Reginald Whiskers McPherson (top) could hold his breath for over an hour and crack open oyster shells on his chest. He loved eating catfish and preferred single-malt Scotch. He had an unusual gait (his arms flailed a bit and he shuffled his feet like an unbalanced penguin) Despite his repulsive body odor, he was the most popular professor during his tenure at Cambridge. His inventions and discoveries garnered him great fame, great wealth, and a knighthood. Always a laugh, he was constantly surrounded by women and rarely slept alone. This bristle-faced lothario was the envy of the entire continent.

I am utterly smitten and in love with the characters created by the incredibly talented artist Travis Louie. Louie’s paintings come from the tiny little drawings and many writings in his journals. He’s created his own imaginary world that is grounded in Victorian and Edwardian times. It is inhabited by human oddities, mythical beings, and otherworldly characters who appear to have had their formal portraits taken to mark their existence and place in society.