My name's Michael Morgera, and I was that kid who was always getting in trouble for drawing cartoons in the margins of my notebook during math or science class. I had been known to borrow up to 10 books (usually mysteries) from the local library and finish them in marathon reading sessions during Sunday afternoons; if I recall I started writing by trying to imitate my favorite authors, eventually coming up with characters of my own that weren't too distant from the ones I read about in those books.

It was only a matter of time till I discovered the world of Fantasy through Terry Brooks' the Sword of Shannara series, and later on comic books with Steve Ditko's The Question being my first introduction into the four color world. I decided to start drawing, absorbing influences from artists like Frank Frazetta, Steve Rude, Mark Schultz, and Michael Kaluta. Discovering author David Eddings steered me away from the Tolkinesque way of looking at fantasy and encouraged me to create characters that weren't exactly pillars of morality--then I finally read Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series. It was then that I decided to create my tribute to the two rogues: Vanz Ellon, the Copper Cat, and Cynthia DeVarnack, the Dove.

Early versions were simply a rehash in the requisite medieval setting, something that didn't really sit well with me. My story seemed too much like ever other thing ever done in the fantasy genre, and so I decided that I wanted mine to stand out: I resolved to remove it from the medieval setting and do something different. Seeing films like the Maltese Falcon, Fritz Lang's Metropolis, and old 1940s serials like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon made me consider setting it in a 1930's era world of dark alleyways, fast cars, imposing art deco statues, and magic. The Copper Cat went from a thief in a tunic to a suave James Bondian rogue in a black suit. The Dove transformed from a medieval warrior maiden to an exotic figure who seemed to be of Mediterranean and East Indian ancestry, dressed in a modified cheong sam. My interest in the chess-like maneuvering of politics in the early 19th century provided the template for the Regina Annileina's Hahn Provinciary.

On the villainous side, reading old pulp novels dealing with secret cults and a healthy dose of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu stories provided the backdrop for the sinister Circle of Six and the Twilight God Alcericon. This all took place in the space of 5 years, and I can finally say I'm happy with this new direction. I hope you all enjoyed the site!

-Michael Morgera, 2004