Even though we’re taking a small break as we gear up for Chapter 19 (still tentatively titled “The Man Who Sold the World”), last week I did used the SuperFogeys Fanpage on Facebook to do a little retrospective on the “00″ strip–100, 200, 300 and so on. We drop all kinds of cool little stuff like that on the Fanpage. It’s worth a like, trust me.
Anyway, I thought maybe everybody would like to see the retrospective, so here it is again, this time with just a few additional comments.
100 – “The Third Man Revealed” from Chapter 3, The Techno Shuffle
Reaching 100 strips was a big, big deal. I’d created my own comics before, but never at this level and frequency. I knew I had to do something to really grab people’s attention because, generally, you get more eyeballs on these milestone strips. I’d been moving SF more and more towards serial stories and away from the gag stuff for a while, but this was the big splash–the reveal at the true identity of the villain who’d been haunting the strip for a little while.
[SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ PAST 100--REALLY JUST CONSIDER THIS WHOLE POST FULL OF SPOILERS]
I’d know from almost the very beginning that the Third Man and Dr. Klein were actually Jerry. 100 was both a real reveal and a red herring at the same time. By revealing that the Third Man was Dr. Klein, it satisfied curiosity enough that they never considered Jerry as a possible third identity. I took my sweet time getting to that bigger reveal, but no one ever noticed that Jerry was never in the same room as his other identities. All by design. I dropped so many clues and no one ever picked up on them because they thought the mystery was already solved. Still my favorite trick I ever pulled with the storytelling.
Looking back, do you think it still works?
200 – “Where Is He!?” from Chapter 6, Funeral For a Frenemy
At the time, Dr. Rocket’s death at the end of Chapter 5 was a big, BIG deal. This strip reversed it without taking away the fact of a killing and an actual death having occurred. Still, it was gruesome and shocking and seemed to be pretty permanent. What ended up being actually permanent was the shift to a more serious story. All bets were kind of off if a moment like that could happen in a comic strip that had previously not been terribly violent (save for the odd shooting here and there).
And yet there’s still this guy, Death MD, which is a character I haven’t used enough in subsequent chapters. He’s a lot of fun to write, that’s for dang sure.
With the reveal that Dr. Rocket had been hanging out in Cuba with Fidel Castro, what became readily apparent was that we’d never really seen Dr. Rocket at all, just a goofy facsimile that was in reality the mind-controlled shapeshifter Herman. The real Dr. Rocket is a much more haunted and complex individual (not that you can tell in this particular strip). Sometimes, I miss the old Dr. Rocket.
300 – “Stage Four” from Chapter 10, Bubbles of Light
Dr. Rocket (the real one) had been back for a while, but he had been basically cold towards his archenemy, Captain Spectacular. That’s what archenemies tend to do. But Cap and Doc began their lives as friends and finally, with the reveal that Doc was dying from cancer, that friendship resumed. It’s a (mostly) silent, somber moment and not at all typical of the big reveals and big goings-on of the other “00s.”
Looking back, I really like that the younger Cap and Doc got to be there. They’re basically flabbergasted at a simple hug. The younger Cap is kind of judgy, kind of self-righteous. What I wanted to say here was that the older Cap, while still knowing right from wrong and holding onto his ideals for the most part, does not judge. He’s there for his friend, period.
This strip is significant in another way: it marked my swan song as the regular artist on the strip. There’s not a lot of flash here, but I consider the wordless interaction between Doc and Cap as one of my finest moments as an artist.
400 – “Dark Maiden” from Chapter 13, The Sidekick and His Gal
400 is a real line in the sand. The story would change drastically from this point forward as the Invasion storyline took hold for the next 150+strips. Going into it, Star Maiden’s whereabouts were unknown, but we did know a bunch of aliens were on their way to Earth to seek revenge on Dr. Rocket. Star Maiden joining up with them–as Dark Maiden–was a big moment.
This is Marc’s first “00″ and he stepped up big time. Even though this was 200 strips ago, the art holds up in spectacular fashion. And anytime Marc gets to draw Zurida is a good thing.
500 – “What Should Not Be” from Chapter 16, Invasion Pt. 3 – Secrets, Secrets are No Fun
This one was HUGE when it landed in more ways than just size. It featured the return of the long-dead Money Man AND it was a rare artistic collaboration between me and Marc. He penciled and colored, but those are my inks. Don’t know if anyone noticed at all, but the fusing of the two styles gives this one a slightly different look from every other strip.
Astute readers noticed right away that Money Man has four fingers and a thumb, as opposed to the usual three and a thumb the characters have sported so far. One of the complaints I got from early readers over and over again had to do with the finger count. And, as the more story got more serious, the less okay with it readers seemed to be. Mickey Mouse has three fingers, not guys who squash other guys’ heads like a zit. Money Man’s appearance is the first (indirect) in-story comment on this. To all of you who complained: you’re right. It shouldn’t be.
