Girl Genius
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Girl Genius

According to Abner, in a story intended to deter Krosp from inquiring more deeply into Moxana's nature (in fact, she is a Muse), Kurtz was a dwarf who used to operate the clank as chess-playing automaton until he was killed by some bad clams (with axes ). In fact, telling this story was an example of Abner's poor ideas, as Krosp obviously offered to take Kurtz' place. It would have been an excellent job for the logical, competitive, but hard to make use of Krosp.

Most likely Kurtz is entirely metafictional, though in Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess, it is noted that it is indeed possible to "operate" Moxana from inside a small cabinet in her base, and that Krosp attempts to do so, but the experiment is abandoned when his whiskers keep getting caught in the gearwork.

See also[]

  • The Socket Wench of Prague -- the performance of which would have been another of Abner's poor ideas, if they had been given the choice

Possibly relevant outside information[]

The German word "kurz" means "short".

Having a dwarf competent at chess running a supposed chess-playing automaton is a ruse that has been used one or more times in our world.[1]

Scott R. Kurtz is the name of a webcomic artist whose work was of the first to have substantial financial success, likely playing a role in the decision of the Foglios to release their work as a webcomic as well.

Less relevant is that Kurtz was controversial for, among other things, his disdain of alternative comics[2] in a time when many thought the Internet to be properly the home of the avant-garde. In the midst of this he was also one of the first[3] to introduce the "Pirate vs. Ninja" meme[4] (to parody low-quality noncommercial comics — and, indeed, Zeetha is not a ninja).

Kurtz also wrote Truth, Justin, and the American Way with Aaron Williams, namesake of Aaronev Wilhelm Sturmvoraus. The first issue was published in January 1, 2006, so it would have been in process around the same time Girl Genius began to be released as a webcomic (April 2005), Kurtz is mentioned in the story (August 2005), and Prince Aaronev is in the cast (September to November 2005).

It is perhaps of notable irony that Kurtz is or was, taking height as well as 2005 girth together, an extremely large man.

References

  1. See Moxana#Possibly relevant outside information
  2. Wednesday May 22, 2002
  3. At this writing (2022) Know Your Meme reports that the Pirate vs Ninja Meme is credited to Robert Hamburger April 2003, but the reference below is from June 2002
  4. Tuesday June 4, 2002
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