There were many great questions, and I intend to answer them all, but as finishing the script for volume 4 should take precedence over blogging about it, I could only get around to half the questions today. Thanks, everyone, for participating! We’ll do this again, so if there’s anything else you’d like to ask, hold on to those questions for now.

Why did Jareth have his own font in volume one?

…Because his ego is just SO BIG that we had to wait until his powers were weakened before we could shackle him to the same font as everyone else? Seriously, though, it’s a mistake probably born from the changes that happened at the publisher between volumes. In the script for volume 1, I suggested that Jareth have a distinctive lettering style – something a little more majestic and mysterious than your typical manga lettering font (sort of like how Dream has his super-distinctive style in the Sandman comics, although not so distinctive as that). For whatever reason, when volume 2 went through the lettering process, that distinction got lost. I honestly don’t know why, and the inconsistency bugs me too. I hope that in the future, if Return to Labyrinth ever gets reprinted in a new edition, that can be fixed so that his distinctive font is consistent.

At one point, you mentioned something about the ‘goblin golf course’. What was that all about?

Did you hear about that at Comic-con? I think I mentioned that scene there. Originally, in my outline for volume 2, there was a mini-golf competition with Toby, Moulin and special guest-star Hoggle. It was a scene I imagined from very early on as a quirky homage to Alice in Wonderland’s croquet game, and as a chance to see Moulin and Drumlin interact with Toby and Moppet. Unfortunately, I was already having a hard time packing the story into 3 volumes (this was before the 4th was greenlit), so this chapter had to go as it was pretty long and ultimately didn’t advance the plot much. Hindsight being what it is, I wish I could have picked up the pace a bit in volume 1 in order to find a way to keep it, but alas, it’s gone for now. I don’t want to give away more about this scene in case there’s ever an opportunity to bring it to life.

Is there any chance of Return to Labyrinth gaining an animated adaptation and if so will David Bowie be asked to voice Jareth?

I wish! The rights to Return to Labyrinth are wholly owned by the Jim Henson Company. There’s always a possibility that they could develop it for other media or they could follow up on Labyrinth in other ways. I’m not really the one to ask about that.

Is this the only Labyrinth manga series that will be done ? I remember something about side stories and such, but I’m hoping for a series that takes place after this. But one that is devoted to Jareth and Sarah.

Yeah, I did pass along the announcement that Tokyopop made at Wondercon a year and a half ago about an anthology of side stories. Sadly, I don’t know what happened to that – it seems to have dropped off the radar. Again, I must weasel out of an answer and say I’m not the one to ask about that as I haven’t been an employee at Tokyopop for over 5 years and I don’t know the status of their licenses or their releases schedules. As for other sequel stories in the Labyrinth world, there is always a possiblity, but it’s up to the Jim Henson company what other stories are told in this world. The story of Return to Labyrinth will be wrapped up in volume 4.

I have a strong feeling that the story of the exiled goblin’s earlier betrayal is kind of important to the back story. Am I right?

Cob the Exile’s prior betrayal was very foul indeed. Dark stuff. Some would call him a backstabbing Judas, others a misunderstood Snape – it was that serious! Undergarments were involved. Foul undergarments… fouled undergarments. Probably best not to get into that right now… if ever.

And just because I know everyone wants to know this… What is the name of the goblin that keeps eating my missing left socks?

It was Cob the Exile! He’s the nasty sock-stealer!

I was wondering if you and Chris Lie choose what goblins to use (in the background or otherwise) from Mr. Brian Froude’s notes for the movie? Because I bought a copy of Goblins of the Labyrinth and Candlewic was in there, though he’s undergone quite the makeover since then… Or are they all just thought up on the top of your heads?

You are right that Candlewic is the only goblin whose name is taken from the Froud/Jones book – he struck me as the perfect goblin stick-in-the-bum swordsman. The other goblins in the manga were conceived of by me and designed by Chris as suited the story. In the case of Goblins with names (Spittledrum, Skub, Maelgrot, etc.), I’ll provide some description, but all those background goblins are 100% Chris. 

Does Toby EVER get his history paper back? I don’t know if that’s spoilerific or not, but I really just had to ask… I know how vexing it is when you can’t find your homework! Poor Toby!

You’ll have to wait and see! Toby’s real world existence definitely plays a role in the final volume.

One of my favorite parts of the movie was the Escher room… Will we see any more of it in the story, or any other optical illusions? I know there have been a few throughout the series (and I loved them, by the way), and I’d really like to see more.

I think you’ll be pleased with volume 4.

Wasn’t there a contest for someone to be featured in the book as a Goblin? :\ Or am I just high on something (like a Peach) and I came up with that myself?

Indeed there was! Reader “Sarah” won the contest by providing the best guess for what the volume 3 cover would look like. I contacted her and we came up with a name for a goblin that will appear in volume 4.

How much of your day-to-day wardrobe is Labyrinth-inspired, or otherwise Bowie-fied?

When I started writing Labyrinth, I wore baggy pants with a 36” waist. No I squeeze into 31 inchers! I try not to stare (too often) at the crotchal region, but I presume that with such a dramatic tightening of pants, there is probably a higher probability of seeing the occasional… Yeah, probably best not to talk about this anymore.

What is Jareth’s favorite Morrissey song”

“I Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful”

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