Titling a chapter is a source of great stress for me. I’m not very good at it and I put it off until I absolutely have to come up with something. That said, “The Techno Shuffle” very much fits what this chapter is going to be all about. Originally, this chapter opened on two characters [...]
Archive for ‘Chapter 03 – The Techno Shuffle’
The super-prison in the first panel is loosely based on the design of the Hall of Justice from the old Superfriends cartoon show. I don’t have a good reason for this other than it’s a design that always stuck with me and seemed strong enough to house all the wonderful bad guys that must be [...]
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Oct 17, 16 | 705 – Saber |
Apr 25, 11 | 310 – Doctor. |
Nov 10, 20 | 854 – Don’t Touch the Lava |
Sep 24, 09 | 226 – The Deal is Off |
Nov 1, 06 | 29 – Introducing Dr. Klein! |
How is it than in one strip I have both my worst and one of my best drawings of Dictator Tot? I like the idea of what I was going for in the first panel, but I don’t think I pulled it off very well. Love the drawing of her in the last panel, though [...]
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Jan 27, 07 | 87 – The Third Man is Not Pleased |
May 30, 11 | 320 – One Thing Left |
Jan 26, 07 | 84 – You Don’t Mess with Dr. Klein |
May 16, 11 | 316 – Dr. Rocket’s Space Journey, Pt. 5: The Last Place Anyone Would Think to Look |
Jan 25, 07 | 83 – The Seduction of Dr. Klein |
My wife loves, loves, loves Dictator Tot in the first panel. I don’t usually do a lot of shading in SF, but that first panel screamed for a different lighting scheme. I don’t know that you’d be able to tell what’s going on without it. Second panel could have been better. A more arresting visual [...]
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Aug 9, 10 | 269 – Sparing Her |
Jun 10, 11 | Pg. 9 “College Years” |
Jan 23, 07 | 82 – Refuge in Dr. Klein’s Office |
May 13, 10 | 256 – A Misnomerstanding |
Oct 7, 11 | Chapter 12, “Jackpot!” Recap by Steve VanDyken |
The Third Man is a character that first appears in the backup story in the First SuperFogeys Collection. I have big plans for him. His look is directly inspired by the film “The Third Man,” and Orson Welles’ character in particular. I think it’s fair to say I took a bit of inspiration from one [...]
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Sep 15, 14 | The Principle of Order |
Jan 4, 11 | Guest Strip by Javier Del Villar, Part Two |
Apr 25, 12 | 406 – Spy Gal’s Wall of Evidence |
Feb 10, 07 | 100 – The Third Man Revealed |
Aug 28, 13 | 530 – Jerry’s Greatest Hits |
Visually, this strip is meant to be a direct reference to Episode 55. I’ll make it clear right here: Yes, The Third Man is the person the Healer was talking to. The Third Man’s connection to Gene was a surprise to me. I had planned for the Third Man to be involved with the shenanigans [...]
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Finally we’re back to the Fogeys. It was a conscious decision on my part to not have the Fogeys enter the stage for so many strips—six, to be exact. I wanted to try something new. Re-energize myself. I found I really missed them and the strip seems to come alive when they’re “on screen.” I [...]
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Jun 15, 10 | SF Origins: The Life and Times of Soviet Sam, Pg. 4 “Pantsless” |
Aug 27, 14 | 621 – Jerry’s Powers |
Jul 4, 14 | Pg. 1 “One Month Later” |
Dec 3, 20 | 859 – Snakes on a Swifty |
Nov 11, 13 | 547 – Lashing Out |
Something I’m starting to return to that I haven’t really done since Chapter 1 is repeated panels, something I swore off of (for the most part) for Chapter 2. The difference now is that it’s not a crutch. I truly feel that this strip (and the next one, for that matter) was best served by [...]
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Visually, this is one of my absolute favorites. You can see I’m trying something new with the background. I first used the “faded background” technique in a guest strip I did for Wes Molebash’s strip “You’ll Have That” Once I did it there, I knew I needed to try it for SF. More copy/pasting [...]
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Jul 11, 11 | 332 – Captain Spectacular’s Buds |
Jan 30, 12 | 382 – A Better Question |
Mar 25, 20 | 842 – Someone to Hit |
Aug 3, 15 | 664 – Too Old to Drive |
May 3, 08 | 86 – WebSpace Page: Jerry |
Whew. What a mother of a strip this was. For those of your keeping track at home, that’s 21 panels there. This marks Swifty’s return to the story after an absence of about 18 srips. I wanted it to be huge and Swifty playing frustrated is just fun. Originally, the last panel was silent—no joke. [...]
