"My true home is high up in the ether, among the stars."
Nicholas D. Bryson is a famous Aeronaut Explorer, and part time resident at the Society. He deals in celestial ether exploration via hot air balloons. His appearance and character is based off the real life astrophysicist and planetary scientist, Neil Degrasse Tyson, notably his appearance in the Cosmos documentary series.[1]
Appearance[]
Bryson is a stout man with short coily black hair, black eyes, and notably thick facial hair. He has thick well kempt eyebrows and a chevron style mustache. He wears a high collared dress shirt, a black bowtie or red cravat, a blue suit vest, and a black suit jacket. Beneath, he wears simple blue slacks and black dress shoes.
Personality[]
Bryson is theatrical, charming, and verbose. Of all the lodgers, he likely has the longest consecutive lines of dialogue when he's the focus of a scene. He often speaks in a flowery manner, often incorporating themes of his expertise. He's notably outgoing, as any Victorian scientist with a notable degree of fame must be, and has an air of easy confidence to him.
Trivia[]
- While many of the Lodgers' expertises are based on real world pseudoscience, Bryson is noted to practically be a one-to-one adaptation of real world Aeronauts[2], simply adapted for the world of TGS.
- In Chapter 4, in the battle against Dr. Moreau's vivisectioned creatures, he, Helsby, and the repair kraken team up, piloting Bryson's hot air balloon and manning a harpoon against the griffin-like creature.
- As the hot air balloon got blown off course and crash landed, their crew was not arrested during the Broadwick Street fire. They were later found by one of Ms. Flower's entomological devices and recovered in Surrey, an area about a day's trip Southwest of London.
- In 2014, when Sage was first designing possible Lodgers to inhabit the Society, the Aeronaut Engineer was first designed as a Mr. Allaster Meek. Mr. Meek would have a thinner build than Bryson, longer and lighter hair, mutton chops, and a brightly colored red and yellow striped suit. Expertise and personality wise, however, he seems synonymous for the most part.[3]
- By 2015, of course, the Aeronaut's place in comic would be assumed by Bryson's final design.
- In light of the Glass Scientists' physical release and controversy surrounding Neil Degrasse Tyson, there has been some question as to Bryson's name and/or continued presence in the published edition of the comic. Whether or not his character will differ in post is yet to be announced.
Gallery[]
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- ↑ Disqus comment made October 27th, 2015 under Chapter 2, page 17.
- ↑ The author's note under Chapter 2, page 18.
- ↑ A post made April 8th, 2014 showcasing Lodger concept designs on Sage's Tumblr.