Roark "Rocky" Rickaby [2] is the main protagonist of the Lackadaisy series who joined the Lackadaisy crew as a rumrunner and an addition to Zib's band. After the death of Atlas and the departure of much of Lackadaisy Speakeasy's staff, Rocky began doing odd jobs for Mitzi. He is the nephew of Nina and is also Freckle's older cousin. [3]
Rocky is the the first character to give dialogue in the series [4], and he appears previously in a photograph in "Introduction 3".
Physical appearance[]
Rocky is a young adult cat with gray fur, blue eyes, and a bushy, tabby tail. His usual attire consists of a blue suit and hat, complemented by an orange tie featuring the initial 'R.' He also wears a white undershirt. Prominent features of Rocky include his thick eyebrows and a bullet hole in his ear.
After Abelard Arbogast struck him with his vehicle, Rocky has a stitched-up scar down the middle of his forehead. After the head injury, Rocky's eyes became bloodshot.
Biography[]
Roark Rickaby was born on December 19th in St. Louis Missouri to Irish immigrant parents. At a young age, Rocky lived in a nice house with his mother while his father worked on a railroad. During this time he learned how to play the violin. Later, his mother became sick and bedridden (likely due to the plague). Rocky had to live with his aunt and cousin during this time. At the age of 16, Rocky was kicked out of the McMurray House for unspecified reasons and decided to move in with his uncle in Kankakee, Illinois as a farmer. Only 3 months later, he left and took the Pacific Railroad to Central Oklahoma where he joined a circus as a roustabout. When the circus closed, Rocky found himself stuck in South Dakota with a violin that was gifted to him by a hobo. Sometime later, Mitzi found him busking for money in St. Louis and presumably took him in to join Zib's band.
After Mitzi’s husband, Atlas, died in mysterious circumstances, Rocky volunteered to be a rumrunner for the Lackadaisy speakeasy. He later managed to rope his cousin, Calvin “Freckle” McMurray, into helping him with his booze-collecting missions, and the two are joined more often than not by Ivy Pepper. During Freckle’s first “mission”, the duo ended up burning down a moonshine barn, and as a result the Lackadaisy was attacked by the owners. One of the pig farmers shot Viktor Vasko in the chest during the attack. Later on, Rocky and Ivy went on a mission to retrieve wine from a cellar. They were caught and Rocky got his head smashed in by a hearse in their attempt to escape. As he was unconscious, Ivy managed to convince the drivers of the hearse to help him, and his head was stitched up by Elsa.
On the drive back from Elsa and the cellar, Ivy asked a barely-conscious Rocky where he lived, leading him to reply with “we’re already there” and subsequently revealing that he’d been living in the truck used for rumrunning. Still half-asleep and not fully himself, Rocky revealed a few other bits and pieces of his past to Ivy, though much of it was still obscured. Ivy took him back to her school and snuck him in, where he called Mitzi to assure her that everything was fine. That night, he snuck out, leaving a note on the wall for Ivy in her roommate’s lipstick. He met back up with Freckle, and the two continued their work.
Personality and traits[]
Rocky is, at the first glance, jaunty, humorous, happy-go-lucky, immature, reckless, buffoonish, grandiloquent and zany. He has a knack for joking and spontaneously laughing in the most inappropriate of moments, usually to the annoyance (and mild concern) of others. He is outwardly the polar opposite of his more reserved and humble cousin Calvin “Freckle” McMurray, though the two share a similar sense of complex resentment and pent-up emotions regarding their familial situation. Rocky often involves Freckle in the Lackadaisy's affairs, sometimes against the latter's will (though he still cares for him greatly). In the animated pilot, Rocky mostly speaks in verse, adding to his already outlandish presence.
In spite of his apparent lack of self-awareness, Rocky is quite intelligent and boasts multiple talents, the most prominent being playing his treasured violin, which he excels at and even spontaneously crafts rhymes while playing. The high skill is what caused him to be involved with the Lackadaisy speakeasy in the first place, as his first job at the speakeasy was playing in Zib's band. In one of the strips (which was later adapted for the pilot) he performs a very sophisticated poem dedicated to the river Mississippi, to the chagrin of a nearby police officer. Though his recklessness and destructive tendencies often cause trouble for those around him, he still has his comrades' best interests at heart, and tries to help them in imminent danger even with no actual ability to. While the other Lackadaisy workers often consider him a source of annoyance, he's rather playfully tolerated than outright disliked, and respected by both his superior Mitzi and fellow band member Zib.
Despite his chaotic nature, Rocky has an intense urge to please the people that he respects. This appears to partly be a natural personality trait, but some of his desperation can also likely be traced to the young age at which he was kicked out and the lonely life on the road that followed. He goes to extreme, reckless lengths to make sure he gets Mitzi what she asks for, and much of his resentment towards Wick stems from worry that Mitzi and the others won’t need him anymore. This was given more weight directly after he was injured, when he called Mitzi and immediately reassured her that he was fine, asking how she was and attempting to act casual despite barely being able to form coherent sentences and trying to hide his frustration at Mitzi bringing up Wick’s contribution. After he hung up the phone, he began loudly sobbing as Ivy led him through the hallway, angrily glaring ahead when she tried to make a joke.
