09 & 10

PaulEberhardt on May 7, 2024

Did you really think this through, Maura?

The hedgehog is Maura's cousin, because both moles and hedgehogs belong to two different families (Talpidae and Erinaceidae, respectively) within the biological order Eulipotyphla, formerly the much easier-to-spell Insectivora. A shrew will appear as a background character later in one panel, as another distant relative.

Now, any biologist will tell you that this isn't quite up-to-date, as the classification scheme has been undergoing some shifts in recent times and anyway the one I'm referring to was outdated all along. I feel, however, that I could certainly take more outrageous amounts of artistic licence than that. 🙄

Keen observers may note that the excavator's brand name seems to change all the time. That's just me fooling around. All of the variations to come try to play on the actual designation, Hymac 580c. This very 1980s crawler digger exists in real life and some enthusiasts restore them, so you can see one in action if you're lucky. I chose it, because I wanted it to look gritty, helped by the sharp edges, and to move on caterpillar tracks. The fact that Hymac is a British company, in line with the assumed setting, may have clinched it.

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Print versions of Maura the Mole are still available.

If you happen to live in Germany, the easiest, fastest and cheapest way is to order it at your local bookstore:
● ISBN 978 3 945130-03-2

Everywhere else used to be more difficult for a long time, for various reasons, but I found out how to ship books internationally at a reasonable price and put up a batch for worldwide sale on eBay:
● https://www.ebay.de/itm/135021872688
(This has the additional perk that I'll sign your copy if you add a note to your purchase, asking me to.)
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There is also a Plattdütsch version called Mieke Mullworp which can be bought through the same channels at the same conditions:
● ISBN 978 3 945130-13-1
● https://www.ebay.de/itm/135021951259