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Sep 17, 09 | 225 – And the Winner Is… |
Mar 5, 12 | 392 – …Secrets, Secrets Hurt Someone |
Sep 16, 11 | Pg. 2 “The Fallen Rabbit” |
Jun 22, 11 | 327 – The Buddy System |
Nov 5, 06 | 33 – Why Walk When You Can Fly? |
The first panel shows a depth of field we haven’t really seen in SF thus far. My goal was to do a drawing that would also work well as a group shot and, possibly, a wallpaper. Plans are in the works for just such a thing. Obviously, this is a huge change of pace for [...]
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Dec 3, 06 | 53 – The Healing |
Mar 3, 14 | 576 – Torture Chamber 3B |
Nov 4, 06 | 32 – Bingo Night Begins |
Jan 3, 07 | 62 – Conditions of Release |
Jul 15, 08 | 145 – Wrinkly Butt |
What a nightmare this strip was. Sometimes moving the plot along is a joy. Anytime I do it I already know what the point of the strip is, I just have to figure out what the joke is. Except…for this one…I had no joke. I had a set-up, but no payoff. Still, I started drawing, [...]
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Feb 1, 07 | 92 – Not the Woman He Used to Know |
Mar 16, 07 | 115 – Star Maiden Flattens Dr. Rocket |
Oct 11, 17 | 737 – Dastard Number Two |
Nov 16, 10 | SF Origins: The Death of Mr. Crook, Pg. 1 “Lights On, Lights Off” |
Gene’s closing line in panel one was originally something like “Give her your utmost respect.” I quickly discovered at the lettering stage that I didn’t have enough room for that. Thank goodness. I love that he just shouts “Respect!” Kinda’ thing that makes me laugh. Spy Gal threatening violence on a little girl makes me [...]
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Mar 3, 14 | 576 – Torture Chamber 3B |
Aug 11, 22 | 914 – Time to Go |
Aug 18, 10 | 272 – GET OUT! |
Mar 7, 18 | 769 – Weeping Wandering Fat Children |
Nov 11, 13 | 547 – Lashing Out |
The Swifty-Jerry dynamic is one of my favorites, and this is one of my favorite exchanges that I’ve had a chance to write. I love how Jerry just ignores Swifty. A fun strip that segued into one of the biggest mistakes I ever made with the SuperFogeys…
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Aug 28, 13 | 530 – Jerry’s Greatest Hits |
Jan 5, 10 | Guest Strip by Joe Cook of “Shattered Myth!” |
Feb 5, 20 | 830 – Literary Twist |
Aug 31, 11 | 347 – Witch Fontana’s Fortunate Fortunes |
Oct 18, 06 | 25 – Pee On Swifty |
Could I just not be bothered to draw backgrounds this time? Looks like. Still, the colors are pretty, right? Right? I try to make the Space Pig be an animal of as few words as possible. You never quite know where he’s coming from, I think. He’s a popular character, so he must be [...]
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Dec 14, 10 | SF Origins: The Thrice Evil, Pg. 2 “No One Should Die Among Strangers” |
Mar 12, 12 | 394 – The Bottom Drops Out |
Jan 21, 13 | 473 – Monkey Rain |
Aug 27, 18 | Swifty Origin, Pg. 13 “Doom” |
Apr 1, 10 | 250 – To Be So Stupid |
I don’t remember if this strip was done this way out of laziness or because I wanted to shake things up. Honestly, if I had to guess I’d say I was trying to shake things up. I think I was trying to create the feeling of overhearing the conversation before you really see who is [...]
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Aug 25, 22 | 918 – Not Going in There |
May 26, 22 | 892 – Ejection |
Feb 9, 07 | 99 – The Tale of How Captain Spectacular and Star Maiden Met and Married, Conclusion |
Mar 17, 07 | 116 – Still Hot |
Mar 3, 14 | 576 – Torture Chamber 3B |
Another “colorful” strip. Seriously, this is just ugly. I never pull off the silhouetted figures thing as well as someone like Mike Witmer over at Pinkerton. I try but…no. Still, Jerry getting rejected by Spy Gal…that’s always gold as far as I’m concerned.
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Feb 5, 18 | 760 – OG Thrice |
Aug 18, 14 | 618 – Thanks to Money Man |
Sep 16, 08 | 163 – Dr. Klein’s Got Some Splainin’ to Do |
Jun 8, 10 | SF Origins: The Life and Times of Soviet Sam, Pg. 3 “Valhalla” |
Aug 17, 11 | 343 – Speak No More of This |
I think my ink line is too thick in these middle Chapter 3 strips. Also, the camera is just a little too tight, a constant problem of mine overall. Knowing what I wanted to do with Dr. Klein by the end of this chapter, it was important to keep him present in the story. That’s [...]
