I read “later” as meaning “died longer ago”, classified Kidby as Kirby’s son, because they have the same surname(?) and because I knew Kirby was the original illustrator and people’s children often take up their mantle after they pass and then got very confused trying to figure out the timeline.I read “later” as meaning “died longer ago”, classified Kidby as Kirby’s son, because they have the same surname(?) and because I knew Kirby was the original illustrator and people’s children often take up their mantle after they pass and then got very confused trying to figure out the timeline.

No, I was trying to do some Pratchettesque facetious wordplay and (of course) not being as good at it as him. Josh Kirby did covers up to Thief of Time, but had to retire in 2001 to spend more time being dead. Paul Kidby took over from then on. The similarity in surnames is a confusing coincidence