The implications of the revelations in this strip are only just now starting to be dealt with. What’s hinted at here is bigger than anything we’ve done so far. There’s something rotten at the core of the SF universe, and you’re about to find out what that is.
600 – “Earth-Avalon” from Chapter 18, One Year Later
It’s probably too early to really “look back” at this one, but what the heck, right? Swifty had been gone from the story for a long time at this point (though not as long, I’m sure, if you just read it straight through without having to wait several days between installments), so the fact that he was back was exciting. It was probably pretty cruel, then, that I immediately ripped him right away again, to go to this alternate dimension.
There’s a lot about Earth-Avalon I’m really excited for you guys to discover. One of things that’s the most fun about alternate reality stories is seeing how your favorite characters are different and why. We’re definitely going to be exploring that, but that’s really just half the mystery. The other half has to do with the relationship between Earth-Avalon and the SuperFogeys world. We’re trying to do something with this that I’ve never really seen before and I’m excited to see what you guys make of it when that bomb drops. It’s bit of a risk, like everything else we try to do, but I’m hoping you’ll give it a chance to play out once you see it.
What do you think makes a great “00?” 601 posts next Monday!
I know someone that’s going to be very happy with this update.
Damn straight!
Do tell, John!
Oh, it’s nothing huge. I’ve just been a big Thrice Evil fan for quite a while and always felt that he’d been treated very unfairly by the narrative – his sole appearances before his diminution were as a background figure (SFO: Society of Heroes) or an emasculated villain (Cellmates). This version of Thrice might actually be able to deliver on the name, which is certainly something I’m looking forward to!
What’s most interesting in this strip to me is that it shows that pretty much every element of the other Thrice’s decay seems to be the result of Jerry’s abuse – the other Earth-Avalon characters all seem to be aged similarly to their regular counterparts (Tangerine is the best point of reference, but you can also see that Starbrighter is looking pretty far past it), while this Thrice is as physically imposing as he ever was. I’ll be keen to see where the story ends up from here!
Maybe there’s more to Thrice Evil than simply this being an “Earth-Avalon version”. Not going to speculate more, but just think of who Thrice is (from his origins) and how Jerry kept him under wraps.
Alt-CoW is interesting too. I didn’t think SF would be touching on that again.
What do you mean “Alt-CoW”? This is going to become the new mainstream. Or, that’s what I’m hoping, anyways. When I cheer for the bad guys, I mean it.
Well Hello there Neil! Pleased to make your acquaintance! Any chance you could point us in the direction of the fellow that’s behind all of this?
I refer you to the last panel. Let there be no bones made about this.
(What does that even mean?? Who makes bones?)
Why those nice folks over on Kamino, of course.
Ever have anyone want to “Pick a Bone” with you?
Mirror Universe FTW!
Yes… and no.
Remember your comment. It’s relevant.
http://superfogeys.com/2010/12/07/sf-origins-the-thrice-evil-pg-1-getting-his-wife-ba/
I’d forgotten about this!
Thrice Evil’s mom had 5 fingers all along!
Everybody in this comic has five fingers. Might be that the artitst just liked it that way or it wasn’t the origin our Thrice, although my guess is the former option.
Very perceptive. Great memory.
So that’s Mommy in the background? Oooo…
http://superfogeys.com/2011/09/26/fan-art-the-thrice-evil-by-margaret-racine/
Did the fan-artist know something?
You’ll have to ask her.
Margaret, are you out there?
Went back and checked. The Money Man whose come back has (dun-dun-duuuun) five fingers!
You are correct, sir! Excellent sleuthing.
What the ?!?
Also,congrats on 600 strips.
Still, Swifty is in Big trouble this time, if he’s on the home world of T-Magus and Gina, but now I wonder HOW they got into our world in the first place and even WHy they’re here in the first place ?
The answer is an easy one–In the origins of the Thrice Evil, Bruce was sent through the portal to another dimension…Where his mother had been turned into a monster:
http://superfogeys.com/2011/01/11/sf-origins-the-thrice-evil-pg-4-mommy/
Was killed by Mr. Crook shortly after returning:
http://superfogeys.com/2011/01/18/sf-origins-the-thrice-evil-pg-5-hungry/
and then Thrice Evil declared his hatred for Dr. Rocket:
http://superfogeys.com/2011/01/25/sf-origins-the-thrice-evil-pg-9-we-can-work-with-that/
*Everyone* has five fingers on each hand, in that origins story. I’d guess that story took place in the Earth-Avalon dimension. Later in the life of Earth-Avalon’s Thrice Evil, he would conquer all of space…or somesuch thing as that; Starbrighter’s still alive somehow, at least….Eh I danno what I’m talking about anymore. With his ability to transcend dimensions, it’s entirely possible (however unlikely) that this thrice evil collected every other member of his crew, from a different dimension.
Also, this is terrific work. Thank you Marc and Brock, for getting along well enough to make it this far; I hope the two of you will continue to go much farther together with the SuperFogeys.
