You should see what he put together for his sister’s wedding, it was really quite lovely. Stunning but understated...
But to look at him tear up the racetrack you wouldn’t know that his head was filled with daffodils and dandelions. He ruthlessly (and adorably) pounds down the path focused on the finish line, destroying anyone and anything that gets in his way. It is how he was raised. It is the Turtelson way.
Turtle resides in Willow Swamp with his mother and father Bart and Alice Turtleson. He enjoys skiing, reruns of Small Wonder, and spelling words with numbers.
This fall Turtle will be attending Dartmouth to pursue a double major in Botany and Law. He hopes to continue his work with flowers as well as take the first steps towards legally making “numbers as letter” an official recognized language. For more on his struggle go to www.d0ntb3ah8ter.com
Robert “The Bob” Bunny - Born into a family of artist and entertainers, while growing up, the race track was the furthest thing from Bunny’s mind. His brothers would go on to be entertainers and spokesmen on a worldwide scale and he aspired to do the same.
One day while writing a poem on the shore of Glowing Creek a gust of wind swept his parchment up and whisked it away. Running down the river’s edge after that paper Bunny discovered a new love... for speed. He felt the “need for speed”, if you will, much like a junkie or a fighter pilot with enormous teeth.
From that moment on Bunny dedicated himself to the race taking on any and all challengers. Sadly, for all his energy and enthusiasm, Bunny was simply not the quickest animal out there, and his kind demeanor made him a push over in the racing circles.
After this years devastating loss, Bunny plans to hit the training room and return for next years race as a lean mean running machine. With determination like that and a big family supporting him anything could happen. But with a record of 0-23 no one’s holding their breath.
Grandpa Turtle As a former winner of the Great Race himself, Grandpa Turtle is determined to see his grandson carry on the fine family tradition, and he’ll do whatever he has to do to make sure it happens. No matter what little Bunny gets in the way.
Grandpa Bunny - Where Grandpa Turtle helps his grandson with an iron fist Grandpa Bunny chooses to help with words of support and a helpful suggestion. This quiet and kind old rabbit has had his day in the sun and finds peace in seeing his grandson enjoy the competition.
Mama Turtle - Mama Turtle has little interest in the race. That is until her son’s life is threatened. Then, like any good overprotective parent, she bursts into action taking out anyone that means her little boy harm. With bursts of adrenaline that leave her with an seemingly limitless amount of strength there is nothing more powerful than a mother’s love.
Easter Bunny - This famed holiday mascot was more than happy to take some time away from his busy egg hiding schedule to help out his little brother in the race. After all, if a worldwide celebrity with arms like tree trunks can’t scare off a bear attack, than nothing will.
Billy “Crash” McKitten - The son of Bill and Mary McKitten always dreamt of flying. His dreams came true when he got a job piloting a helicopter for the Catburg News covering traffic, migration, and races. The future looked bright for this spunky young upstart. A new career, a litter on the way...He will be missed.
The Question Troll – “Answer me these questions three.” And you best answer truthfully lest the old Question Troll turn you away. Unfortunately, due to a short-term memory problem, the Question Troll’s questions are relatively easy one’s to answer. If you know who you are and where you’re going, you should be good to go.
Turtle in the Clouds - What happens when we die? Who knows, but we do know what happens when Turtle catches a beat down and finds himself drowning in two feet of water. He has a fever dream about a strange Turtle angel that doesn't speak and apparently is a bit of a biter.
Bears - All bears, be they cave dwellers, forest inhabiters, civilized or wild have one thing in common. They hate bunnies. Heaven knows why, but it’s rumored that the unspoken feud goes back to the earl years of the great race. They had better figure out what the problem is soon, because until they do, these grizzly beasts will continue to thwart the Bunny families attempts at winning the race.
Edna and Ernie Fragile (the birds of Fragile Rock) - When you come upon the towering cliffs of Fragile Rock, it’s best to walk around than climb up an over. Because the only thing awaiting you at mountain’s top is this pair of angry birds trying to retire in peace.
Ok, I’m going to be straight with you. If Turtle had won today, Bunny would have run into the tunnel and the camera would spin back to grandpa Bunny where he would remove a mask revealing that he was really Grandpa Turtle laughing maniacally. I thought that would be a great twist but Bunny is absolutely kicking ass. Turtle had all the early support and then all his fans got comfortable and sloppy. Meanwhile Bunny was building a slow following that has emerged and is beating Turtle by almost double the points. It’s like the old Tortoise and the Hare story. Except in reverse.
Before tonight I really was hoping for a Turtle win so I could do that reveal, but I’m so glad it didn’t happen because tonight’s strip was a lot of fun. When I sat down to do it I was a little lost and then I thought it would be great to see where they’re both at in relation to each other. Sort of take a step back and see what’s really going on with glimpses of the past and hints at what’s awaiting them. And it came out pretty cool.
For the past few weeks Turtle vs. Bunny has been taking place primarily on this one mountain. In today's strip (number 25) we finally get a glimpse of the full scene. As I drew this I realized how important this landmark location has been to the strip and thought that it needed a proper name. But I'm drawing a blank. That's where you come in.
This is the TVB: Name the Mountain Contest and it's simple. Go to this thread on the boards and suggest a name. The winner will get some original TvB artwork. Let me know which character(s) you want and I will draw up and mail to you your very own piece of TvB history. Kind of a so-so prize but we're starting off small with the contests. If it goes well we might have something worth actual money. But never mind that, let's hear some mountain names!
In the meanwhile don’t forget to support your side in all the wonderful ways including the awesome and awesomly affordable T-shirts. See you next Tuesday!