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Oct 17, 06 | 24 – Too Little Too Late |
Jan 19, 14 | 564 – One Year Later |
Sep 9, 08 | 161 – Tangerine’s Arrival and Dr. Klein’s Return |
I love the panel with the close-up of the hands. From the drawing to the colors, it just works. Too bad the rest of the strip doesn’t. A lot readers asked me what those sparks near Spy Gal’s wrist were in the last panel. Then answer: My feeble attempt at visually depicting her arthritis. …I [...]
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Apr 1, 07 | 131 – Spy Gal Cares |
Jul 30, 09 | 218 – Good Friends |
Mar 5, 18 | 768 – Boy-Haired Crone |
Sep 11, 19 | 799 – Redemption is Possible |
Jul 27, 10 | SF Origins: Spy Gal’s Secret Mission, Pg. 2 “Down” |
Swifty coming in at the end was kind of cheap. I didn’t have a real gag for this one, and he usually does in a pinch. It was an important Dr. Klein moment though.
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Dec 2, 13 | 553 – Capture and Rescue Mission |
Aug 19, 13 | 527 – A Concerned Husband |
Feb 2, 21 | 870 – Spy Gal’s Patience Runs Out |
Dec 29, 08 | Guest Strip by Scott Gallatin of “Madscott!” |
Just keeping the Third Man alive here. Also, it was important to me that Dictator Tot get her animal crackers.
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Apr 30, 14 | 591 – About That Thing… That One Time |
Jul 2, 09 | 214 – Father and Sons |
May 23, 12 | 414 – Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe |
Aug 25, 10 | SF Origins: Operation: Valhalla, No. 2 “Interrupting Tea Time” |
Mar 27, 07 | 126 – Who the @#$% is the Third Man? |
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Apr 13, 12 | Pg. 8 “Enter: The Thrice Evil” |
Mar 23, 07 | 122 – Who Will Jerry Fight? |
Dec 2, 06 | 52 – What Captain Spectacular Wants |
Aug 15, 14 | Pg. 7 “Kill ‘Em All” |
May 15, 13 | 504 – A Striking Mustache |
Dr. Rocket is always a lot of fun. Perversity is one of the worst evils, I think, because it reduces people to objects. That’s pretty dangerous thinking. Here, the good doctor is showing another side of his evil–the clumsy, bid-for-power type of evil. It’s not a very good plan for world domination, but in the [...]
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Sep 23, 13 | 537 – The Guthrie |
Feb 11, 13 | 479 – Rescued By Fidel Castro |
Jan 11, 10 | Guest Strip by Bearman of “Bearman Cartoons!” |
Sep 8, 09 | SF Origins: Herman’s Story, Pg. 2 “The Happiest Year” |
Nov 18, 10 | 285 – Medical Centre |
And now we see the real plan. Get the Captain on the computer to see his ex-wife. In the end, it’s kind of weak. There should have been something extra on the plan, or a bigger reaction from the Captain. It bears fruit, sure, but I think the Captain’s reaction could have been stronger and [...]
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Jul 13, 10 | SF Origins: The Life and Times of Soviet Sam, Pg. 8 “Sweet Dreams” |
Dec 15, 20 | 862 – That’s It!? |
Dec 10, 09 | 237 – A Surprise Visitor |
Mar 16, 21 | 882 – Says You |
Sep 16, 15 | 683 – What Makes Peace Worthless |
A fun, fun page. Star Maiden is just a pure pleasure to right. Star Maiden started out as Star Woman. Eventually, that character turned into Spy Gal (as explained in the commentary for episode 6, I think). Still, the initial idea for Star Woman wouldn’t let go. I knew I wanted a Wonder Woman type. [...]
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Nov 19, 20 | 857 – Knocked Off the Perch |
Jul 8, 08 | Guest Strip by Brian Anderson of “Dog Eat Doug!” |
May 11, 10 | SF Origins: Star Maiden, Pg. 5 “Hurts to Look at Her” |
Apr 1, 10 | 250 – To Be So Stupid |
Mar 27, 07 | 126 – Who the @#$% is the Third Man? |
That last panel of Star Maiden is something I’m really pleased with. I wanted a really fluid figure and I often have a hard time drawing women. I surprised myself here. For some reason, readers really latched onto the phrase “Spill it, Gramps!” I have no idea why. I didn’t think it was particularly funny. [...]
