For part of the Children’s Literature course I took at university last year, I read The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1. It’s a very intense story of a slave boy being raised by academics who try to teach him literature, art, music, etc. One of the villains in the book refuses to let Octavian learn Latin through fiction, but insists he learn through dry, dull, lists of accounting or fragments of stories without context. Meanwhile, the villain speaks with incredible hyperbole and learned his Latin through poems and prose. It’s a very well layered, complex story that tries to reflect the complexities of pre-revolution era America, when successful rebellion against England was not a foregone conclusion. Anyway, maybe that’s what I was thinking of when I made Auberginebeard poo-poo metaphors.

Also, Christi’s wand appeared way back in the comic where she turned the gingerbread house witch into a hat. Despite the hat reappearing in further gags, I don’t think I’ve used the wand since, because it is a writing crutch.