public BufferedImage[] loadStripImageArray(String fnm, int number)
	/*
	 * Extract the individual images from the strip image file, <fnm>. We assume
	 * the images are stored in a single row, and that there are <number> of
	 * them. The images are returned as an array of BufferedImages
	 */
	{
		if (number <= 0) {
			System.out.println("number <= 0; returning null");
			return null;
		}

		BufferedImage stripIm;
		if ((stripIm = loadImage(fnm)) == null) {
			System.out.println("Returning null");
			return null;
		}

		int imWidth = (int) stripIm.getWidth() / number;
		int height = stripIm.getHeight();
		int transparency = stripIm.getColorModel().getTransparency();

		BufferedImage[] strip = new BufferedImage[number];
		Graphics2D stripGC;

		// each BufferedImage from the strip file is stored in strip[]
		for (int i = 0; i < number; i++) {
			strip[i] = gc.createCompatibleImage(imWidth, height, transparency);

			// create a graphics context
			stripGC = strip[i].createGraphics();
			// stripGC.setComposite(AlphaComposite.Src);

			// copy image
			stripGC.drawImage(stripIm, 0, 0, imWidth, height, i * imWidth, 0,
					(i * imWidth) + imWidth, height, null);
			stripGC.dispose();
		}
		return strip;
	} // end of loadStripImageArray()