What would you say to a wizard who wears orange socks and blue sketches?

Let me start by saying I’ve nothing against how wizards are portrayed in fantasy fiction. Some of my all-time favourite characters are wizards - Gandolf the Grey and the White, Albus Dumbledore and even Merlin.

The general appearance is of a wise old man who acts as a mentor, white hair with a long silvery beard dressed in a robe. This is a staple of the character's archetype, and it works. But what happens if you add in idiosyncracies like:

"An old man with a long silver beard, wearing a tanned coat that hung to his ankles and wearing a floppy wizard's hat at a jaunty angle. The only thing that spoiled the whole I am a wizard vibe were the pair of comfortable-looking blue sketches on his feet and a pair of bright orange socks." - Taken from THE HALFLING

But lets not stop there - how bout we give him more character. He's a wise old man but he is also a pretty cool dude.

"Sitting in a large rocking chair with a huge stein in one hand and a long pipe in the other. One little finger was sparkling and he waved it in the air every time he took a sip, and the dishes on the stove behind him would rattle and shake and give off the smells of frying bacon and eggs." - Taken from the novel THE HALFLING

Not your average wizard now, is he? I added a special personal flavour that sets Aphistus Farimdore apart from the rest. He is a memorable character who readers will say,"Oh yeah, that crazy wizard."