Gerald is by far the most popular character I’ve ever created, so here’s a little background about the ever-hungry, flower-loving goat.
It all started with a character called Stan…
Stan was a silent character who featured in some gags, usually drawn with minimalist background. He’s maybe featured in a dozen or so cartoons when one day he was due to meet his girlfriend and give her a bunch of flowers that were hidden behind his back…only to find they had been eaten…
The very first appearance of Gerald.
…and so Gerald appeared. After drawing a few more ‘Stans’, Gerald seemed to take over, you could say that he butted Stan out of the title-character role.
I kept Stan on, partially because if it wasn't for him there would be no Gerald, and also because when I realized that it was going to be a regular strip I wanted a mix of animal and human characters.
To help try and keep Gerald in check his nemesis the bull joined, and attempting to keep everyone in order Rex the police dog made the first of many failed interventions.
After drawing various gags featuring Gerald either eating or butting things, I thought it would be good to add some diversity to avoid the strip becoming samey.. And so the mischievous and indefatigable Granny Mills appeared, soon to be followed by her granddaughter, Little Ivy.
The Gerald the Goat characters
Character biographies
Gerald
Gerald likes to eat...anything really...particularly flowers...and especially prize-winners at the annual flower show from which he's received a lifetime bad.
Gerald is from a lineage of mountain goats, known for their love of high places and leaping ability. What isn't clear is about how he developed his voracious appetite which shows no signs of diminishing.
Aside from eating, Gerald likes to butt things and avoid taking baths.
Stan
Stan bought Gerald from a country fair when he was a kid and lost control of him minutes later.
Stan considers himself to be an animal lover, although this is sometimes put to the test when Gerald has eaten whatever has just been planted in the garden.
An enthusiastic, if usually unsuccessful cook, Stan is always working on his next "big idea".
Granny Mills
It is uncertain how old Granny Mills is as it appears as though she's been lying about her age for decades.
She has been involved in a long-running feud with her neighbours ever since their ginger tom cat ate her canary. She now likes to "borrow" pets from the zoo.
Granny Mills likes to practice a particularly boisterous form of bingo, enjoys taking care of her grand daughter, and has never drank a half in an exceeddingly long life.
Little Ivy
Little Ivy is Granny Mills' grand daughter.
She loves animals, but all creatures regardless of their species or size tend to get called "nice doggy".
Her parents often leave her in the care of her Granny, which might not happen so much if they were aware of some of the old lady's antics.
Rex the police dog
The town's long-suffering law enforcement.
Rex has reconciled himself to the fact that with the likes of Gerald and Granny Mills around the best he can hope for is some state of near-anarchy.
He often wonders whether he should have been a sniffer dog or even herded sheep for a living instead.
The Bull
Gerald's nemesis.
Upon first encounter Gerald assumed that with it's horns the bull was some species of super-goat.
It was on that same day that Gerald learnt how fast he could run.
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