Catband
Catband is the name of my comic about a battle of the bands TV competition of the same name, set in New York City in 2007.
It's a story about music and community, and the soul of a city.
Catband originally ran as a webcomic from 2007-2009, and I'm currently planning a reboot, so everything you see right now is a work-in-progress for that. The comic has a big cast, so not all the characters are on Toyhouse yet, but most of the major players are here.
If you prefer, you can view all the cast at once in the sortable Catband tag; otherwise, the sub-folders below separate the major character groups.
The original comic isn't online anymore, but if you're interested in more from this world, I post a lot of short stories about the characters here on Toyhouse, and I talk about behind-the-scenes stuff on the comic's twitter.
I also write about the comic more in depth on my Patreon!
Confident that the world needs to hear her best friend's musical talent, songbird Jill persuades shy guitarist/songwriter Amber to play together as the indie rock band Hedgemaze Expo, and when word gets around to the music shop they work in of Catband, a local battle of the bands competition that will air on national TV, Jill can't see it as anything but a sign of their destiny. Along the way, the friends recruit a drummer, Bane, and a bassist, Mitzy, and week by week, the foursome becomes one of the most popular competitors on the show.
Their biggest rival is a pop-punk band, Persephone's Winter-- and Jill and the other band's frontman, Izzy, are determined to foil each other's every move. Still, an on-stage rivalry might be the least of their problems, and there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than either of them is aware of.
Punk's not dead, and Izzy is determined they'll prove it-- and that no one will forget their names. Persephone's Winter is a pop-punk band that started with his and his best friend Haggis's high school guitar noodlings, evolving into a real band with the addition of their drummer friend Xero in college. The band has been going nowhere but the local bars for years, but when Izzy finds out about Catband, he's excited at their chance to pursue fame and fortune. Adding bassist Roadie to the band and convincing Haggis's pianist/composer brother, Scurvy, to come along for the ride, they boost their ranks for the fight, and they become one of the most popular acts on the show, their major rival being Jill's band, Hedgemaze Expo.
Too bad for Izzy that the road to fame is a lot bumpier than he'd ever expect.
Other acts entered in the Catband battle of the bands show; the rest of the competition that Hedgemaze Expo and Persephone's Winter are up against.
(most to be added)
People who work for the Catband TV show.
Dwayne Hudson is the charismatic, famous, and famously eccentric producer of the series.
The pair of teenagers who are trying to sabotage the results of the contest for kicks.
Staff of the popular Brooklyn rock club The Great Mistake, the main venue for the Catband competition.
Carrots is the owner of the venue and the proud papa of Catband Fest (CBF), the ten-year-old local musical festival that will be filmed for the first time as a band competition.
The venue's name comes from the "Great Mistake of 1898", which refers to Brooklyn voting to become part of New York City instead of remaining an independent city.
The rebels.
Luke, Ira, and Theo make up Les Revanchistes: They are graffiti artists, urban explorers, and infamous terrorists; men on a mysterious mission.
3rd Street Squat is an artists' squat, home to Kaji, Luke, Heto, Lance, and Bane (who is listed in the Hedgemaze Expo folder with his band). They're activists, anarchists, and above all, guys who always have each other's backs.
Members of an art studio in Queens.
(SAINT (Ira) and ESCAPE (Theo) are also their friends and co-workers at the studio, but are listed in the Les Revanchistes folder.)
The cast of a Coney Island freak show, and others from the neighborhood.
(Many of these characters are fantasy species, but that might change for the comic's reboot. Don't think about it too hard.)
Other members of the roller derby team that Amber and Lupe play on, the Coney Island Mermaids.
(many to be added)
Teen punk runaways.
(some to be added)
The band Roadie used to be a roadie for.
Friends, family, significant others, co-workers, neighbors, and so on of the more major characters, who don't fit into a more specific category.
(many to be added)
Characters who have a revealed role, but don't fit another category.
The spoiler squad. I can't say too much yet about where these characters fit into the comic.
Folks from an earlier version of the story who may or may not have the same role, or any role, in the new version of the comic-- I'm still fond of them, but I haven't found a spot for them in the new canon yet, and it's possible I won't.
Their profiles might be vague or might change later, so please avoid using these for art or forum games unless you really like them.