Sometimes I come up with characters based on things I encounter in real life. Such is the case with Mitch Weaver. Years ago, when I was living in Alabama, I discovered a spider in the front yard. To me, it looked like its abdomen was a smiling skull with horns. It turned out to be a Spiny Orb Weaver. I happen to have grown up with someone named Mitch Weaver. So I decided that could be a fun character. I created sculptures of Mitch Weaver and his Fly friend using Sculpey clay and paint. Mitch Weaver and the fly were created to look reminiscent of members of a biker gang.
I ultimately moved to Florida and discovered that there was a Spiny Orb Weaver spider in the backyard here, too. I also started (trying) to keep carnivorous plants in the backyard. I got a Venus Flytrap and a Tropical Pitcher Plant. The Tropical Pitcher Plant in particular looks like a grotesque creature, and along with the Venus Flytraps, are perfect antagonists to a spider and insects.
