" her at various points in her life. The "trickster" (with horns, hooves and an attitude), she got out of library duty by tricking Oedipus into destroying a book that contained Nudge's "sentence" of eternal library service. She used the time to convince what was left of Tina's demons to get up off the slab and move to Minneapolis to be near Monica – though she admits that she felt strange while doing so. Is friendly with both Monica and Shelly, whom she has both watched over for years – and never gave up on them. Hates lava baths.

Oduya, Brandilyn (Brandi) – One of the three Golems that Tepoz caused to appear as drunken college girls to Monica. Previously part of the Chimera (a

very powerful being that nearly destroyed the world) with Bud and Jin; she can transform into a lioness when angered or attacked. Adult, emotionally solid as a rock, and a mother hen. Likes the movie, Pretty In Pink – though none of the Golem Girls like the ending. Introduced Monica to Phix and the Bibliothiki. Now employed, working at a "print shop" in an office setting in the Twin Cities – or, at least, that's what Senior Director Oduya lets everyone think she does. Lives in a small apartment with Bud (see previous). The one Golem Girl we know the least about – other than that one time at the Pyramid of the Moon, and that book she wrote that suggests how to fix the Calendar Machine with a bowling ball and mirrors. For this reason, she "viscerally scares the crap out" of Bud, who's afraid to play chess with her. Oh, and there was some sort of "deal" she made with the "powers that be" after the Lanthian priests took her from her position as a nursery worker. Something about "vimana cells", a grid and a "nu gui". A primary cast member (listed on the main Wapsi Square cast page).

Oscar – The name of Katherine's pet fish. She talks to it like it actually understands her – which isn't too farfetched in the Wapsiverse. He is lactose intolerant.

Panic – One of Monica's personal demons. Represented by a head with multiple horns – almost like a gorgon – and a large toothy mouth; doesn’t say much. She gained some power as Monica lost the book she checked out of the Bibliothiki (library). Monica stated that "she can surprise me" at times.

Pete – One of the named bikers down at Sally's in the warehouse district. Monica stated he was an anesthesiologist.

Phix – Apotropaic sphinx librarian in a supernatural library with multiple outlets. Has taken a liking to Monica. Gave her a book, "Machine After the Sun Stone", which Monica believes contains many of the answers to the questions in her life (though it was actually written by Jin). Has enlightened Monica on aspects of her past and relationship with Jin. Also appears to be somewhat of a grandmotherly figure to Shelly – and not just because Shelly discovered in the time forest she was more than human. Can be rather messy when she's eating.

Prasad, Jaheel – Lakshmi's teenage sister. Lived with Lakshimi until she moved off to college (or so we're left to assume. Threatened to kick Owen's butt if he treated her badly.

Prasad, Lakshmi – Construction worker. Even more physically imposing than Shelly. Tries to be soft and sweet. Likes swing music – much to Owen's dismay. Biography states she is an Olympic swimmer and works for her father's construction business. Was last seen on a postcard with Owen announcing they had eloped – much to Shelly's chagrin.

Prasad, Makshi – Lakshimi's other, younger sister. Seen briefly when Owen called her after their first date.

Pratt, Lily – One of the Vampire girls who work for the FBI. She is the slightly more practical one – though she wears dreadlocks (and occasionally not much else).

Rigo – Monica's other cousin. Very machismo. Doesn't care much for his friends' tactics in wooing girls – like his cousin and sister.

Roy – Either a friend or relative of Monica's from Peru. He shipped her a voodoo doll that looked like Shelly in the second strip. Has not been referred to since.

"Sailor" – Nickname given by Monica to a 19-year old boy that she almost hooked up with. Did so at a wedding that Amanda was photographing – and Monica was acting as her assistant. The wedding was the first time Monica used the Glyph language out loud in the strip.

Salesman, Bowling Shop – The gentleman who sold Brandi not one but two bowling balls. Not that Brandi intended to buy more than one, of course.

Selenium – Amanda's strange-eyed kitten. He woke her up one night, wandered into her life and "adopted" her. Talent is apparently to make a mess by drooling and peeing over everything, and his Wolverine-like claws. Like it or not, he's got the run of Amanda's studio, and she's now a reluctant cat owner. "Selenium" name comes from the element used in tintype photography for its conduction of electricity. Superpower: coughing up hairballs as big as himself.

