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SAM BOONE AND THE THERMAL COUPLES Translation of alien speech, particularly with whoM we share few physical attributes, was an idea that I had been considering for years. This particular piece was inspired in part by the old Freas drawings of whacked-out aliens.
While I was attending ConFranCisco I attended a seminar featuring Stan Schmidt, who said that he had been trying for years to write an alien translation story. When I got home I decided to see if I could bring the idea to life, but inject a little humor as well.
The aliens just sort of popped up as the writing went along. The Rix is my favorite, and I made them quite different from the Rix in < strong > ETIQUETTE . I requested Freas as the illustrator and was so pleased by the result that I bought the lead illustration, which now hangs on my wall.