DJ Kirkbride and Adam P. Knave: Krandle's Got a Handle, and Amelia Cole Buys the First Taco

It's been over a week since Amelia Cole hit the stands, and it's that time again: writers DJ Kirkbride and Adam P. Knave have joined us to talk about the issue, provide some context for this month and look forward to next month by contextualizing what Amelia Cole #20 means.

The issue saw Hector acclimating to the non-magic world, while Amelia's trip to the magic world put her at odds with law enforcement. Both of them, though, found unlikely friends.

Remember: This is a spoiler-filled conversation. If you haven't read Amelia Cole #20 yet, buy it here and read along with us.

How did Amelia find the book she was looking in that giant pile of crap?

DJK: Magic! And luck. And time in-between panels...?

APK: That pile of "crap" as you call it was a specially stacked filing system made from… oh no, she dropped all the books last time through, so it was just a pile, huh? Yup. Musta been magic and luck. Also- - did we really want to read an entire issue of "Nope not this book?"

DJK: That might be a bold experiment, Adam. Get the internets a' tweetin', you know?

We see Hector freed from the crush of responsibility for the first time here. It's got to be tempting for him to just throw up his hands, say "f--- it," and stay in the non-magical world, doesn't it?

APK: Hector's road is a rough one. When we met him he was a long-time hero and then after a disgrace he ended up in a military unit and this is the first time we've seen him have any downtime at all. Any Hector-time. We all need breaks. But will duty overcome that need for him? That's what Hector needs to work out.

DJK: Yeah, Hector doesn't know what to do with this new life at first! It was easy to peg him as a bad guy at worst, jerk at best at the start, but we've seen him grow and develop into a pretty heroic fella. Now he finds himself in a situation he doesn't understand at ALL. Unlike Amelia, he knows nothing of these other worlds, nor does he even conceive of a way to get back. He's more of a warrior-type, while we're seeing Amelia has some hankering for the book smarts, maybe a little more like her Aunt Dani. So while her first inclination is to find a way back, he doesn't even conceive of it. This is his life now. What does he do with this new life? And, hey, there's a pretty lady who seems to like him, so... that's cool! He's never had this before, and there's a lot of fun to catch up on.

He and Amelia are kind of opposites; he's been a "hero" for ages, and in a very official and constricted capacity, whereas she's fairly new to it. How do you think that impacts the psychology of how he feels about the prospect of downtime?

DJK: He really doesn't have a concept of it, though neither does Amelia. For Hector, it's been work and duty; for Amelia, she just doesn't want to "waste time," which is how she sees downtime. (She's wrong, of course, but she's young and doesn't need a lot of sleep yet.)

APK: I liken Hector to the Jim's Big Ego song "Stress."

Was Amelia TRYING to send Krandle down the stairs? The surprise lines over her head make it look like it wasn't strategic.

APK: It wasn't on purpose, no. She decided to open the door and just talk instead of hide, and picked the perfect wrong moment. We are not above slap-stick here. Not when Nick renders it so well.

DJK: Yeah, just a bit of physical comedy shenanigans. Thank goodness Krandle wasn't seriously hurt!

So if she's got this badass reputation, what's wrong with Krandle that he just comes after her alone?

DJK: Youthful ignorance. He and his partners were made to look like fools by her when she gave them the slip way back in issue 1, so he's had something to prove ever since. He's been studying up and practicing a lot, so he's maybe built up his abilities in his head a little bit too much, as well.

APK: They have a saying in the precinct: Krandle's Got a Handle. He's often convinced he can deal with any situation and follows his gut. Literally, one time a spell caused his gut to walk ten paces in front of him. Strange week, that.

DJK: Can we do a spinoff book called "Krandle's Got a Handle"?

We don't see on-panel Laura's reaction to the "joke" about Hector being a magic cop. Why did you decide to leave that on the cutting room floor, when it seems like there's some room for humor there?