Relationships[]
Calvin "Freckle" McMurray[]
Rocky is Freckle's cousin, and the two of them were together a great deal as children prior to Rocky being forced out of their home. Rocky is indirectly responsible for Freckle developing acrobatic skills; he was a reckless child and Freckle learned to evade him very quickly. In one illustration, there are two photos of the pair as children, taken what seems to be only a few minutes apart. In one, Rocky has attached several clothespins to his (very annoyed-looking) cousin, and in the other, Rocky has his arms around him in a hug. "Correspondence" reveals that Rocky sent a number of letters to Freckle between 1921 and 1924, which Freckle kept in a box located under his bed. Nina states to Rocky in "Somersault" that Freckle is, "the only one in all o'creation who'd follow you". It also seems that there was something in the past that led Freckle to feel like he owes Rocky, though this has not been fully explained. Though the two seem to have a close relationship, Rocky does not understand Freckle's interest in enforcing the law, and deceives Freckle into believing that he is a vigilante in "Scathefire". Rocky later claims to Freckle that what is lawful is not always what is right, though Freckle does not appear entirely convinced. Rocky shows few qualms about deceiving Freckle, and he cuts Ivy off when she suggests that he bring Freckle to Lackadaisy, after having earlier deflected Freckle's questions concerning Rocky's involvement with the band. In "Wishy-washy", Rocky is not happy to see that Ivy has brought Freckle to Lackadaisy, in part due to fear of Freckle’s mother catching wind of it.
Rocky seems to be caught off-guard by Freckle's sudden turn into a gun-wielding maniac in "Doolally", then he proudly proclaims Freckle, "my cousin". Mitzi observes that Freckle has Rocky's laugh. Rocky later notes to Mitzi that Freckle has gone crazy, "once or twice", before, though he adds that the, "unmitigated carnage is a recent development". He figures out that Freckle was dismissed from the police academy because of his behavioral issues in "Pinstripes". When Ivy asks Rocky how she can get Freckle to talk to her, Rocky advises Ivy against prying too deeply into Freckle's psyche.
Mitzi May[]
Rocky appears to be very dedicated to Mitzi. In “Bunny-Box,” he waxes poetic about her and refers to her as “Lady Dionysus”. He states to Viktor in "Spaghetti" that he does not know how Mitzi would survive if Rocky quit. This is likely a fib, however, as Rocky holds an intense fear of being replaced or abandoned and is also attempting to keep Viktor from worrying about Rocky’s abilities to obtain alcohol (which was formerly Viktor’s job).
Rocky is willing to go to extreme lengths to keep himself from appearing “superfluous” in Mitzi’s eyes. Some of this attachment may come from the fact that she took him in when he was on the streets, and she actively tolerates his chaotic mannerisms. Rocky once presented Mitzi with a strangely-decorated cactus to watch over her while she slept, but Mitzi insisted that he keep it.
Mordecai Heller[]
Rocky is familiar with Mordecai from before the latter left Lackadaisy. In "Heartstrings", Mordecai recognizes Rocky as being a member of the band. Rocky calls Mordecai "Ol'Serious Face" and claims to have heard stories about him. Mordecai is less than impressed.
Rocky asks Mitzi whether he should confront Mordecai after he notices that her conversation with him has brought her to tears in "Haggersnash", but Mitzi tells him to keep his distance. He respects this for the moment and instead tries to cheer Mitzi up by joking around.
Nina McMurray[]
Nina is Rocky's aunt. While she is willing to do his laundry, there appears to be little love lost between them. In "Somersault", Nina essentially informs Rocky that Freckle is the only person who cares for him; as far as she is concerned Rocky has "already squandered (his) second chances". Nina is the only person to refer to Rocky by his real first name, Roark, though this may be due to other characters not being aware of Rocky's real name.
Rocky has not been fully honest with Nina regarding his occupation; she believes he plays the violin for a living. When Rocky decides to involve Freckle with Lackadaisy, he similarly lies to Nina, claiming he will be working as an errand boy for Little Daisy.
In "Breakdown" Rocky explains his relationship with Nina to Ivy; when he was young the McMurray House often was more of a home for him than his own home. Over time, however, Rocky was responsible for several minor incidents which caused problems. Eventually, there was a larger situation that Rocky took responsibility for despite not actually being the cause, and he was subsequently kicked out. This way, Freckle could focus on school without Rocky's distractions.
