Nicodemus, as drawn by Dave Simpson

I am Nicodemus... Rather, Nicodemus is one of my nicknames; I use it in art and business dealings. Nicodemus the rat is also my furry (anthropomorphic) manifestation. He doesn't differ from me in personality and, as such, isn't truly a "character" that I play; rather, using a distinctly different moniker from my given name symbolizes a separation or preservation of only certain components of my persona.

If it helps, you can think of the fictional Nicodemus as a role-playing character. It's really just an alternate means of self-expression.

What or Who is Nicodemus?

Nicodemus is an anthropomorphic rat (rattus norvegicus sapiens). In appearance, he is clearly a rat, possessing the visible external features common to his species: black beady eyes, large pink ears, whiskers, fore and hind paws with partially-opposable thumbs, and a long pink tail.

Internally, his skeletal structure is similar to a rat's, except for the vertebral column. The structure of his spine and the centering of weight above his hips is much more like a human's, which allows him to walk upright.

When Was Nicodemus Created?

Nicodemus was "born" sometime around May of 1994. The character has existed on FurryMUCK since 22 June 1994. I still occassionally appear there. You canalso find me on several online forums, at a number of conventions, and on LiveJournal.

What Does Nicodemus Do?

Nicodemus works as a programmer. He enjoys spending lots of time curled up in front of his computer, coding. You can often find him typing away in his comfy computer chair, a large glass of water and some cheddar-flavored munchies within paw's reach.

When not "messing around" with computers or costuming, he enjoys spending time juggling, chatting with his friends, and watching bad movies. Sometimes you'll also catch him outdoors, hiking through the woods, to get back in touch with nature.

Why 'Nicodemus'?

I have been asked about my name a number of times, so I'll just put down a quick explanation here to forestall future questions. My namesake is the valiant, yet quixotic, leader of the colony of intelligent rats in the book "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH". I would like to note that the book, and particularly Nicodemus, is not at all the same as in the movie adaptation, but I shall not include that rant here.