Richie Tozier

Richard "Richie" Tozier is a founding member of the Loser's Club and subsequently Shark Puppy. He is the child of Maggie and Wentworth Tozier, and is in a relationship with fellow band member Eddie Kaspbrak, his childhood love. Much of his songwriting is influenced by his struggles with ADHD and self-loathing, coupled with his identity as a gay man in regards to his love for Eddie. He uses humor excessively as a defensive coping mechanism.

Musical Origins
"Richie was always loud, his clothes and his grin and his voice were loud, and he didn't always know what to do with it. His mother didn't seem to mind too much, mild-mannered and pleasant as she was, but he knew that he might be a little too loud for her, a little too much. His father, following in stead, didn't seem to be bothered by Richie's overly demanding presence; as long as he was alive and out of jail, there was no harm done. In a way, Richie adored them for it. He'd seem what happens when you have parents who care too much, who love too much, who love the idea of their child too much. He was happy with the threat of a curfew that's never carried out and the pat on the head when he remembers his chores if it meant they didn't love him too much. He's afraid of people loving him too much, he's afraid of people loving him at all. He's even more afraid of being left behind. Richie needs to be loud, because he needs to be seen, and he needs to know that he exists someplace other than his own mind. he listens to Buddy Holly with his father and plays piano too loudly with his mother and collects noise-making trinkts along the way just in case his voice runs out. It never does, but it makes him feel safe."