Viktor Vasko[]
Viktor appears to have some problems with tolerating Rocky, likely in part due to Rocky's excitability and verbosity along with his worry about Rocky working as his stand-in. In "Formaldehyde", Rocky refers to Viktor as a "surly Slovak", and Mitzi sends Ivy with Rocky to talk to Viktor, believing he will consequently be less inclined to throttle Rocky. Viktor does not believe that Rocky has a future in the rumrunning business due to Rocky's lack of muscle, though Rocky considers himself Viktor's protégé. Rocky calls Viktor, "Vinegar", in "Defiance", but this appears to be an exception rather than a common occurrence.
Tracy had this to say of Rocky's relationship with Viktor: "For Viktor, the only thing worse than Rocky being insufferably incompetent is Rocky being ruthlessly competent. It comes with a side order of desperate, shortsighted flair, after all, which nearly got him (and everyone else) murdered. Viktor doesn't mince words - he thinks Rocky is dangerous. Rocky, at least superficially, respects and extols Viktor, but clearly also recognizes him for his usefulness. He managed to pinpoint just what motivates Viktor to keep doing what he does and used it to wrest important information from him when Viktor had more justification than ever to do what his better judgment keeps telling him to do (to Rocky's cranium with a wrench)."
Wick Sable[]
As of "Overture", Rocky and Wick are familiar with each other. Rocky appears to enjoy making Wick feel uncomfortable. By "Haggersnash", after Rocky has seen Wick and Mitzi kissing, his feelings have escalated to expressing his disdain for Wick in front of Mitzi and Freckle. He appears to be upset by their romance, not out of romantic feelings for Mitzi, but out of fear that with Wick, Mitzi won’t need him anymore.
Zib[]
Zib seems to have a faintly paternal interest in Rocky, though not necessarily moreso than with the other members of the band. He tries to learn why Rocky has begun working for Mitzi, and later advises him not to become too involved with it. The two seem to share a genuine bond, and Zib is generally so low-energy that he isn’t bothered by Rocky’s extreme abundance of energy.
Appearances[]
Canon[]
Non-Canon[]
Tutorials[]
Previews[]
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Trivia[]
- Rocky does not live in a house and sleeps in Lackadaisy's car.
- When Rocky needs to bathe in a pinch, he uses the sink in utility room behind the bar and maybe an occasional unattended garden hose. Nina does lets him use the indoor plumbing at her house, though.[5]
- He revealed to Mitzi that he had a "thing" for her, the "thing" being a cactus with an expression drawn on it. Mitzi told him to keep it.[6] Since then, he has kept it in his car. Its watchfulness renders him unable to sleep.
- Tracy has confirmed that pancakes with maple syrup are Rocky's favorite food. He has consumed alcohol in the past, but it did not go well. He does not drink currently, and to some degree disdains those who do.[7]
- He has managed to shoot a hole in his own earlobe by accident.
- With regards to Rocky's voice, Tracy stated, "I get a lot of comments from readers that he sounds like Nathan Lane when they 'hear' his voice in dialogue. While I don't think his voice would be quite as high in pitch, the wildly varying tonal ranges and delivery rife with inordinate drama would be appropriate. He's something of a thespian at heart, I think...an extremely over-zealous one".[8]
- To date Rocky has never had a proper romance, though he has had encounters of "various sorts".[9]
- Rocky joined Zib's band and consequently Lackadaisy in 1925.[10]
- Tracy has stated that Rocky did not complete his primary education.[7]
- Tracy has said that Rocky is very intelligent in a cognitive sense, but it tends to be obscured by his social dysfunctions.[11]
- He is a non-smoker.[12]
- According to Tracy, for Christmas Rocky would most appreciate affection or attention...though failing that he would find pancakes acceptable.[13]
- Rocky once worked at a circus as a roustabout.[14]
- Rocky is based on Tracy's real life pet cat who was also named Rocky.
- Rocky looks and acts mostly like his mother but inherited his eyebrows from his father.[15]
- Rocky learned how to play the violin from his mother, though he later dropped it but relearned it while traveling as a teenager. [16][17]
Gallery[]
| The image gallery for Rocky Rickaby may be viewed here. |
References[]
- ↑ "Preview 0020"
- ↑ Character Profile Page
- ↑ "Reciprocity"
- ↑ "Rumrunner"
- ↑ Lackadaisy Flimflam. June 10, 2023
- ↑ "A Thing For You"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Forum post by Tracy - January 27, 2011
- ↑ Forum post by Tracy - October 6, 2009
- ↑ Forum post by Tracy - October 6, 2009
- ↑ Forum post by Tracy - September 13, 2009
- ↑ Forum post by Tracy - October 20, 2012
- ↑ Forum post by Tracy - September 9, 2009
- ↑ Forum post by Tracy - December 9, 2012
- ↑ "Correspondence"
- ↑ Lackadaisy Flimflam
- ↑ Lackadaisy Flimflam
- ↑ Lackadaisy Flimflam. Apr. 25, 2023
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