I believe you said the memories of the characters suddenly came back when you started listening to jazz music again. May I ask what music you were listeining to, and if you still do, what do you commonly listen to? Just a little curiousity.

Yeah...I've loved swing jazz for years, but when I started listening to jazz from an earlier decade (namely the hot jazz of the 20's and 30's) it suddenly became clear to me what I wanted to do with the cat characters I had been drawing since I was about 12 years old. I couldn't resist, actually.

The Squirrel Nut Zippers had quite a lot to do with it. They are (or were) a modern band, but most of their music is a throwback to early jazz.

Some of the others I listen to regularly:
Cab Calloway
Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald
Louis Armstrong
Brian Setzer Orchestra
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
and a little bit of Bix Beiderbecke

Some of those are revival orchestras more focused on swing, which succeeded hot jazz, but worth a listen nonetheless if you're interested in that sort of music.

Interesting.

Whenever I look at the sketches or read the sample comics, "Take Five" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet always plays in my head.

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I'm ashamed of what I did for a Klondike bar...

Hmmm, Rev Horton Heat always comes to mind, though that's a little later in the 1900's. Calloway is a good one though.