Got to disagree with you since that appears to be Thrice’s mother in the background, it looks to me as though the splitting off point may be that she wasn’t killed by Mr. Crook when she came through the portal.
Marcus, you’re asking the right questions. The answers unlock pretty much everything else you would want to know. Hopefully, it won’t take long to get to them.
King G, it’s never been stated that Thrice can travel between dimensions. He did get his powers in that way, but he’s never been shown to have that ability. Hopping dimensions is tricky business, but as we’ve seen with the past couple updates there is a person who can do it. Oh, and thanks for the kudos. I hope you’re right!
Unless Earth-Avalon’s timeline is a few years later than the timeline of Swifty-Three-Fingers (where Doc. Rocket is still alive, though admittedly dying from cancer)…Oh, Thrice himself doesn’t need to travel between dimensions. After what happened to himself and his mother, he wouldn’t want to risk a portal again unless he’s certain it will lead where he intends for it to.
But Thrice Evil doesn’t strike me as the sort who’d readily forget, or forgive, past grievances. I’m thinking Dr. Rocket and Mr. Crook are either hiding/running/resisting, somewhere…Or more likely, they’re both dead. Thrice controls (or at some point in the past, has tried to control) the portal that gave him his power.
Oh my effin’….. is that?… and is that?! Holy diver, this is too cool for me even to process!
Luckily, you’ve got two weeks to do it!
Face-off between parallel universe Swifties – go!
Ooh… I want to see that.
It’ll be the greatest number of swear words to ever come out of a pair of old folks who are neither sailors nor football entusiasts.
Whoa.
Thrice Evil? Gods and little fishes, that’s not good…
Congrats on 600 strips!
No, it is NOT good.
Thanks, Gwen!
KNEEL BEFORE THRICE!
Lesse….Master Mandible, Johnny-go-dead (or whatever his name is), Monica, Thrice, Starbrighter, Suck-Face, Thrice’s mom, a two-cybernetic-handed version of Tangerine, and whatever that rabbit thing is. Dead people, and alternate people….and we’ve got time-travelers involved.
Wait, Johnny Go Dead has a rabbit too?
The rabbit is probably Dr. Rocket’s Harvey. My guess is that zombies in this universe don’t hate each other and Johnny and Harvey bondet. Maybe even sided against Rocket but that is purely a theory.
Good roll call. It’s Master MASTICATE and JIMMY-Go-Dead, but why quibble?
I like Cyrian’s theory about the rabbit. Also, the tags are helpful.
I find it REALLY interesting that in that world, Tangerine is missing both arms AND allied withthe witch doctor that cut them off (Unless it was something else in that world.).
And yes, that “zombies don’t hate each other here” theory would be a good explanation, unless Harvey is not a zombie in that new Earth.
This comic is constantly putting it into my head now–Old age is optional.
Comment of the week (I don’t care that it’s early). There’s nothing anyone can say that’s better than this.
Yay for family reunions! “Mom, about this whole ‘eating-me’-thing… I forgive you!” *Start the emotional music*
I jest, this page is very good, might be my favorite in this chapter. Love the details. I am wondering why Thrice is not old in this universe. Might be timetravell or someone was right and his team recruits from multiple dimensions, which is not too likely but makes a lot of sense, assuming Avalon-Thrice can jump dimensions without larger limitations.
Not sure if Suckface is just shaven or old and bald. More variables…
Anyway, you guys did an awesome job and here is to a couple of hundreds strips more!
(Or thousands, however long you want the comic to go on.)
Thanks, Cyrian! Thrice’s recruitment practices are not as complex as all that. The nature of Earth-Avalon will be made clear soon and we’ll be seeing a lot more of it. That should answer a lot of your questions.
So are the olympics here called EA Games?
Bad pun sorry. ill go hiding now
TERRIBLE pun. But, yes.
Thrice Evil!!!! What a delightful note to return on. Such a wonderful collection of alternate dimension versions of familiar faces! I was in the process of moving and was deeply disappointed to miss my chance for crazy speculation on the last strip.
Andrew! Hey man, good to see you again. I have certainly missed your crazy theories. Should be lots of fodder for more in the next chapter.
Semi-called it. I was right that Money Man’s use of the definite article was important, even if my “guess” was wrong:
http://superfogeys.com/2013/10/23/superfogeys-q-and-a-4-of-4/#comment-58759
I remember that guess and knew you’d called it then. Happy to give you credit now!
Hey, Brock! Marc! Just caught up on the comic after a couple months of MIA. You’re right, I LOVE Swifty’s return, especially seeing him unchanged. I dunno, feels like one of those old Marvel things with Spiderman or etc or something when they deal with time travel or dimension travel and the hero is all like, “Whoa?! What tha!?” Anyway, I really just love Swifty, is all.
And you’re right about something else. Keeping the status quo eventually gets boring.
Hey Will! Good to hear from you again. Had been wondering where you’d gotten off to. Glad you’re excited about the new happenings. We’re pressing forward and big things are in the offing!