Dylan Ebdus

Dylan Ebdus is the protagonist of The Fortress of Solitude and the first-person narrator of Part 3 of the novel. In the present, he is a white man approaching forty who lives in Berkeley, California, where he works as a music journalist. Dylan is originally from Dean Street in Brooklyn, where he grew up as one of the few white kids in an otherwise all-minority neighborhood. Dylan lived with his parents, Abraham and Rachel, and became best friends with Mingus. The two bonded over a love of comics, but despite their similarities, ultimately grew up to have very different lives. Dylan returns to Dean Street not only to visit the places of his youth, but also to visit Mingus in jail. It is during this visit that Dylan’s longing for a return to childhood is finally overcome.

Mingus Rude

Mingus Rude is a black man approaching forty...