The Buzz on Bea

[Bee Haw]

I had so much fun playing with you all.

Happy to answer any questions you have!

[Camilo Batista]

I wish I'd taken more chances to interact with Bea. The juxtaposition of the innocent and the corrupted would've been very entertaining.

What inspired you to make a Mormon character for this campaign?

[Bee Haw]

It was a really interesting process. I had in mind the cowgirl and the bees and the name Bee Haw and the innocence/goodness. At first, I thought maybe she needed to like fall through time. Captain America style. A child of an earlier time in America's past.

But then, as I was researching religious imagery around bees, and what might be the explanation of a magic honeycomb in the midwest, I ran across the Mormon ideas about 'deseret' - the honeybees - that they took with them on their pilgrimage to the New World. And it's a huge symbol in the faith! Bees and hives.

And the more research I did, the more it just seemed meant to be.

A way to explain her innocence/purity, her separation from the world.


Here is how I wrote it in her background doc, as I got excited putting the pieces together:

The honeycomb might have even been left by pilgrims, on their way to Utah to found the nation of Deseret, which, of course, meant “honeybee”. Their family made a similar pilgrimage west through New Mexico and up into Utah to Salt Lake City at least once a year for Easter, and sometimes several times a year for other events.

Nephi and his family had found wild honey in Bountiful – in the Old World, and brought bee swarms with them, when they came to the New World. Perhaps those ancient families and their wild bees had left holy honeycombs along their paths?

Mama read the words over her, fervent and prophetic. “And they did also carry with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee; and thus they did carry with them swarms of bees, and all manner of that which was upon the face of the land, seeds of every kind.” Ether 2:3.

Bees and beehives were an important symbol of her Mormon faith. She’d known that, but now she saw it with new eyes. All the bees and hives in the decoration of the church, on the books, on the bulletin. The bees and hives were everywhere!

She read and read about Nephi and his family and the bees they carried.

And she found (Book of 3 Nephi, verses 11:28-30) that Jesus’ message to Nephi of the Jaredits - who might have walked these very lands! - was that ‘There shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been…. For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.” (11.28-30)

Paul said much the same in his letter to Ephesus: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

A queen bee maintained cooperative community, preventing conflict, creating unity!

It all tied together in Bea’s mind.

[Camilo Batista]

Very cool. I did not know that connection between the Mormon church and bees. I love those little details that stand out, shape a character, and makes them unique.

[Dapper Dog]

Anything you wish we explored or wanted to do?

Bee Haw did a lot of research and work, I was impressed with her Mormon stuff.

[Babble]

What if Bee Haw met Nazi bee man?

[Bee Haw]

Anything you wish we explored or wanted to do?

Bee Haw did a lot of research and work, I was impressed with her Mormon stuff.

Good question! She is certainly interested in more stuff to save the world. It kind of prioritized over her other interests. But things she would like to explore in spare time are 1) rebuilding the animal shelter, rescuing the animals who survived the attack all over the city; 2) investigating UNJE's role in elite infertility. That was going to be her DT before the blue herald attack.

[Bee Haw]

What if Bee Haw met Nazi bee man?

Clearly, a nemesis!

Her good vs. his evil. She would try to take over his bees, Queen-style. Absorb his colony into hers and dissolve him into nothingness. All redeemed.