TALKING CATS: KROSP

You know that thing some people do on the web on Saturdays, where they publish pictures of cats, and comments about cats, and publish jokes and pithy sayings about cats and cat lovers, and they call it 'Caturday'? Isn't it annoying?

Let's do it.

In the torrent of cat-related posts there are few on talking cats. And yet there are so many to choose from.

Talking animals are a common device in fiction. Because the concept is absurd, talking animals make a good vehicle for comedy. Because it is a strange one, talking animals can also be used to add mystery, mysticism or just plain weirdness to stories. They make good guide and mentor characters because when an animal starts talking, you should pay attention. A staple of myths and fairy tales in the past, talking salmon and seals have been replaced today by more familiar animals like mice, dogs and of course cats. Real cats are aloof and distant at all times, except when they are cute and cuddly when they need something from you. That level of self-centered machination is practically human, making them an ideal avatar for our own selves.

As an example take Krosp, the emperor of all cats. A character in the webcomic comedy adventure 'Girl Genius' («a gaslight fantasy») he is the creation of a mad scientist, or 'construct, an artificially created sentient creature.

The story in Girl Genius can get quite complicated. Various characters pursue their own agendas while moving towards a grand finale that will probably involve time and dimension travel. Krosp is part a large cast of characters who weave in and out of the story. At first he is a gatekeeper, giving information to the heroine Agatha, moving her forward in her own story. When he first meet an isolated Agatha, she jokes that she has to listen to him. He surprises her by accepting seriously her fealty and offers her his protection. What is a joke to all the other characters is serious to him; Krosp was

literally created to rule. He cannot deviate from his pre-set agenda while at the same time understanding how absurd his position is. He later becomes her confident, a sounding board for exposition dialogue. From there he gradually evolves into an active ally.

Krosp leaves the story several times, making a grand entrance at each return. It turns out that he has his own story arc. When he finds the other constructs his maker created to be his subjects he can finally use his embedded leadership talent and is given the true power of an army. As the story progresses he uses this power to help Agatha. The importance of it is always downplayed through comedy.

In this talking cat case the focus is on Krosp's humanity. He is a person tapped in a cat's body. His cat qualities are useful to bring the story forward (for example he can follow a scent trail) or comedy relief (he freaks out when near water). His story arc is just as epic as the main character, we just don't get to see it as a lot of it develops offstage. In this case 'being a cat' can stand for 'dealing with preconceptions'. Everyone that Krosp meets is as much a freak as he is but his appearance keeps him apart. It is a very human position to be in.