F.A.Q.

Frequently Answered Queries...

Are you really a goblin?

Yes.
That answer usually creates more questions than it resolves, but it is still the answer. I am otherkin, and specifically a goblin. I am not asking anyone else to believe the same things I do, and I am not trying to convert anybody. I am simply living openly as myself.

Is this a character or persona?

No.
There are theatrical elements to how I dress, because I enjoy dramatic coats and the world is desperately short on velvet, but Charles the Goblin is not a character I play.
This is just me.

What does “otherkin” mean?

Otherkin is a broad term for people who identify, in some meaningful way, as something other than entirely human. Different people understand that in different ways. Some view it spiritually, some psychologically, some metaphorically, and some as a mixture of several things.

For me, goblin is simply the most accurate word I have for what I am.

Why do you dress this way?

Because I like it. I spent far too much of my life trying to make myself smaller, quieter, duller, and more acceptable to people who were never going to approve of me anyway.

Eventually, I stopped.

The ears, blue hair, furry feet, glasses, coats, jewelry, and general goblin finery make me happy. They also make other people happy surprisingly often. That seems like a good enough reason.

Do you dress like this every day?

Yes, I do. The exact amount of goblin varies depending on the weather, where I am going, what I am doing, and whether I feel like wearing twelve pounds of velvet in Kentucky humidity. The ears and blue hair are constant. The coats and furry feet depend somewhat on practicality, but this is not a costume I put on for special occasions. I am still a goblin, no matter what I wear, or what I am doing.

Are your ears real?

They are real ears. They are not the ears I was born wearing. They are prosthetics made by Aradani Costumes, and I wear them because they look far more correct than the small round ones nature mistakenly issued me.

What are the blue furry feet made from?

They are custom-built costume feet constructed over footwear, with padding, fur, structure, and soles suitable for actual walking. They are not slippers, and I do not shuffle around inside them like an escaped bedroom mascot. They have survived stores, sidewalks, conventions, rain, stairs, and far more mileage than anyone reasonably expected.

May I touch your ears, hair, clothes, or feet?

Ask first.

I usually do not mind someone carefully touching an ear, coat sleeve, or furry foot after asking, but permission matters. Please do not grab me, pull my hair, tug an ear, stroke me unexpectedly, or treat me like a public petting zoo. Goblin. Not display merchandise.

What is a Goblin Coin?

A Goblin Coin is a small physical token I give to people during positive interactions. Sometimes someone compliments my clothes. Sometimes a child nervously waves. Sometimes a cashier has had a terrible day and visibly brightens when a goblin appears in their checkout line. The coin is my way of marking that little moment.

How do I get a Goblin Coin?

Usually by encountering me naturally and having a pleasant interaction.

There is no test, secret phrase, purchase requirement, loyalty program, or ceremonial combat. I give them when the moment feels right.

May I ask for one?

You may, but asking does not guarantee one.

The coins mean more when they are connected to an actual interaction rather than treated like promotional merchandise. Children are granted considerably more leeway in this matter because children are children and frequently possess the negotiation style of tiny highway bandits.

May I hug you?

Ask first.

I often say yes, and I genuinely enjoy many of the hugs I receive, but nobody is automatically entitled to physical contact. There may also be times when pain, balance problems, exhaustion, or simple circumstance make hugging a bad idea.

A cheerful greeting is always safe.

Is it okay to ask for a photograph?

Yes.

Please ask before taking one, especially at close range. I usually agree unless I am eating, dealing with something private, exhausted beyond reason, or standing in a situation where stopping would cause a small traffic disaster. Photographs with me are generally welcome. Photographs taken of me from behind store shelves like I am an unidentified woodland creature are less charming.

What should I do if I recognize you in public?

Say hello.

“Are you Charles the Goblin?” works perfectly well.

You do not need a clever introduction, and you are not bothering me merely by speaking to me. I enjoy meeting people, especially those who have seen the website, read the books, watched OtherWorlds, or encountered me somewhere online.

Please understand that I have facial blindness, so I may not recognize you even if we have met before. Tell me your name and where I know you from. I promise I am not being rude.

What is OtherWorlds TV?

OtherWorlds TV is an independent streaming channel devoted to unusual, neglected, strange, historic, and otherwise interesting entertainment.

It is part of OtherWorlds Media Group, which Miss LaDonna and I operate with the assistance of a small collection of humans, goblins, dogs, fictional personnel, and at least one employee who must occasionally be poked with a broom.

We believe media should be interesting, accessible, and made by people who still remember that audiences are human beings rather than analytics livestock.

What is the Book of OtherWorlds?

The Book of OtherWorlds is my long-running fantasy series about the Realms, the people who live within them, and the complicated family gathered around a version of me who has survived far more history than is generally advisable.

It contains goblins, Fae courts, gods, monsters, found family, cosmic disasters, tea, trauma, bureaucracy, impossible architecture, and occasional discussions about what qualifies as lunch.

It is fiction.

Parts of it are also true in ways fiction is often better equipped to handle.

Why do you keep track of interactions, hugs, and coins?

Because small moments matter.

It is easy to remember the insults, threats, ugly looks, and people who behave as though visible difference is a personal attack against them.

Keeping count gives me a record of everything else.

Every interaction, hug, and coin represents someone who smiled, spoke, laughed, asked a sincere question, shared a story, or simply treated me like another person in the world.

The numbers are not a score. They are evidence.

How can I tell whether an online account or message is genuinely yours?

Check the official links listed on this website.

I do not offer investments, loans, grants, prizes, cryptocurrency, secret business opportunities, or miraculous financial assistance through private messages.

Goblin Coins are physical tokens given freely in person. They are not cryptocurrency, legal tender, investments, or redeemable for money.

I will not ask you to send gift cards, banking information, login codes, processing fees, or money to release a larger payment.

If an account using my name or photographs contacts you with an offer that sounds strange, profitable, urgent, secret, or financially complicated, it is almost certainly a scammer.

I am a goblin with a website.

I am not an international finance program.