Just some beautiful, romantic work from Marc there. What a great ending for a chapter. HOWEVER, there’s still two strips left. That’s right folks, it all wraps up one week from today!
Don’t forget to visit Brock’s new site over at brockheasley.com!
Side-by-side of the original strip 1 and a recreation.
It was recently put across to me that Chapter One of The SuperFogeys, “Insane Romance From Hell,” is the number one barrier SF has for attracting new readers. I didn’t disagree.
This same person told me that, in their opinion, SuperFogeys is easily as good if not better than anything DC or Marvel are putting out these days. High praise, but why the disconnect? If SF is that good, then why is Chapter One so bad?
If you’ve read the chapter, of course you know. Chapter One plays out the way you think a comic strip about old superheroes in a nursing home would: gag-a-day, old people jokes, stiff characters, parody and bad-to-barely-acceptable art. It has its charms. I still think strip 12 is one of the best jokes I’ve ever done. The last strip is essential to the overall SF mythology. But the rest? Doesn’t feel–or look–like what SuperFogeys very quickly turned into. Compare Chapters 1 and 2. Big difference.
I wish I could go back. I’d love to redo Chapter One, make it shorter and more concise and… pretty. I’d probably take the Operation: Valhalla story and the Third Man’s introduction and incorporate it. I’d probably make it a proper introduction to the world of Valhalla and include a lot more background characters. I’d make the whole kidnapping business with Spy Gal much shorter and less complicated. I’d make Dr. Rocket a bit less of a dirty old man.
I’d set up the mystery and the dynamics between the characters and get out. And I’d make it look GOOD. A real enticement for what follows.
Who knows? Maybe one day it will be worth doing. I’m loathe to change history, but I think it’s true–new readers who check out Chapter One do not really learn the first thing about what SuperFogeys really is. Would anyone call SF a parody anymore? Probably not.
I dunno. I wish I knew the solution here. Is there a chapter that’s better to jump in on? 4? 7? Maybe the upcoming 13. I could see that.
What do you think? Is Chapter One that bad?
I mean. This:
24 - Too Little Too Late
Right? Right??
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
exactly what i was going to say
If Elora knew what you titled this strip, you’d be in big trouble . . .
If Spy Gal hadn’t interrupted Jerry, would he have blown his cover? “I never meant for you to get hurt.” “I didn’t think the robot would do any damage to you.” “I specifically instructed Doctor Rocket to make sure the robot didn’t hurt you.” “I only wanted you to distract the robot long enough for me to find the power crystal.”
WHAT was he going to say?
Also, ew.
I better hide this one from Elora. Besides, she has an aversion to kissing.
Yeah, I’m not happy. But I called it! Things went according to his plan perfectly. So far.
ACK!! Spy Gal…you… ugh!
This is missing Swifty’s reaction.
Wait.
Jerry: WIN.
He’ll still blow it. A life time of planning led to a granny kiss when he’s got two younger women suddenly in love with him. He’ll do something stupid.
I love that his hair is standing straight up when she lays one on him. Gonna be interesting that’s for sure when Cap finds out his sidekick swooped in on his girl.
One wonders if Cap saw that coming. One also wonders how he couldn’t have if he didn’t.
I just wrote Cap’s reaction yesterday, so it’s coming. And you won’t have to wait long.
Sam, I’m with you on the hair. That was a Marc touch and I love it.
Enjoy it while it lasts, Jerry. There’s no way you’re keeping any of it. Dr. Rocket knows your secret and there’s no way he’ll let you have Spy Gal without a price.
Oh, and you all still have to deal with the impending alien invasion. Good luck!
A little thing we like to call black mail
Gack. She’s even stupider than I thought.
Who knows? Maybe she’s trying to make the Captain jealous?
I just threw up a little in my mouth.
so glad Mark included a shot with the belt buckle. strip incomplete without it. “Is that a power crystal you’re wearing?…”
It’s a power belt buckle!
Where’s the like button on this site? Seriously, maybe we should have a “super” button if something is good and a “fogey” button if something is not as good. Consider me pressing the super button right…now.
Hmm, I attempted to vote for #20, but the Share link did not cfoinrm my vote, or take me to another page I did not see another option on which to click in order to submit my vote Perhaps I am doing something wrong? Great work Stacy <3 all of these images
you know spy gal wasnt always a good guy, maybe she’d try to change him
I can’t say I didn’t see this one coming. But I can say that I didn’t believe it would actually win. Jerry … actually won. He won. He got her. Will he be able to keep her? Fat chance. But he did. Got a kiss. Seems like his dirty little plan worked. However now he has a Dr. Rocket who knows ready to black mail him, Captain’s son to rat him out if and when he decides to let him go (or maybe he’ll just keep him in the cellar and feed him for the next 10 to 20 years until Jerry believes he’s about to pass away or retire to a private unmarked island/go into hiding??), and once Dr. Rocket knows that Tom (the name of Cap’s son, right?) is still ALIVE – oh boy! – will the “good” Doctor do something about this one! Jerry. You have plot holes in your plot that don’t look good for you.
Nah, he didn’t win yet. Trust me this is FAR from over. Now comes the hard part for Jerry, KEEPING Spy Gal. (All those emphasis ARE important.)
By the way, also love Jerry’s hairs standing up!
Does Jerry have a gold tooth or am I just getting a weird glare on my monitor?