Like Spy Gal in Chapter 1, I had spent two strips building up the arrival of the Healer. I wanted his entrance to be important and surprising.

Originally, the Healer was going to be an old man in a cloak. Much more like Dr. Strange or something like that. After being comfortable with that for weeks, I suddenly realized that that was a bad idea. It was just too conventional. So, I asked myself, “What’s the opposite of an old man in a cloak?” The answer quickly came: “A young dude in a backwards visor.”

In a way, the Healer’s my commentary on a modern young celebrity like Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears. Spy Gal is completely enamored with him. Dr. Klein talks about how important it is to give him respect. And yet…does he deserve it? No. The only thing remarkable about him is his superpower. And really, no one cares who the Healer is, it’s the fame he has from what he can DO that makes him so celebrated.

The Healer’s design came out of nowhere.  I just drew him and that’s what he looked like and it was right, the first time.  It was later remarked to me that he has a whitebread Utah homeboy thing going on.  If you’ve been to Utah, you know what I’m talking about.