Muse is a children's magazine published by Carus Publishing, the publishers of Cricket. Launched in January 1997, it is published in Chicago, Illinois, and has readers throughout the United States and around the world. From 1997 to today, it was published by Cricket and sponsored by Smithsonian. Recommended for ages nine and above, it features articles about science, history, and the arts. It is edited by Johanna Arnone. Nine cartoon characters, known as the Muses, used to appear in the margins throughout the magazine as well as in the Kokopelli & Company comic strip. After merging with its sister magazine Odyssey in September 2015, Muse added new content, changed its layout, and replaced the Muses with a comic named "Parallel U" featuring different characters.