PAPA BOIS IN THE COMIC   In Terror of the Midnight Robber, Papa Bois is a character that is introduced early on in a brief appearance, but as we continue the story he will have an increasingly larger role to play in the events that unfold.  Like the folklore legend, Papa Bois is the keeper of the forest.  We first meet him in the forests of the Northern Range, where he helps a badly wounded Rick return to civilization.  The animals of the forest all see him as their guardian, and they speak freely with him.  In fact, it is a group of rodents that discovers Rick’s body and a young agouti runs to report the news of the stranger to Bois.  Though Bois clearly looks imposing compared to the tiny animal, the first thing he does when he picks up the agouti is try to calm him down.  Later on in the story we will see that Papa Bois has a significant amount of history with The Midnight Robber. Visually, the comic book version of Papa Bois closely follows the traditional folk character.  He has cloven hooves and powerful animal legs, but stands upright and has many human features.  His upper body is more human, and his face is blends both human and animal characteristics.  Chris designed Bois’ physical appearance to reflect his position in the natural world of Trinidad and Tobago.  Bois is tall and physically imposing, with a face that can express both compassion and raw ferocity.  He is not one to be taken lightly, despite his normally gentle demeanor.   (Illustrations by Christopher Riley)
THE LEGEND OF PAPA BOIS   In traditional Trinidadian folklore, Papa Bois is often referred to as The Keeper of the Forest, Maitre Bois (master of the woods) and sometimes Daddy Bouchon (hairy man).  Bois is extremely old, but his physical body is often described as powerful despite his age.  Bois lives in deep within the forests, and is generally only seen by hunters or people that become lost there.  By all accounts he lives a fairly solitary life (although some stories link him to Mama Dlo), walking around in tattered clothes with his hair growing wildly about his body.   In every telling of the tale of Papa Bois, he is established as this guardian of the forest and all that live there.   According to Gerard A. Besson, author of Folklore & Legends of Trinidad and Tobago, “As the guardian of the animals and the custodian of the trees, he is known to sound a cow’s horn to warn his friends of the approach of hunters.  He doesn’t tolerate killing for killing’s sake, or the wanton destruction of the forest.”  Bois has been known to lead hunters deeper into the forest until they become lost as penance for their treachery against his animal friends.     Most versions of Bois involve him having elements of humans, animals and plants in his physical makeup.  Some suggest that he has leaves growing out of his beard, while others have described Bois as short and powerful looking, with the body of a man covered in hair similar to that of a horse or donkey.   Some say that both of his feet have hooves while others suggest that only his left leg has a hoof.   These powerful animal legs allow Bois to run as fast as a deer, or as some stories state, his speed in the forest comes from his ability to transform completely into an animal.  All agree that Bois has horns growing out of his head. There is a consensus among storytellers that Papa Bois is indeed a benevolent being, more concerned with the protection of those in his care than anything else.  Unlike many of the other folklore characters from Trinidad and Tobago, Bois is not an antagonist, and will only strike out if provoked or if he views the intruder as a threat to the animals or plants in the forest.