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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Jun 17, 11 | Pg. 10 “Lost Faith” |
Sep 9, 08 | 161 – Tangerine’s Arrival and Dr. Klein’s Return |
Jan 17, 07 | 72 – Dictator Tot’s Marching Orders |
Oct 21, 11 | Pg. 4 “Zombie Madness” |
Oct 14, 11 | Pg. 3 “Enter: Jimmy-Go-Dead” |
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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Jul 8, 08 | Guest Strip by Brian Anderson of “Dog Eat Doug!” |
Jan 14, 10 | 239 – How Captain Spectacular Knows The Third Man |
Jan 12, 07 | 67 – Dr. Rocket Draws a Webcomic? |
Apr 6, 11 | 305 – Favorite Thing He’s Seen All Year |
Sep 11, 15 | 681 – Man Child |
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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Aug 8, 11 | 340 – What Lovely Teeth You Have |
Sep 6, 22 | 921 – Obedience is Key |
Sep 22, 06 | 1 – Introducing Captain Spectacular and Dr. Rocket! |
Dec 21, 10 | SF Origins: The Thrice Evil, Pg. 3 “Out of Mongoloids” |
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 30, 11 | 367 – The Division Sword |
May 2, 11 | 312 – Dr. Rocket’s Space Journey, Pt. 1: The Real Cause of Dr. Rocket’s Suffering |
Sep 21, 15 | 685 – Doom Comes to Abbadon |
Jul 1, 11 | Pg. 12 “Comic Book Clothing Physics” |
Oct 20, 14 | 629 – Freaky Differences |
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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Sep 11, 19 | 799 – Redemption is Possible |
Mar 19, 18 | 772 – Showdown at the New California Coast |
Mar 2, 07 | 105 – Dr. Klein is Leaving? |
Oct 17, 12 | 450 – Neither One of Them Expected It |
Jun 15, 12 | Pg. 1 “Through the Portal” |
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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Jul 26, 22 | 909 – Get Outta Town |
Nov 4, 11 | Pg. 6 “A Zombie Rabbit” |
Jun 23, 22 | 900 – Protected |
Mar 31, 07 | 130 – When Pigs Fly |
Mar 10, 07 | 109 – WHO THREW THIS!? |
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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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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Aug 18, 22 | 916 – Restoration |
Nov 28, 16 | 714 – Pathetic Counterpart |
Jul 29, 10 | 267 – Without Pants, Nothing is Possible |
Dec 8, 09 | SF Origins: Harvey the Science Rabbit, Pt. One, Pg. 1 “Dr. Rocket Wears a Dress” |
Jun 4, 12 | 417 – Guess Who’s Back? |
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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Feb 2, 07 | 93 – Beginning the Tale of How Captain Spectacular Met and Married Star Maiden |
Feb 20, 12 | 388 – Bay-buh |
Dec 16, 10 | 289 – Not Yet |
Jul 11, 12 | 428 – You Know Who You Sound Like? |
Dec 9, 19 | 817 – Master Masticate Stands with Fork Ready |
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 29, 15 | 649 – Can You Take a Punch? |
Jan 27, 07 | 87 – The Third Man is Not Pleased |
Oct 24, 16 | 707 – Demise |
Jan 12, 07 | 67 – Dr. Rocket Draws a Webcomic? |
Jan 2, 12 | 374 – A Spy Gal Shaped Hole |
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, 11 | Five Years of The SuperFogeys |
Jan 29, 18 | 758 – No One Else He Can Think Of |
Sep 28, 10 | SF Origins: Spy Gal, Pg. 5 “Mercenary Spies” |
Apr 21, 09 | SF Origins: The Society of Heroes, Pg. 10 “The Lodge of Doom” |
Nov 2, 06 | 30 – B-I-N-G-O |
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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Dec 16, 13 | 557 – Dog Off the Leash |
Dec 9, 10 | 288 – Fill Me In |
Dec 19, 12 | 468 – Jerry’s Savior |
Nov 3, 06 | 31- Spittin’ Oatmeal |
Jan 2, 17 | 722 – Help or Mourn? |
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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Jan 15, 07 | 70 – Gene and Dictator Tot Reunite |
Mar 31, 12 | Pg. 6 “Find the Sharp Metal Instrument” |
Jun 10, 13 | 511 – Zurida’s Plan |
Jan 8, 09 | 191 – The Origin of Captain Spectacular and Dr. Rocket, Pt. 8 “The Process Explained” |
Sep 7, 16 | 697 – No Fun Being Ignored |
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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Dec 12, 11 | 370 – Ugly Little Man |
Jun 24, 15 | 647 – Ms. Carter Sings the Blues |
