Barney

Barney is a character introduced in Issue #4 of Lumberjanes. Initially, they are a member of the Scouting Lads but decide to become a Lumberjane around mid-summer. They become very good friends with the members of the Ronoake cabin but join the Zodiacs instead. At the end of issue #8, they get a cat named Marigold.

## **Appearance**

Within the first issues they appear in, Barney wears the typical Scouting Lad uniform - a plain beige shirt with badges sewn on, and beige shorts. They have short, black hair, styled upwards with a quiff, are relatively small in height, and fairly light skin.

After transferring to the Lumberjanes, they wear the typical Lumberjane uniform - a red bandana, cream shirt, and green shorts.

## **Personality**

Barney is presented as being clever, though rather outcasted. Jo considers them for a while to be a 'know-it-all', though this may just be to do with her initial discomfort around them. With their friendship with the Ronoake Cabin, it is shown that Barney is very kind-hearted, and they willingly volunteer to help find Jen when she goes missing in the snowstorm. When they could have backed down with the chaos caused by Abigail and the Grootslang, Barney remained loyal to their friends and to both camps, and played a key role in saving everyone in them.

### **As A Scouting Lad**

Barney is not completely comfortable being a Scouting Lad - in fact, they seem to feel isolated around others who feel as if they completely belong in a camp. They are presented as being unsure where they belong. When the Scouting Lads meet the Lumberjanes from Ronoake Cabin, Barney soon becomes fast friends with them, especially with April. Despite their efforts to be friendly with Jo, she pushes them away, and seems irritable in their presence, a fact noticed by an outraged April. In the end, it is revealed that Jo does not feel comfortable in the presence of Barney because they remind her of when she was expected to be a Scouting Lad, and to act very much in the way a young boy should. This is about the time that it is made clear that Jo is transgender, which sheds light on previous incidents in the comic series where this is touched on, for example when April finds the photograph of the two of them as young children, or when Jo is confronted by the Bear Lady for not being who she says she is (though it soon transpires that this has nothing to do with her gender identity). However, by the end of around Issue 17, Jo and Barney have become friends, after using teamwork to return the Grootslang's jewel, thus saving the lives at both camps.

### **Lumberjanes**

Barney in the end decides to become a Lumberjane as the feel much more excited and comfortable with the camp for hardcore lady types rather than with the Scouting Lads. After helping save The Grand Lodge in Issue 28 they ask the Grand Lodge if they can join the Lumberjanes. While Barney is nervous, the only thing that the lodge thinks is "unorthodox" about their request is admitting a camper in the middle of the summer. (This continues the theme of equality and seeing people for who they really are.) Barney makes their Lumberjane Pledge and then is invited into the Zodiac Cabin. It is revealed here that they have started using the 'they' and 'them' pronouns, rather than the previous 'he', 'his' and 'him'. Barney is given a lot more freedom at the Lumberjanes camp, and is able to express themself as being neither strictly female or male.

## Trivia

* Molly and Barney seem to be the only kids at camp with permanent animal companions, with Molly having Bubbles and Barney having Marigold.

* They seem to be the only camper who constantly wears their sapling uniform.
* They are among many characters that are apart of the lgbtq+.