Simone – Bar waitress at Darren's bar. She was tending bar while Darren was dog-sitting Dietzel for Monica while she was down in Mexico. She was also the recipient of a sloppy lick on the face from Dietzel a bit earlier when he decided to play "spin the bottle" with the patrons of Darren's bar. Looks a lot like Brandi, but we're pretty sure she's not one and the same; she was introduced before the Golem Girls came on the scene.

Smooze, Marcus P. – The muscled lawyer and ambulance chaser with whom Bud flirted briefly. Now in trouble with the Minnesota State Bar Association. Name only appeared on the card that he handed to Bud after her header into the sidewalk.

Stinky – Bud's pet giant squid. Likes to play fetch with an old sunken boat anchor. Found the German U-boat (U-296) that was hiding the Lanthian key relic.

Stone, Angie "Sugarbear" – A female bounty hunter and TV reality show star (Sugarbear: Bail Enforcement Agent) in the Wapsiverse. According to Pablo, Stone "got her nickname late one night when she received a phone tip that one of her elusive quarry had been sighted at a nearby bar. She grabbed her jeans, and still wearing her "sugarbear" pajama tee, bolted out the door. Needless to say, her adorable attire was a stark counterpoint to how much dental damage she dished out with a pool cue, but she got her man." Appeared once in the actual strip, on Monica's TV, chastising a perp for not seeing the baseball bat she had wedged in the back door.

Sullivan, Aaron – Monica's maternal grandfather, the WWII biker soldier. Supposedly drove through a German camp on his Harley Liberator – without them firing a shot. First mentioned in reference by the patrons of Sally's Bar; Monica has since realized that he had a fling with Jin prior to his meeting her grandma – and may have known something about the Calendar Machine.

Sundahl, Georgette – Skinny model with very high metabolism – and very intelligent. Goes by her first name (Georgette); last name is assumed to be the same as her sister. Monica was involved in advertisements for her restaurant chain, based on a pub in Minneapolis. Ran into Monica at Mucho Mocha right after her little adventure with the Calendar Machine.

Sundahl, Jill – Georgette's sister and a superb cook. Looks like she could kick Lakshimi's butt. Monica ran into her at the "elf house" in Minneapolis, where Jill first mistook her for one of Georgette's "modeling friends".

Sunglasses Girl – The kinky girl that Alan was seen in bed with. Amazing with a rubber chicken and a toilet seat. Only seen in three separate strips, around the time when Kevin first asked Monica out.

Talbot, Vickie – The lesbian suit girl Heather met in Tina's cafe. Heather finally got up the nerve to call her, and the two went out to a wine bar together. Heather unintentionally propositioned her at the bar; no idea if it was consummated – though Heather had a very happy look on her face the next morning at Tina's.

Tepoztecal (aka Tepoz) – The Aztec god of alcohol. Guardian of both the Golems and, to a certain extent, Monica. Hardly a supernatural heavyweight, but knows more than he lets on. Basically a good guy – if a bit short and on the blue side. Was held captive in a statue, until Monica unknowingly freed him by reading the incantation on the outside. Likes to watch the Weather Channel. Can be seen by Katherine, who helped Monica interrogate him about the disappearance of the tapestry. Apparently was a creation of Jin's mom as a "test run" for making golems. A primary cast member, thought we haven't seen much of him as of late.

Tèran, "Yummy Tea" – Mural artist. Went to school with Monica, where they met in the fourth grade. She nicknamed him "Cazuela" (a big-handled cooking pot, which is what Yummy Tea looks like). His "artist name" is apparently something he got from a girlfriend, and isn't printable in a family magazine. One of his murals featured a caricature of Tepoz – to Monica's surprise.

Tia – Spanish word for "aunt", used by Monica to refer to her unnamed aunt. Lives in Monterrey, Mexico with the rest of Monica's family.

Tio – Spanish word for "uncle". Used by Monica to refer to her unnamed uncle, a successful tile and brickwork specialist in Monterrey, Mexico.

Tsillah – Daughter of Charon, the ferryman of the dead. Has an interesting taste in clothing, and is apparently a "shade" on the young side. Ran into Shelly and Justin at the library and helped them out with a little wardrobe malfunction. Apparently has been "assigned" to Monica by her dad – for reasons yet unknown. Might have something to do with her sister.

U-Boat 296 Captain – Bud found him (or what was left of him) chained and handcuffed to an old Lanthian relic – and a German "potato grenade." Made a big mess of Monica's little "island in the sun."