Jun 4, 18 | Pg. 1 “My Name is Gordon Jones” |
Nov 4, 19 | 809 – The Jerry Cradle |
May 25, 11 | 319 – The Plans of Dr. Klein, Pt. 2 “Isn’t Everybody?” |
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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Apr 20, 11 | 309 – Time Travelin’ Scamps |
Nov 8, 17 | 745 – The Song of Rocket’s Loyalty |
Sep 24, 09 | 226 – The Deal is Off |
Nov 11, 13 | 547 – Lashing Out |
Aug 25, 22 | 918 – Not Going in There |
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Oct 8, 06 | 15 – Introducing Swifty! |
Sep 25, 08 | 166 – Beer Don’t Judge |
Jul 1, 15 | 650 – GAH! Feelings! |
Feb 8, 11 | Pg. 2 “New Designer in Town” |
Mar 1, 07 | 104 – Is Spy Gal Paranoid? |
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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Aug 25, 14 | 620 – Her Husband’s Keeper |
Oct 16, 06 | 23 – The Incontinent Duo |
Aug 11, 14 | Marc Lapierre and The SuperFogeys |
Mar 24, 07 | 123 – The Box is Opened |
Apr 6, 12 | Pg. 7 “Death or Peanut Butter Cookies?” |
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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Oct 26, 10 | SF Origins: Spy Gal, Pg. 9 “What Is Strength?” |
Mar 29, 07 | 128 – Only Two People in the World… |
Aug 17, 12 | Pg. 2 “Youthfulenergysupersurplus!” |
Jan 26, 07 | 84 – You Don’t Mess with Dr. Klein |
Sep 23, 13 | 537 – The Guthrie |
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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Dec 29, 09 | Guest Strip by Crystal Murphy, Part One |
Mar 11, 20 | 838 – The Situation |
Jul 11, 14 | Pg. 2 “The Devil in the Dark” |
Jun 2, 09 | SF Origins: The Society of Heroes, Pg. 16 “Eagle vs. Bear” |
Mar 5, 14 | 577 – Who are the Two Queens? |
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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Feb 11, 21 | 873 – Against the Wall |
Aug 5, 08 | 151 – Peanut Butter Cookies |
Feb 1, 17 | 731 – Mr. Brightside |
Nov 8, 06 | 36 – Valhalla Stinks! |
Nov 3, 14 | 633 – A Different Destiny |
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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Nov 14, 16 | 713 – No More Killin’ |
Dec 2, 13 | 553 – Capture and Rescue Mission |
Aug 10, 10 | SF Origins: Spy Gal’s Secret Mission, Pg. 4 “Courtesy Call” |
May 21, 09 | 209 – Coming to Jesus |
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 19, 16 | 720 – Thank You for Making Me Angry |
Mar 30, 10 | SF Origins: Swifty and the Prophecy, Pg. 4 “SMACK!” |
Nov 8, 06 | 36 – Valhalla Stinks! |
Aug 29, 10 | SF Origins: Operation: Valhalla, No. 6 “Spy Gal Arrives” |
Jun 3, 13 | 509 – Villain to Villain |
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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Sep 2, 15 | 677 – His Greatest Creation |
Jan 11, 17 | 725 – Slaughter Many, Many More |
Feb 12, 14 | 571 – ZBC Nightly News with Richelieu Madden and Gwen Dreck |
Feb 16, 21 | 874 – The One True |
Sep 15, 14 | The Principle of Order |
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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Dec 31, 13 | Guest Strip by Crystal Murphy, 3 |
Oct 21, 08 | 173 – The Blender of Vengeance |
Jul 3, 13 | 518 – The Last Secret |
Jul 25, 12 | 430 – Meanwhile, At The Great Hall of the Society of Heroes… |
Mar 6, 07 | 108 – Spy Gal Will Protect Jerry |
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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Oct 9, 19 | 802 – Nothing More Important Than Loyalty |
Jul 13, 10 | SF Origins: The Life and Times of Soviet Sam, Pg. 8 “Sweet Dreams” |
Aug 26, 15 | 674 – A Little Window Above His Head |
Dec 12, 16 | 718 – What is Deserved |
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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Oct 13, 09 | SF Origins: JA – Tom’s Story, Pg. 2 “Not About My Dad” |
Oct 15, 09 | 229 – Father and Tom |
Aug 24, 11 | 345 – Taking a Pill |
Mar 17, 07 | 116 – Still Hot |
Mar 21, 07 | 120 – Swifty’s Losing? |
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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Oct 4, 11 | Chapter 9, “Head Games” Recap by Eric Merritt |
Nov 25, 11 | Pg. 2 “The Third Man” |
Dec 10, 20 | 861 – tink tink tink |