I am developing two new characters, both of whom I hope to introduce in the next issue of Folly Ground. This first one is Lox Retroversus, an absurdly young and precocious seminarian, with a strange affliction: he speaks backwards or in reverse (I haven’t quite worked that one out yet) during Mercury Retrograde periods*. Amazingly, he is a huge fan of the Carthaginian Eunuchs, an avant noise rock band famous for their on-stage antics – and Flo’s absolute favourite (For a detailed review, see 1 April 2023 post). Lox first comes into view during one of those aforementioned retrograde periods when he walks into the Vinyl Frontier looking for the Eunuchs’ latest EP, and his enthusiastic but incomprehensible speech causes considerable bafflement to the usually unflappable Flo.
Above: Initial character design and description.
Initially, I was looking for a name fit for a seminarian , i.e. one with a definite Greek or Latin flavour, such as Dominic or Gregory or even Clement. In the end, I opted for something slightly different: Lox refers to λοξός (loxós), a Greek word with a few meanings depending on the context it is used in. Mostly, λοξός refers to something oblique, not straight. It can also be used as an (not very flattering) adjective to describe someone, for example a peculiar or unreasonable person, sometimes even a crackpot. In this instance I mean Lox simply to be a pleasantly idiosyncratic, distinctive or slightly unusual teenage boy whose name mirrors his backward/reverse speech. ‘Retroversus’ is obviously from the verb ‘to retroverse’ meaning ‘to turn or tilt backwards’.
Above: Flo at the Vinyl Frontier. Excerpt from the first issue of Folly Ground.
As an aside, the designation ‘Λοξίας’ (Loxías) was an ancient religious invocation of the god Apollo that referred to the ambiguous prophecies originating at his Oracle at Delphi. Moreover, Apollo was the god of light and directly associated with the sun, whose apparent path in the sky was considered oblique by the Greeks. Finally, a connection has also been made between the Greek ‘λοξίας’ and the Latin ‘lux’ meaning ‘light’.
More on Lox and the second character I am developing on follow-up posts soon.
*Mercury Retrograde is an optical illusion that occurs three to four times a year. The planet Mercury appears to travel backwards across the sky from the vantage point of Earth. In astrology these times are traditionally associated with confusion, delays and frustration, such as undelivered mail, miscommunication and frazzled travel plans. However, these periods are also considered to be excellent for reflecting on the past, intuition is thought to be high and coincidences are meant to be quite extraordinary.
