Welcome to the world of Norman and Ozi where employees strive day and night to tolerate each other. Here is a brief introduction to this diverse ensemble so that you better understand their day-to-day experiences. It is not that these characters mean to be funny, it’s just that some of their interactions during specific circumstances invariably makes them unintentionally hilarious. Without further ado, meet the characters!
Norman Liker, the middle manager
Smart, Charming, A ‘regular’ guy
Norman is the central character. A young and ambitious middle manager in his early 30s, he is neither experienced nor a newbie. As a young ‘middle’ manager, he is torn between the expectations of the ‘leadership’ and managing a team of unconcerned coworkers.
Norman is constantly immersed in the absurdities of corporate life and tries to navigate his way through them – he’s sometimes cynical, sometimes hopeful, sometimes naive, and sometimes smart. In other words, he is the ‘normal’ middle manager who is trying to survive the rat race inside the corporate maze.
Ozi, the owl
Observant, Exceptionally intelligent, Sarcastic
Ozi is Norman’s pet owl, but he hates being called a pet because he has his personality and acute intelligence. Moreover, he sticks around Norman on his own accord, unlike other caged ‘pets.’
He is with Norman much of the time but has free access to everyone and every place in the office. That gives him the unique power to be anywhere, eavesdrop on situations, and spread gossip.
Ozi is very intelligent. Being non-human, he can observe humans at close quarters and thinks of them as generally ‘absurd’. He gets perceptive, witty, sarcastic, and extremely philosophical. He occasionally advises people and tries to help them, but his ‘pet’ peeve is that no one takes him seriously – after all, everyone thinks of him as just a pet bird!
The Boss
Old school ‘boss’, Formal and serious, Behind times.
‘The boss’ is another recurring character. A middle-aged character with an ‘old school’ worldview, everyone calls him ‘the boss’ and no one uses his real name.
He is clueless about all things modern – be it trends, technology, or traditions, and frequently seeks help from the ‘younger generation.’ But this doesn’t stop him from thinking that he is smarter than all his younger employees.
He spends much of his time trying to look serious and in control, but he just blunders his way clumsily. On the one hand, he tries to look like a no-nonsense and efficient ‘leader’, but on the other, he desperately tries to fit in with the ‘younger crowd’ that is his team.
Binh, the HR
The HR lady. Efficient and hardworking, Mildly ‘feared’
Binh (pronounced ‘bin’) is the HR manager. She is generally friendly but knows how to keep people at a distance. She has no time to be monkeying around and doesn’t suffer fools. Although she is very kind and approachable, most people are slightly afraid of Binh because she has the ‘HR power’ over them. People try to curry favor with her, but they are also wary of her smartness.
Subbu, the tech guy
Not smart, Not a hard worker, Present where gossip is
Subbu is short for Subramani but everyone knows him as just ‘Subbu’. Subbu is an IT guy from small-town India and reports to Norman. He is highly curious about everything that goes on around him – people, things, and events. Because of his nosy nature, he can often be seen wherever something is happening. That means he’s hardly at his desk and gets away with minimum work. Subbu has limited exposure to the world and he is not particularly smart. He is apt to take things literally. He is a good source for all sorts of information – particularly ‘office gossip’.
Rick, the prankster
Happy-go-lucky, A constant prankster, Ultimately harmless
Rick is young and full of beans. He loves to prank people harmlessly. Everyone likes Rick and he makes friends easily – but people don’t know whether to trust him completely because he is such a prankster. Some of his pranks can be subtle and some can be a bit dumb. Being a prankster, he has a very ‘fertile’ imagination and can be silly and humorous.
He is generally good at his work but he doesn’t ‘take life seriously.‘ He is somewhat opposite of the boss in his character, which makes the boss cautious of him. He doesn’t want to be a victim of Ricks’s pranks and antics but sometimes falls for them anyway.
Nathan, Mr. Dependable
Straightforward, Earnest, Norman’s go-to guy
Nathan is ‘Mr. Dependable’ at work. He is very earnest about everything including his work and his relationships with his co-workers. Being earnest and unsuspecting, he can easily fall prey to Rick’s pranks. Being a straightforward guy, Nathan ‘goes by the book’ in most things in life and is a bit predictable. Norman finds it easy to deal with Nathan because he is so straightforward and earnest. That makes Nathan Norman’s favorite team member who gets things done.
Mira
Attractive, ‘Fond’ of Norman
Everyone calls her ‘Mira’ because her actual name is long and complicated – Miraslava Alexandrovna Tereshchenko. Mira is an attractive and friendly woman with a ‘charming’ speech and Slavic accent.
She is ‘fond’ of Norman and can be mildly flirtatious with him. However, she finds Ozi to be an unnecessary nuisance and calls him ‘an unwelcome third wheel!’
Ozi, looking out for his favorite human, is wary of Mira’s advances toward Norman. He tries to protect Norman against Mira’s flirtations.
Anna, the temp receptionist
Aloof, Takes no nonsense, Can be formidable
Anna is the temporary office receptionist. That makes her a kind of routine personality who just does what she needs to do efficiently. However, she doesn’t get too involved with people.
As a receptionist, she can be charming and efficient to office visitors and guests, but the insiders find her a bit formidable and fierce because she takes no nonsense from anyone
Hans, the security guy
Big guy, Warm and friendly.
Hans is a security guy of probably German origin. He is a ‘big guy’ with a warm smile. He walks girls from the office through the deserted office road to the comparatively less creepy main road at night. However, he is not a major character and appears only occasionally.
Note: The characters you are about to encounter in these comics are not meant to be your life coaches, role models, or spiritual guides. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or fictional, is purely coincidental and probably a result of the authors’ personal trauma from the office. Our second request to you is please refrain from picking favourites or developing emotional attachments to any of the following characters since they have been created to be malleable. These descriptions provide a snapshot of the characters personalities, but each undergoes significant development and has their own unique story arcs throughout the range of comic strips updated daily.