public BufferedImage[] loadStripImageArray(String fnm, int number) {
        if (number <= 0) {
            EIError.debugMsg("number <= 0; returning null", EIError.ErrorLevel.Error);
            return null;
        }

        BufferedImage stripIm;
        if ((stripIm = loadImage(fnm)) == null) {
            EIError.debugMsg("Returning null", EIError.ErrorLevel.Error);
            return null;
        }

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

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

        for (int i = 0; i < number; i++) {
            strip[i] = gc.createCompatibleImage(imWidth, height, transparency);

            stripGC = strip[i].createGraphics();

            stripGC.drawImage(stripIm,
                    0, 0, imWidth, height,
                    i * imWidth, 0, (i * imWidth) + imWidth, height,
                    null);
            stripGC.dispose();
        }
        return strip;
    }