Imagi-Nation

I can’t begin explaining Imagi-Nation without starting with Leo. Excerpt from Imagi-Nation:

He is the forefather of my fictional realm, my most ancient abomination. I created him barely in my adolescence and I have been in awe of him ever since. The latter characters were drawn in various times after Leo. He is a perfect fighting machine, a monster of mythical proportions. He stands above seven feet tall. His thick sandy light brown mane curls down his huge shoulders and back. He has piercing deep green cat eyes, and the top of his nose wrinkles, which gives all cat-men the appearance they're always in a nasty mood. His rugged, square jaw possesses carnivorous white teeth that frighten the bravest of men, especially when he roars. Most of his upper torso is a yellowish tan color with black and brown leopard spots, while his lower body is a darker brown. He was bred and trained to be a warrior. Even though cat people interbreed with other species of cat-people, it is truly rare that one of the offspring would exhibit both parental lineages on his coat. This only promulgates in Leo’s mind that he is unique, he was meant to stand out because he is better than anyone of his clan. He is the Prince of Warriors; his dominion is as far reaching as my own imagination. He is magnificent! Leo is the antagonist as well the guardian of my story.

If you know how to defeat him, you will know how the story ends.

Leo was drawn in the spring of 1983, in art class. I had finished my assignment early and was drawing my favorite Star Wars character, Chewbacca, when I suddenly added leopard spots to his upper body. A lion’s mane came next and coloring. I was in awe of the final product; so much, I began to create heroes using classmates as models. Many times I attempted to write a story or create a comic book with Leo, but I never did finish any. So in in the late 1990's, I discovered a plot I was really happy with. I could finish the story started when I was twelve.