HOW TO READ THIS COMIC: This site hosts, technically, two comics. The navigation was custom built to accommodate this and is a little different from what you may be used to, but still pretty easy to understand. The simplest way to navigate is to just click on the strip itself. That will take you immediately [...]
Archive for ‘Chapter 01 – Insane Romance From Hell’
This is one of those that’s a favorite of a lot of people (or so I’m told) but that I’ve never really liked much. Bathroom humor always feels cheap and forced to me. On these early strips I was drawing at a smaller size and using paper and pens that were quite a bit different [...]
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Dec 10, 09 | 237 – A Surprise Visitor |
Mar 9, 12 | Pg. 3 “His Old Flame” |
Oct 7, 19 | 801 – The Next Best Thing |
Apr 5, 07 | 135 – The Tale of How Captain Spectacular Met Dr. Klein, Conclusion |
Nov 4, 06 | 32 – Bingo Night Begins |
After I did the first 10 SuperFogeys strips on my blog at MySpace, I decided to try to find a place to get the strip hosted and see if I could produce something like it on a regular basis. When the SuperFogeys did find a host site (pre-Th3rd World) I decided to start the strip [...]
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This is the first strip where I’m really demonstrating the perverseness of Dr. Rocket, an aspect of his personality that would come to define him later. It’s hard writing a perverse character in what is essentially an all-ages strip, but I think this strip is a good example of how it can be done. It’s [...]
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May 16, 18 | 787 – Where to Start? |
Mar 23, 07 | 122 – Who Will Jerry Fight? |
Sep 9, 15 | 680 – Thrice Evil is Not Pleased |
Sep 14, 15 | 682 – Milk and Cookies |
Dec 7, 11 | 369 – Donut Power |
I knew I wanted Dr. Rocket’s monologue to be about how he got Spy Gal unconscious, but I wanted his means of accomplishing that to be something humorous, brief and unique. I thought he might drug her, but just any ol’ drug wouldn’t do. It had to be something exotic. Boom: Space Pig Urine. It [...]
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Nov 5, 06 | 33 – Why Walk When You Can Fly? |
Jan 21, 10 | 240 – ZAP! |
Dec 16, 09 | SF Origins: Harvey the Science Rabbit, Pt. 1, Pg. 3 “The New Dr. Rocket” |
Jul 7, 09 | SF Origins: The Society of Heroes, Pg. 21 “Sayonara, Sucker!” |
May 30, 12 | 416 – Alcohol is His Kryptonite |
There are essentially two ways to do a comic strip (as I see it): with or without a continuing story. The intro of Spy Gal is when I realized that I just wasn’t capable of doing one-off jokes. I ALWAYS have a story to tell. Spy Gal was originally supposed to be a character named [...]
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Jan 29, 07 | 89 – WebSpace Page: Dr. Rocket |
Apr 18, 11 | 308 – Time Displaced/Erased/No Taste |
Mar 20, 13 | 490 – Two Thirds of a Secret Revealed |
Oct 15, 06 | 22 – Dr. Rocket is Sorry? |
Nov 19, 14 | 638 – The Man Who Sold the World |
For Spy Gal’s intro, I wanted to push the boundaries of good taste a little. Is it right to make light of the dementia that all-too-often takes over the minds of older people? …Depends on how you do it. Turns out Spy Gal was faking, but it’s a theme I plan on revisting. Why Turnip? [...]
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Feb 14, 18 | 763 – Serious Issues |
Nov 12, 20 | 855 – Making Thrice Evil Sad |
Sep 3, 18 | Pg. 14 “Fire and Light and Rain” |
Dec 9, 08 | 186 – The Origin of Captain Spectacular and Dr. Rocket, Pt. 3 “Going Up” |
May 23, 12 | 414 – Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe |
It still pains me to look at the art in a lot of these early strips. Where the crud are the frickin’ wheelchairs? The only answer I have is that I was lazy and was trying to draw as little as possible. I really saw the strips as more of an exercise in pacing and [...]
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Jan 25, 17 | 729 – After the Battle |
Jan 4, 12 | 375 – In The Zone |
Sep 15, 09 | SF Origins: Herman’s Story, Pg. 3 “The 80s” |
Aug 12, 19 | 790 – Hey-O! |
Jan 30, 17 | 730 – Broken Sam |
his is the second of the additions I made to the original 10 black and white strips I did to kick off the SuperFogeys. Originally, episode 8 went into what is now episode 10 without this minor stopover to make explicit what was once subtle. She’s Spy Gal. Spy Gal is a spy. Duh. It [...]
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Mar 3, 11 | 298 – Vile Villainous Vole |
Oct 14, 08 | 171 – Hello, Karma |
May 2, 11 | 312 – Dr. Rocket’s Space Journey, Pt. 1: The Real Cause of Dr. Rocket’s Suffering |
Dec 3, 20 | 859 – Snakes on a Swifty |
Nov 20, 13 | 550 – Everything in its Right Place |
This is one of my favorites. I think it really brings home the idea that these guys are old. We don’t know how Mr. Crook died, but he was in a nursing home and that’s what people tend to do there so we don’t even wonder what the cause was. Maybe that’s a story I’ll [...]
