Main characters

Sandra North

Sandra North is an 11 year old girl who is living with her father Richard in a town in a rural area in the north of the United States. Sandra often gets in trouble because of Woo’s (mis)behavior, so she is glad that her father usually lets her get away with a sigh rather than with four weeks of house arrest. Sandra is a good, but not great, student and particularly enjoys solving complex mathematical problems, which does not exactly enhance her popularity among other students. She is also concerned about the conservation of nature.

Woo

Woo is a typical raccoon: cuddly, mischievous and equipped with a golden sense of touch. He will break your heart with a smile and then, while you are looking away for a second, raid your fridge. Woo is always eager to learn more about the world, but a few human behavior patterns will most likely remain a mystery to him forever. He differs from most talking animals in other comics in that his hunting endeavors are usually successful in the end.

Cloud Williams

Cloud Williams is Sandra’s boyfriend. He is the son of two fanatic Final Fantasy fans, David and Ye Thuza, and was named after Final Fantasy VII’s hero Cloud Strife by them. When Cloud is not practising sword fighting, he is playing with his younger sister Yuna. His Burmese mother Ye Thuza is a member of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. Cloud dreams of bringing freedom and justice to the oppressed peoples of Burma one day.

– first appearance in strip #27 Major Mistake (1st panel)

Larisa Korolev

Larisa Korolev is another good friend of Sandra. Her life philosophy can be summed up in three words: “Life is now!” Larisa is doing whatever she wants to do, without thinking too much about the consequences of her actions. As a passionate pyromaniac she’s always keen on setting things on fire, abandoned huts just as well as the hearts of more or less innocent boys. She’s particularly going after Cloud, which naturally causes some conflicts with Sandra. Larisa is a young femme fatale, but not an evil one. She’s rather a prime example of the chaotic neutral alignment of various roleplaying game systems.

Before Larisa’s Russian parents Ivan and Jelena moved to the United States when she was two years old, they were living in the country house of her grandparents in Estonia. Her father Ivan works as an artist and primarily paints abstract paintings to earn a living. Although Larisa has inherited his love for the arts, they don’t get along that well since she prefers classical landscape art to Pollock’s “masterpieces”.

– first appearance in strip #33 Russian Revenge (1st panel)

Supporting characters

Richard North

Sandra’s single father Richard is working as a lead developer in a web technology company. His job is demanding, but whenever his daughter needs a shoulder to lean on, she can count on him. While Richard is glad that Sandra shares his love for video games and natural sciences, he is not so glad that she already beats him in most games and in differentiation. Richard is usually unhurried, but if there is one thing that he cannot stand, it’s injustice.

– first appearance in strip #2 Homesickness? (1st panel)

Shadow

Shadow is a red fox living in the forest near Sandra’s house together with his mate Echo and their kits. Woo and Shadow are often seen together, either discussing the inscrutable ways of humans or catching mice. Unlike most other wild animals, Shadow is known for his eloquent way of speaking. (Woo, Shadow, Sid and all other animals use a language which is incomprehensible to humans when talking to each other.)

– first appearance in strip #15 The Vow (4th panel)

Sid

Sid is a Eurasian red squirrel. There is an explanation why he has ended up in the north of the United States, but that story will be told sometime in the future. Sid is rather a fast runner than a quick thinker, but he has developed exceptional skills when it comes to avoiding getting eaten by dangerous carnivores.

– first appearance in strip #14 On the Run (1st panel)

Recurring characters

All characters that have appeared or will be appearing in more than one strip or consecutive story arc:

• David Williams: Cloud’s father – first appearance in strip #18 Cloud (4th panel)
• Echo: Shadow’s mate – first appearance in strip #74 Rabid Escape (4th panel)
• Ivan Korolev: Larisa’s father – no appearance so far
• Jelena Korolev: Larisa’s mother – first appearance in strip #119 The Departure (2nd panel)
• Lily: Woo’s girlfriend – first appearance in strip #143 Love at First Sight (2nd panel)
• Michelle: Zoey’s best friend – first appearance in strip #158 Excuses, Excuses (1st panel)
• The principal: The principal of Sandra’s school – first appearance in strip #62 Side Effects (1st panel)
• Ralph: Bully at Sandra’s school – first appearance in strip #27 Major Mistake (1st panel)
• Sandra’s grandma (Julie’s mother) – first appearance in strip #49 Graffiti (1st panel)
• Sandra’s grandparents (Richard’s parents) – first appearance in strip #93 Bribe Money (3rd panel) and #94 Wealth and what to Do with it (1st panel)
• Tibor: Alpha raccoon of the forest, saved Woo’s life once – first appearance in strip #35 Reliable Sources (2nd panel)
• Ye Thuza: Cloud’s mother – first appearance in strip #30 Naypyidaw Sector 1 (2nd panel)
• Yuna: Cloud’s younger sister – first appearance in strip #155 Rebel Heart (1st panel)
• Zoey: Popular girl in Sandra’s class, special “friend” of Larisa – first appearance in strip #33 Russian Revenge (1st panel)

Recurring characters that probably won’t be used again in the future:

• Gus and Rocco: Two raccoon jerks with more muscles than brains – first appearance in strip #35 Reliable Sources (3rd panel)