Vanity – One of Monica's demons; represented by an interesting combination of an empty bustier and fishnet stockings with nothing but a china doll face on a backbone. Has apparently grown powerful in recent days as Monica has learned more about her past and about the Golem Girls. Works in tandem with Lust.

Villareal, Monica – The main character of Wapsi Square. Very intelligent if a tiny bit socially inept. Twenty-something museum curator, magic glyph reader, golem keeper, possessor of phoenix blood, wielder of astral fire, demon

shepherd, the "fourth light" and the bearer of a truly magnificent pair of, uh, you know (they are supposedly 28J – as in "Jaguar Girl" – as of her last "measuring" by Lydia). Listed at 4'11" in height with reddish-brown hair. Was originally a part-owner of an antique store with Amanda. Has a soft spot for antiques, coffee, '80's music, and hi-fi stereos. Died briefly as a teenager when she was nearly hit by a bus running away from Doubt, but was "saved" by Jin. Lives in a little house with her dog, Dietzel, in the Wapsi Square area of the Twin Cities. She has developed the ability to "poit" (teleport) from place to place, which appears to have come about because of her glyph-reading ability and her visits to the Biblothiki. She doesn't quite have it down, though – unless she's REALLY concentrating. She's convinced that Lanthians are the "Psycho-steam punks of the ancient world." She's pretty famous among mythical creatures – even vampires. She was the first Wapsi Square sculpture for sale through the Patch Together website, in her trademark Magic 8-Ball T-Shirt.

Volleyball Guy – Katherine's accidental "date" after her beach escapade. He lost his concentration on the game of volleyball when he saw her stride into the lake, and the ball bounced off his head – and onto Oscar's fishbowl! He managed to screw up his courage to ask her out after apologizing. Haven't heard from him since then.

Wahnee, "Brother" - Shelly's oldest, unnamed brother. The only thing we know about him is that he went to school with the lead singer of the Pickledippers, Monica's favorite punk rock band. Shelly related to Monica that "she's a real sweetie, loves poetry an' all that crap."

Wahnee, Mr. – Shelly's father, and owner of Minneapolis South Auto Repair and Restoration, where Shelly works. Passed out when he saw Shel had cut off her long hair. Not much else is known about him, other than he kept Shelly from holding on to her mother's stone figures for too long. Bia states he is a half-human, half-sphinx "hybrid".

Wahnee, Shelly – Musician, half-sphinx, half-Titan and Monica's friend. Car mechanic with muscles like a dockcrane (thanks to mom). Kachina doll keeper, and the owner of a magical silver hammer, courtesy of a relative of hers. One-time bassist for the band Fermented Banana. Proud of her Native American heritage; has her own demon, but not as "personalized" as Monica; she discovered that her "Companion" was the result of her "vision quest", where she found her (as Tochtli) nearly frozen and lethargic. Turns out that Nudge was told to "guide" her out into those woods. Met Monica through Jacqui; the two of them didn't exactly get off to the greatest of starts. At some previous incarnation of the calendar machine's cycle, she and Jin were good friends. This may be the reason why Jin "hid" the tapestry design as a full-body tattoo on Shelly – or is it Janet? Or Michelle? Brandi wasn't sure when she wrote her book. On the 57th try, managed to get the power source that made Jin a "real human" again – and en route discovered she was a Sphinx. With enhanced vision. Doesn't like spiders – nor does she like people, monsters or Titans lying to her. Shelly is the third sculpture for sale at the Patch Together website. A primary cast member.

Wapsi Square – A fictional suburb of the twin US cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. The "neighborhood" is named for a river (the Wapsipinicon) that Paul Taylor drove across when visiting his then-girlfriend from Des Moines. There's a lot of speculation as to where the suburb would be located in the Twin Cities, with the likeliest bet being somewhere in the southwest section of Minneapolis, since Lake Calhoun, Nicollet Mall and the Mall of America are mentioned.

Watkins, Daren – The bartender in Monica's favorite bar. Socially intelligent. Former school teacher, an occupation he says helps with his current line of work. Has a soft and tender side, but basically plays the role of confessor and sounding board to the rest of the cast. The last time she visited his bar, Monica finally found out about his fear of bananas.

The Wapsi Square Book List: Wapsi Square (fka Wapsi Square 2001-2004)

Shelly Wahnee and Monica Villareal

The Demons In My Back Pocket

The Timekeeper's Daughter

In The Shadow Of Doubt

Letting The Dust Settle

Visits To A Sandbar