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Jan 13, 07 | 68 – Jerry’s Computer Troubles |
Nov 28, 12 | 462 – Favoritism |
Oct 14, 06 | 21 – You Must Respect Women, Dr. Rocket! |
Jun 2, 09 | SF Origins: The Society of Heroes, Pg. 16 “Eagle vs. Bear” |
Aug 11, 22 | 914 – Time to Go |
I had written myself into a bit of a corner. I had Spy Gal come to Valhalla, but she didn’t really need to be there. Somehow, I had to make her stay. Enter the Orderly (later named Gene) and the Power Dampener. Visually, Spy Gal would never be the same after this strip and I [...]
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Jun 14, 22 | 897 – Streaking Past |
Jul 19, 22 | 907 – Where is Sam? |
Oct 4, 06 | 12 – Introducing Space Pig! |
Dec 9, 08 | 186 – The Origin of Captain Spectacular and Dr. Rocket, Pt. 3 “Going Up” |
Nov 8, 06 | 36 – Valhalla Stinks! |
This is one of my absolute favorites. I think it’s one of the funniest last panels I’ve ever come up with. So, of course, only about half the people who read it actually get it. This one gets knocked down by a lot of people for not standing too well on its own. I suppose [...]
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Sep 21, 10 | SF Origins: Spy Gal, Pg. 4 “The Best Day Ever, Ever” |
Jul 1, 13 | 517 – The Man in the Iron Cage |
Nov 24, 14 | 639 – What She Had to Do |
Sep 22, 09 | SF Origins: Herman’s Story, Pg. 4 “I Am Dr. Rocket” |
Nov 21, 12 | 460 – Riding the Sunway |
Time between the creation of SuperFogeys 12 and 13: 2 months. This is the first strip that really sets the tone for what the SuperFogeys would be. The art is finally coming into its own, resulting in a strip that I’m really proud of. I love the subtle pacing of the camera zoom. It’s a [...]
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Jul 1, 08 | 143 – Ogle |
Jul 30, 18 | Pg. 9 “Who is Talking?” |
Aug 8, 16 | 688 – Zurida, The Peacemaker |
Jan 12, 10 | SF Origins: The Six Wives of Captain Spectacular, Pg. 1 “Sweet Samantha” |
First of all: yes, they’re watching Jeopardy. The real point of this strip was to show Jerry’s concern for Spy Gal and Captain Spectacular’s utter lack of it. I wrapped that point in a Jeopardy joke recycled from Groundhog Day because I figured I’d better do this joke now and early in order to get [...]
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Jul 11, 08 | Guest Strip by Sean Conchieri of “Pixel!” |
Nov 12, 13 | 548 – Of Course He’s Working with the Aliens |
Sep 1, 22 | 920 – …The More They Stay the Same |
May 3, 09 | 206 – The Valhalla Basement Dungeon |
Dec 2, 10 | 287 – GAH! |
What’s sadder than a guy who can run really fast that’s stuck behind a walker? The answer is nothing, my friends, nothing. That’s what makes Swifty so much fun–we all know exactly why he’s so bitter and grumpy and you just can’t blame the guy. For Swifty’s design, I couldn’t make him look too much [...]
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This is one of those strips I really, really struggled with. I knew the last thing I wanted was for Dr. Rocket to successfully take advantage of Spy Gal. I mean, this just isn’t that kind of strip. The simplest solution would have been to have Jerry or Captain Spectacular bust through the wall and [...]
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Jun 30, 09 | SF Origins: The Society of Heroes, Pg. 20 “He Was a Noncombatant!” |
Aug 25, 14 | 620 – Her Husband’s Keeper |
May 27, 11 | Pg. 7 “In the Future” |
Oct 5, 12 | Pg. 7 “The Babymaker” |
Dec 2, 10 | 287 – GAH! |
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Aug 26, 15 | 674 – A Little Window Above His Head |
Nov 20, 06 | 48 – “Old Marm?” |
Oct 6, 06 | 13 – How About a Kiss? |
Oct 11, 06 | 18 – Ben Gay Smell |
Nov 2, 06 | 30 – B-I-N-G-O |
This one is just ugly. None of the characters look right, though I do love how the idea of Spy Gal kissing Dr. Rocket just rolls off Captain Spectacular. The man just does not care. Plus: sexy shoulder blades.
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Jun 12, 13 | 512 – The Worst Thing That’s Ever Happened to Swifty |
Sep 21, 15 | 685 – Doom Comes to Abbadon |
Sep 25, 06 | 4 – Who is Coming to Valhalla? |
Jun 24, 11 | Pg. 11 “Partners Again” |
Aug 5, 10 | 268 – Sick and Unflattering |
Although I didn’t realize it at the time, this was a step in the right artistic direction for the SuperFogeys. The changing camera views were necesitated by the storyline and made for a much stronger reading experience. There’s a little easter egg in this one with the picture of the girl on the wall in [...]
