Tis I, the late lamented Christopher. My skeleton has crawled up from the basement to relieve Kelly of comicking duties on this birthday. Kelly wanted me to explain that this comic is not meant to address the complaints of an actual reader, and that you are all well beloved. In writing this comic, I merely wished to assure the skeptical of two things:

     One, the Kingfisher is as streamlined as it can be while still retaining its essence. A lot has been left out, so that the plot can advance at a reasonable pace. (By the way, if you're curious about any of the wacky characters in the last panel, ask me and I might tell you some tales.)

     Two, we aren't going to introduce any important characters for a while to come, so anyone who is confused by the already rather expansive cast can breathe easy and just get familiar with the first dozen or so characters on the cast page.

     Excelsior!