Bixby Press

Bixby Press, Inc.

Brad: Brad was a faculty member in the Oregon State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, from 1983 when he moved to Corvallis after finishing his DVM and PhD at the University of Illinois. While his research in Illinois involved pigs, it did not take him long after moving to Oregon to discover that llamas and alpacas were much nicer to work with and certainly smelled better than pigs. Since then he has developed the OSU llama and alpaca research program and the university camelid research herd. Brad is a graduate of Pomona College, San Diego State University, and the University of Illinois.

Karen: After graduating from University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1968, Karen worked as a mixed animal practitioner until 1977 when she returned to graduate school and completed a residency in laboratory animal medicine. Being a glutton for punishment she stayed on at U.C. Davis and completed her PhD in anatomy. Since moving to Corvallis, OR in 1983 she has been teaching anatomy as well as "strange beasty medicine" (hamsters, gerbils, fish, exotics, etc) in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University. For the past 10 years she has been working on anatomic problems of 11amas and alpacas.

Pat: Pat is a mixed animal practitioner living in Corvallis, OR. Shortly after moving to Corvallis in 1982 after a 5-year stint in the U.S. Army, he began to work with llamas. Since then the number of llamas and alpacas in his practice has grown steadily and now comprises more than half of his practice. Pat is a 1976 graduate of the Kansas State University, College of Veterinary Medicine.

Karen Timm created the llama and alpaca drawing on the cover from photographs taken by Brad Smith. The Inca and Pre-Inca symbols in the strips are drawn from textiles and other artifacts from the Andean altiplano. The birds, puma and snake are included because of their prevalence in the Inca culture with the bird (condor) signifying the spiritual world, the puma - the earth and agriculture, and the snake - the underworld.