Earl Harlan
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Earl Harlan |
| Occupation: | Scoutmaster, Sous-chef |
| Relationships: | Cecil Palmer (old friend/ex), Roger Harlan (son) |
| Fandom: | Welcome to Night Vale |
| Other: | Voiced by Wil Wheaton |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Earl Harlan is a Night Vale resident and old friend of Cecil Palmer, known first as the Scoutmaster of the local chapter of Boy Scouts, and later as a sous-chef at a restaurant in town.
Canon
Physical characteristics
Earl is not described in great detail aside from the fact that he was 19 years old for decades before suddenly waking up middle aged with a new job 9 year old son.[1]
Personality
Earl is serious and very in touch with his feelings, but he doesn't know what to make of them. He openly struggles with knowing who he really is and what his life is about.
Relationships
- Cecil: Cecil was Earl's childhood best friend. They were in the Night Vale boy scouts together. Their past relationship isn't clearly defined, but it's implied that they'd been romantically involved, with Earl saying, "We could have had something, Cecil. Always remember that." [2]
- Roger Harlan: Roger is Earl's ghostly son. Their relationship is rocky but Earl seems to want to connect with him.
Fandom
Fandom Portrayal
Fan portrayals of Earl run from awkward ex to vengeful ex, often used as a secondary character or foil to Carlos, who is more commonly portrayed as the love interest for Cecil. Other fans ship Cecil with Earl.[3] Some fans have sidestepped this area of conflict by shipping Cecil, Earl, and Carlos together as a threesome.[4]
Physical Appearance
Earl's physical appearance varies between fanworks, since he doesn't have any particular canonical appearance. One fanartist that had a large influence over the generally accepted fanon appearance of Earl was videntefernandez.[5] Their art portrays Earl as red-haired, very freckly, skinny, and young, with one eye with a black sclera and red iris, and one eye with a red sclera and black iris, often wearing a tan and purple boy scouts uniform. This depiction caught on widely enough that people could put on an orange wig and a boy scouts uniform and be recognizably cosplaying as Earl.
Fanworks
Fan Fiction
- Affection Falling Just Short of Love[6] by picascribit: 13-year-old Earl Harlan is nervous and excited about his Boy Scout troop's wilderness survival training campout, but not for the reasons one might think. Sometimes the skills one needs to survive are not what one expects.
- Collateral Damage[7] by jetpacksandrollerblades: Earl tries to piece together his sense of self over Thanksgiving dinner.
- The Life and Love of Earl Harlan[8] by AnotherIcarus: Scout Master Earl Harlan’s POV up until the end.
Fan Art
Fan Videos
Cosplay
Fanmixes
- 19 For an Eternity[10] by mc-kin-ley
- Always Remember That[11] by messyfeathers
- Next to a Vast and Alien Ocean[12] by mirawonderfulstar
References
- ^ Episode 56:Homecoming [1]
- ^ Episode 23: Eternal Scouts [2]
- ^ Ao3 Tag: Earl Harlan/Cecil Palmer [3]
- ^ Ao3 Tag: Carlos/Earl Harlan/Cecil Palmer [4]
- ^ videntefenandez's tumblr blog [5]
- ^ Affection Falling Just Short of Love by picascribit [6]
- ^ Collateral Damage by jetpacksandrollerblades [7]
- ^ The Life and Love of Earl Harlan by AnotherIcarus [8]
- ^ NIGHT VALE PRESENTS Season 2 Episode 1: "The In-Between" [9]
- ^ 19 For and Eternity by mc-kin-ley [10]
- ^ Always Remember That by messyfeathers[11]
- ^ Next to a Vast and Alien Ocean by mirawonderfulstar[12]