‘Hey Kereama, I’ve got an idea for a joke, do you think you could draw it?’

I first met Hemi in 2000 when he was just ten years old. I had always loved to draw, he needed someone to bring him to life – and an idea for a joke from my flatmate, became the first in a series of comic strips featuring a cast of characters who are the best, and worst, of me.

In between studying for assignments and exams at University, I started scribbling away on basic four-panel strips – adding more and more characters as I went along. Massey’s student newspaper started publishing him – and did so for a number of years. Then came a calendar (2003) for friends and family – Hemi’s first real outing in colour.

He was starting High School when life got busy – for both of us, and almost a decade went by before we sat down again and caught up on where life’s taken us.

‘Hello Old Friend.’

Turns out, to my surprise, during those ten years we lost touch, Hemi’s been eating his vegetables. He’s tall – “lanky” as my mother would say – and he’s even settled down with a wife and kids (triplet boys).

Now I’ve dusted him off, I think it’s time to continue with his story, and discover what’s become of those other weird, wonderful and cheeky characters who would fit so easily in any one of our families.

‘What makes him family.’

Growing up in a predominantly non-Maori environment, learning my Maori roots has been a personal journey that took me a while to figure out where I fitted in. It’s a long way from Havelock North to Gisborne – even further to Te Araroa! But once a coastie, always a coastie whether it’s north or south of Mahia. The Maori side of my family is huge. I have strong childhood memories of whanau (family) reunions at the Marae filled with music, laughter… and food I didn’t particularly like very much. The most pressing issue of course being whether or not the General store sold Garbage Pail Kids (and if it didn’t, we’d have to try the shop at the camping ground).

My family in Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and Perth have taken to Hemi in a way that is both unexpected and much appreciated – especially when they’re as protective of him as I am. In all that time I wasn’t illustrating, it turns out that some of them really missed those crazy kids – and even though we’ve all grown up, it’s because of them I feel that there’s life in these characters yet – and it’s because of them, Hemi is as much a part of the whanau as those of us who are flesh and blood.

‘What’s in a name?’

Some of the characters in Hemi’s world are named specifically for the people I once knew, met briefly, or simply heard their name spoken in a way that I could imagine the character speaking. Others quite honestly, named themselves. There’s not always a science to it – it just has to feel right.

Except for Hemi himself. In addition to ‘feeling right’, Hemi’s name needed to be easily translated (it’s Maori for “James”) and easily pronounced/spoken by both Maori and non-Maori speakers (Hem-me). I couldn’t imagine him being called anything else.