• From Emily R.:

Were you popular in school?

Like, one of the *popular* kids? No... I skipped a grade (fourth), you see, so I never felt entirely comfortable with the girls in my class because they were older than me. Besides, I was good at math, and you know how popular that is. Just ask Urania.

Are you reading the reviews? What do you think of them?

Yep. So far so good.

What is your favorite color?

Blue. Why can't money be blue? If it were, blue would stop meaning sad in a New York minute.

• From Robert C.:

What's YOUR favorite kind of pie?

I have several: berry, lemon meringue, cherry, and apple if the apples are tart and the crust is really good, "short," and rather salty.

How about doughnuts?

No contest. Chocolate old-fashioned. Hmm. Contest. Plain old-fashioned glazed.

With the Intelligent Air network at their disposal, why do Kokopelli and Chad need head-mounted video cameras to target their pies? And why did they even bother with GPS in the first place?

Intelligent Air communicates only with nine terminals. Chad is forbidden to build another one. And, anyway, its operating system is completely incompatible with the pie-flinger's. Any computer scientist could have told you that! As for 2, GPS gets them an approximate read, and then the image gets them the rest of the way.

In the sequel, could we have a little poetry from Crraw? That's one thing I missed in Smart Pies.

Oops. Meant to.

• From Elassë-Adael:

When did you first start creating cartoons?

I got serious about cartooning in my early twenties. I used to draw a lot as a kid, then pretty much stopped in college. Then a friend started sending me letters full of cartoons he drew, and I answered in kind. After that, I couldn't stop! I might add, by the way, that if we'd had email back then, this wouldn't have happened, and I'd probably be a math professor or something today.

What is your favorite number?

There are so many!

What are your hobbies?

I like to cook.

Do you play an instrument?

Piano.

What are some of your favorite books?

There are so many! Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood. This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff. The Secret History by Procopius. The History by Herodotus. I Go Pogo by Walt Kelly.

• From Duncan_Quagmire:

Where was Devil during Attack of the Smart Pies?

I'm not sure. I couldn't find him anywhere. The little guy sure has a habit of disappearing, doesn't he?

Do you like moose?

Compared to what?

Can you tell us about any upcoming books/projects that you are working on?

Yes.

Oh, you mean *now*?! I'm about 70% of the way into Cartoon History of the Universe, Book IV, which will cover the years 1492 to 1787. At this very moment (March 18, 2005), I'm working on Martin Luther's furious resistance to the Pope's fund-raising drive of 1517.

Do you like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams?

Yes, very much! I have a six-cassette boxed set of the original radio series that I listen to on long drives instead of Books on Tape. The first episodes are a little too noisy, and I wish there were more female characters, but he's very inventive, and I love his idea that humans are really descended from telephone cleaners and advertising executives from another planet. Oops. Did I give away the punch line?

• From Juliette R.:

Do you like Monty Python?

Yes, especially the movie The Meaning of Life.

How did you come on the name Krusty Glop?

After eating too many Krispy-Kremes one day, there it was.

Is there a map of Kokonino County?

Yes, in the mind of every Muse. One of these days, I'll see if I can get one of them to draw it up.

Why is Mimi so messy?

Well, Mimi is a people-person, you see. She can't be bothered with mere things. Besides, as the book says, she doesn't like to show people up, so she'd be very embarrassed to be neater than anyone else!

Do you even like tofu?

I do! Who do you think I am, Feather? I just love tofu! Well, I like it all right. It's tolerable. Sometimes.

Are you ever going to write a comic book about wacky theories of the Discovery of America?

Nope, so now you're free to do it!