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Feb 15, 11 | Pg. 3 “For The Girls” |
Nov 10, 06 | 38 – The Good Ol’ Days |
Feb 27, 13 | 484 – Beaten Into Submission |
Aug 14, 20 | 845 – Better and Better |
I love this strip. I think this is the one where you get the best sense of the relationship between Captain Spectacular and Jerry. The first panel alone–I think if the entire strip were just that panel, I’d be happy. I don’t think anyone else laughs at that first panel (That’s not where the joke [...]
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Feb 3, 07 | 94 – Everything Changed |
Mar 25, 20 | 842 – Someone to Hit |
Jul 1, 13 | 517 – The Man in the Iron Cage |
Jan 6, 20 | 821 – Frightening Frogs |
Oct 8, 06 | 15 – Introducing Swifty! |
Me: Hey, I’ve got a great idea. Me: What’s that? Me: You know how we could get a lot of strips done quickly? Me: How? Me: We could just cut/paste all the best bits from previous strips and add only minor alterations! Me: Genius. Future Me: I beg to differ.
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My lazy self strikes again. As for the story here, this strip was important to me because I had a very real fear at the time that it was going to be perceived that I had a hatred towards women. Dumb, right? I mean, Dr. Rocket is a character, he doesn’t speak for me, but [...]
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Apr 1, 13 | 493 – Dr. Rocket’s Game |
Feb 13, 13 | 480 – A Bevy of Buxom Beach Beauties |
Mar 4, 10 | 246 – Righteous Kill |
Jan 15, 20 | 824 – Knives Out |
Dec 19, 12 | 468 – Jerry’s Savior |
This is the strip that finally broke me. I enjoy the dialogue here a lot, but the art is the (seemingly) umpteenth strip made out of spare parts. This is when I realized things had to change.
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Dec 9, 10 | 288 – Fill Me In |
Jun 12, 13 | 512 – The Worst Thing That’s Ever Happened to Swifty |
Sep 30, 11 | Chapter 7, “Visiting Day” Recap by Rossana Bugini |
Dec 3, 09 | 236 – You Have to Be Careful Who You Let Into Your Life |
Jul 17, 08 | 146 – Cad and a Layabout |
I do believe this strip marks the first close-up I’d ever done in the Superfogeys. I began looking for ways to change the camera around and push the framing into the storytelling more. It was just one panel, but it was a start.
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Mar 12, 18 | 770 – Bumps in the Road |
Aug 1, 16 | 686 – Captain Spectacular’s Mighty Punch |
Jul 14, 22 | 906 – He Looks Different |
Feb 22, 11 | Pg. 4 “Ruined Her Show” |
Aug 2, 22 | 911 – The Savior of the World |
I love this little experiment. It’s two jokes, one the main plot and one a jokey subplot, that don’t work so well on their own but that compliment each other, I think, pretty well. Jerry’s frustration here is my own. Sleep, it seems, will always be denied me. I had no idea the Space Pig [...]
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Double-sized strips are always fun, but I’m not sure this is the best use of it. The flashback certainly was fun to do. The idea here should be clear: Jerry is Captain Spectacular’s sidekick. This is all set-up and revelation. You should be getting the idea by now that Chapter 1 is really Jerry’s story.
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Jul 6, 15 | 652 – On the Great Wall |
Aug 26, 08 | 157 – The Third Man’s Message |
Jul 30, 18 | Pg. 9 “Who is Talking?” |
Aug 17, 11 | 343 – Speak No More of This |
This is the episode that almost never was. My original plan was to go from strip 26 to the last strip of Chapter 1–what is now strip 28. However, I realized fairly late in the game that I hadn’t really done anything to set up WHY CS and Spy Gal would get back together. I [...]
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Jan 1, 10 | Guest Strip by Chris Watkins of “Odori Park!” |
Sep 2, 10 | 274 – Up and Walking |
Mar 18, 21 | 883 – Through the Mall! |
Jul 22, 08 | 147 – Three Plus Seven |
Mar 13, 07 | 112 – Budapest ’68 All Over Again |
The last strip of Chapter One is one that I had planned for a long, long time. Once I decided to do the SuperFogeys for real, I quickly came up with a grand plan. This plan extends far, far beyond this chapter, though this ending is the first touchstone in that plan. If you ever [...]
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Jan 18, 12 | 379 – A True Hero |
Apr 4, 07 | 134 – Driving Everybody Off |
Oct 1, 06 | 9 – How to Turn Dr. Rocket On |
May 26, 09 | SF Origins: The Society of Heroes, Pg. 15 “DUDE!” |
Nov 29, 17 | 751 – Who Do You Think Paid for All This? |