John Nelson? Never heard of him either. That's why I chose that name. If I said Mike Nelson, for instance, you'd wonder if it were a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 reference and never be quite sure.
Isabel suggested this. In Dr. M's first color appearance, his muzzle was white. Why the change?
I think this is based on something that actually happened to me. I know I've had trouble in math classes because they're expecting a full page of notes, and I just look at the problem and the answer is obviously 2.
This is what happens when you cite children's books as reference works. Sofia's papers are semicoherent Monarchist rants. This is one of the reasons why she was asked to study abroad - so that they wouldn't have to deal with her in person. This side of her (strong-minded, political, and passionately devoted to a cause that no longer exists) didn't really have a chance to show up in the comics. She wound up as "bossy" instead.
The Minerva Theatre must have a phone in the office. I suppose that they could've used that number. I'm not sure if Goliath would be too happy about forwarding calls.
Vaudeville Clearance pt 1 drawn by Isabel Marks