APK: Sometimes you leave stuff where it is and let the readers add it in. As they grow to know characters you can leave a little moment out, making room for other things instead that are more critical to have on the page. Also, I feel like it may have been one of those jokes we all know too well. Better to go somewhere else, perhaps. Or maybe not!

DJK: Here's a little peek behind the scenes: I don't remember. (My bad memory is something Adam, Nick, and Rachel have to deal with on a regular basis.)

What are the odds Hector just bumps into Laura without there being some great design at play?

APK: There's a reason it happened but I don't think it's one we'll have time to get to, and it was, honestly, more a bit of "how this all works" rather than exciting plot point. Opening those doors, after the door spell Dani did in issue one, tossed both Hector and Amelia to places that doors had opened before, by Amelia. But that door, for Hector, was at the Deli Amelia ran to, after meeting Laura. So it stands to reason that's her neighborhood. That and we didn't want Laura to show up in less than six panels ever in the book. It'd be a waste, she's awesome.

DJK: That's it. He honestly just ended up in what we see way back in issue 1 is one of Laura's haunts. Taken as is, it does seem pretty coincidental, though.

I do love the fact that Krandle just kind of rolls with this. Is he just a trusting guy?

DJK: He's an idiot! Nah, really, Amelia is known as a bit of a badass in this world, and she has a very compelling way about her. The fact that she's talking to him with such urgency and purpose instead of continuing to embarrass him with superior magic and running speaks volumes. Also, Krandle probably has a little crush. She's pretty cool.

APK: Krandle's Got a Handle.

I feel like "Doctor Krane's" should be a Scarecrow reference but instead it reminds me of "Mr. Plow."

DJK: Again, my memory strikes! To what is the esteemed Russ referring, Adam?

APK: The crane operator worked for Doctor Krane's. Because Cranes. Kranes. That, that was it. That's the whole joke. I… I feel bad now. Just… cranes, man, they work on cranes.

DJK: I straight up did not notice that at all. How can expect people to pay attention to our book when I myself don't know what's going on half the time. I need to be more like Krandle. I need to... get a handle.

That said, I'm pretty sure the "who's got you" counts as a Superman: The Movie nod.

APK: Worse it's a call-back to issue 2 as well. We had Amelia's first big hero moment on the Blended World be her saving a woman falling from a helicopter. So Hector's in a world new to him, also echoed one of the greatest superhero movie scenes of all time.

DJK: Adam says "worse," while i say "better"! Yeah, total Superman: The Movie nod. My whole LIFE is a Superman: The Movie nod.

Also, following that up in the next panel with "I'm not much of a KIDDER." Well played, sirs.

DJK: True story: I didn't NOTICE that! Ya' got me again, Adam! Haha... I honestly love that so much. I'm going to go reread the issue. Seriously, how are more people not reading this book? We got so many quick jokes that not even the co-writers get them all!

APK: Wait, seriously? I thought YOU wrote that one.

DJK: I might have, but if I did, the awesome joke that I honestly, no joke now, truly love, was not intentional. I wouldn't have forgot that kind of tomfoolery. I dunno, man. Unlike Krandle, it's clearly been established I do NOT have a handle.

Amelia is getting into the swing of this whole evil conspiracy thing, no? She puts it together without too much work.

APK: It's been a long time of her learning she was involved in something big and strange, ever since the Magistrate. So by now she is learning to think like the enemy. She's not the World's Greatest Detective, to be sure, but she is starting to see the angles and put the pieces together faster.

DJK: The conspiracy is pretty out in the open now. The Council kinda stopped worrying about hiding in the shadows and behind puppets like The Magistrate. They spilled a lot of beans before blasting Amelia and Hector out of their ghoulish faces, didn't they?

What is it about Amelia that she seems to find a way to make fast, loyal friends wherever she goes?

DJK: She's so darn earnest and honest -- and confident. There's nothing wishy washy about her, and that instills a sense of loyalty. Cult of personality and all that.

APK: Also she buys the first tacos.