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Jan 23, 17 | 728 – Oh, Brucie… |
Jul 14, 09 | SF Origins: The Society of Heroes, Pg. 22 “The Society of Heroes” |
Jan 25, 12 | 381 – Shut Up |
Dec 18, 19 | 820 – Heart-Stopping Great Looks |
Aug 11, 09 | SF Origins: Tangerine, Pg. 3 “New Parts” |
93 – Beginning the Tale of How Captain Spectacular Met and Married Star Maiden
by Brock Heasley on February 2nd, 2007The genesis for this flashback came from Daniel Woodhouse, artist on “Thog Infinitron” and sometime artist of “Beaver and Steve.” I asked Dan to do a short backup story for the second SuperFogeys book and asked him what he wanted to draw. He said “Captain Spectacular fighting in the skies above a city. Maybe a [...]
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Dec 26, 11 | Guest Strip by Will Boyer! |
Dec 2, 19 | 815 – Two of Them |
Aug 10, 20 | 843 – What About the Crawfish? |
Apr 30, 14 | 591 – About That Thing… That One Time |
Jul 3, 08 | 144 – Jerry Wakes Up |
I don’t know why Mr. Crook is in there. It doesn’t really add anything to the story to have him there. Great Dr. Rocket moment though. I had a lot of fun drawing that tongue and making it as yucky as possible.
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Oct 21, 11 | Pg. 4 “Zombie Madness” |
Jan 30, 17 | 730 – Broken Sam |
Aug 5, 10 | 268 – Sick and Unflattering |
Aug 3, 15 | 664 – Too Old to Drive |
Sep 11, 08 | 162 – Just Another Purty Face? |
The obvious signified of a flashback is to do the art in black and white. That gray shading I add in there is an effect I wish I had time to do on all the SuperFogeys strips. Plans are for that effect to be added to the strips for the trade collections. Once that happens, [...]
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Nov 11, 13 | 547 – Lashing Out |
Nov 7, 16 | 711- Fallen Son |
Jan 2, 12 | 374 – A Spy Gal Shaped Hole |
Sep 8, 09 | SF Origins: Herman’s Story, Pg. 2 “The Happiest Year” |
This strip is a favorite of mine. It’s some of my favorite dialog I’ve written and the sparse look really works for it. Portal could have been drawn better though.
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Mar 9, 21 | 880 – Boy, You Sure Got Old! |
Jun 4, 12 | 417 – Guess Who’s Back? |
Jul 16, 14 | 610 – Do the most you can do. |
Nov 29, 17 | 751 – Who Do You Think Paid for All This? |
Sep 30, 06 | 8 – Hands Off Spy Gal! |
Obviously, something big went down in that other dimension. For the whole story, check out the backup tale “Captain Spectacular and Star Maiden in the Inevitable Dimension” in the second SuperFogeys book. It’s drawn by Julio Molina-Muscara, artist on “Omega Chase.” I wanted a “no bad guy” break-up here. I think you get where everyone [...]
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Feb 21, 18 | 765 – The Spark Between Them |
Nov 27, 17 | 750 – The Big Slap |
May 21, 12 | 413 – The Sunway |
Nov 17, 20 | 856 – Grab That Rabbit! |
The Pig is the minister! That’s the payoff to the Space Pig’s WebSpace page. Don’t know how many people picked up on that. I had a lot of fun with this page. Designing the Ninja Bridesmaid was particularly fun.
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Aug 7, 15 | 666 – When He Can Smell You From in There, It’s a Problem |
Apr 30, 14 | 591 – About That Thing… That One Time |
Aug 4, 22 | 912 – Jerry Speaks |
May 13, 13 | 503 – Money Man vs. Zurida |
Mar 17, 07 | 116 – Still Hot |
Some people objected to the Captain and Star Maiden getting a divorce over a stinky sock. Them I would say: it’s one panel. Obviously, there’s a much bigger story there. I had a lot of fun with the interplay between Dictator Tot and Captain Spectacular here. I need to get those two together again.
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May 2, 11 | 312 – Dr. Rocket’s Space Journey, Pt. 1: The Real Cause of Dr. Rocket’s Suffering |
Mar 16, 12 | Pg. 4 “An Unexpected Cellmate” |
Apr 13, 11 | 307 – T-Magus |
Mar 24, 07 | 123 – The Box is Opened |
Mar 16, 21 | 882 – Says You |
Remind me never to do a triple-sized again. In fact, this burned me out so much that not a single double or triple-sized strip appeared in all of Chapter 4. I had been waiting a long time to do this one. I knew from before the beginning of Chapter 2 that the Third Man and [...]
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Jun 24, 13 | Bubbles of Light 0 |
Jan 8, 10 | Guest Strip by Cory Thomas of “Watch Your Head!” |
Oct 3, 06 | 11 – The Power Dampener |
Sep 30, 10 | 278 – The Others |
Dec 10, 06 | 59 – Will Captain Spectacular Stay or Will He Go? |