SCIENCE FICTION DOUBLES FEATURE pt.15
More convention news! November 5th and 6th I will be at COMIKAZE in Los Angeles, sharing a table with one of my absolute favorite artists in the animation Industry, Jim Smith.
Jim Smith is an amazingly-talented storyboard artist/art director/guitar maestro who was a major creative force behind The Ren and Stimpy Show. Aside from his work with Spumco, his other television credits include The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse, Tiny Toon Adventures, The Xs, Samurai Jack, Batman: The Animated Series and The Real Ghostbusters, to name but a few.
Jim will be selling book collections of his art and sketchbook series, which includes his own comic creation Chestaclese.
For those of you in the Los Angeles area, come on by to Comikaze (which will also be featuring Stan Lee and Elvira) and stop by our table!
my god is inverto hitting on the dupe horde?
and poor mustachio his wonderfull mustach will never be seen again?
Inverto is getting creepier and creepier. And now that I have seen it, it seems so obvious that Seal Sakuro should get clubbed, but I did not expect that. Well done sir!
nam seidal eht etiuq si otrevnI ekil skooL
I gotta wonder why all the Mira Mira clones are speaking to each other in English when their bosses ain’t around.
But anyway, marvelous strip this one. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ‘stache get blown off by a dicephalon, an animal rights violation by a biker queen, and a guy talk backwards (!) to a herd of overenthusiastic J-pop scientists anywhere else.
On second thought, scratch that last part – I saw that at the last RoboCon in Tokyo.
I shudder to think of what would happen if my therapist saw this comment without reading “Scapula” first. I’d probably end up in Hanoi Psychiatric…
@BarbaricBob Inverto is indeed putting the moves on a Mira Mira or two (or three or four…). We’ll have to wait and see just how different he is from Scapula in that particular department.
Mustachio Manicotti is dead, off to join that great netherworld inhabited by other deformed dead gangsters from the funnies (it’s pretty much nothing but ‘Dick Tracy’ villains down there, but they’re an interesting bunch).
@ToCoWu Glad you liked, buddy! Of course Seal got clubbed again. Who am I to spoil a running gag?
@TonyMcGurk !noitcetorp raew ot srebmemer eh epoh tsuj s’teL
@Treike I think they only speak in Japanese to deliberately piss off people who don’t understand the language, a common trick used by a great number of bilingual people I’ve come across (okay, that sounds a little xenophobic, but tell me none of you have ever had that kind of experience).
Wow, I don’t know what Robocon is, but if they’ve got all that and a snackbar I’m hittin’ me the first flight to Japan!
I shudder to think of how my therapist would react to SCAPULA in general, if I hadn’t quit therapy years ago. Chances are the only mental ward that would take us is Arkham Asylum.
Clubbed seal… shuh! Thank you for not showing us blood.
I think Inverto and Hypnausia should get together… They are equally creepy and could hit on girls like those SNL swinging czech brothers…. “Two wild and crazy guys!”
And congrats at your seat at Comikazeeeeeee….. oh, how I would love to go.
Man you have some very popular friends. How come they don’t throw you a bone and get you your own TV series like they have had.
Thats cold man, you clubbed a seal! o.O
Oh… one little favor me, when you see Elvira, could you plop your face in her ta-ta’s for a quick motor boating and tell her “thats from Jynksie!” ?? thanks in advance! [smirk] and yes I’m aware… totally inappropriate!
why are all the good comic cons a ocean away?
ow and seal sakuro: *mira mira I AM YOUR FATHER!*
Dead and Maimed Mira Mira’s; +1 point each. Clubbed Seal (Sakuro); +3 points. Inverto becoming even more of a creepy whackadoo; +1 point. Dead gangster; +2 points. Knuckle Sam once again proving that being a huge and violent person can solve many problems pretty well instantly; +2 points. Extreme violence for at least half the panels; +3 points. Dismissive shrug after beating the seal; bonus point. 19 points!
According to my ‘Jenn’s things she likes to see’ scorecard, you’ve come up with a third place for a single comic hun. Keep up the good work! (second was 25 points, first was 44….. but first place had a large number of boobs involved.)
Nice clean arc with the sword by the way, and great ‘midswing’ pose. And doesn’t Inverto just look like the creepy boyfriend every girl (that’s ever dated a guy) remembers from her early dating days?
@SquidRowMommy My word, Hypnausea would be thrilled to have a groupie like Brig…if he was real! He’s a cartoon, you crazy woman! It’s not like we can hook him up with the cartoon protagonist of your comic!
…or CAN we? [cue scene change music, cut to Hypnausea and Randie on a beach somewhere]
@Bearman I can’t speak for anyone I know in the entertainment business, but all I can say is there’s a world of difference between making your own show and making a show that executives and studios will approve. A lot of talented cartoonists in the industry have had to fight some long and hard battles with the studios to get their shows on the air, and in the end it’s often a losing battle.
While I wouldn’t necessarily object to doing my own show (provided I allow myself to give in/battle out studio demands), it would require a LOT of sacrifice, including changing most everything I make. I really do shudder to think of how much SCAPULA would have to be changed if it were ever considered a potential television property, so that’s something you’ll probably never see on the airwaves.
@jynksie Seal’s been clubbed before! Was the GANGWAY storyline really that long ago for everyone to remember?
Regarding sticking my face in Elvira’s “ta-ta’s”, as you call them…NO. Not that I wouldn’t enjoy the experience, but she would really object to it (…maybe?), and furthermore, I’m guessing she only has a dozen bodyguards around her to keep all the other fanboys from similar desires.
@BarbaricBob Seal and Mira Mira related? Hmmm…naw. Seal speaks proper Japanese, while Mira mostly blurts obscenities.
@LadyJenn Wow, 19 points! That’s good, right? How many points did the other team get? Do I get to go to the play-offs? Clubbing a real seal would be minus points, right? What gets more points in your book, “a large number of boobs” or “a number of large boobs”?
In any event, glad you enjoyed. We’ll probably get a review soon about ‘how to fight a guy with a katana’!
Chances are Inverto’s creepy come-on was based on myself without even knowing it. You can see it on my appearance on that “First Date” show (no, wait, they pulled that episode for ‘graphic content’).
At least Knuckle Sam wasn’t clubbing a BABY seal! Tangentially, I’m sure Seal Sakuro must’ve been a really cute baby.
You are so damn funny! You’re lucky I’m left-handed or I would have had to read Inverto’s dialogue with a mirror. 😛
Awesome header, Aidan! I think this is your best one yet, definitely a keeper.
Great first joke. I hate when I get caught like that.
And, man, even I was afraid of Seal. It’s hilarious that they weren’t nearly as impressed. 🙂
This was a great installment. I had fun in so many ways. We need to get you int he chair as a monthly comic artist so we can get 30 continuous pages from you. 🙂
@JerryBenedict “Well, you must have been a beautiful bay-beee….”
That actually makes me wonder what a lot of these characters looked like as babies or children. We’ve already seen Scap as a little tyke, but what of the others? Maybe if I ever run out of ideas I’ll do a “Li’l Scapula” series.
@Houseofmuses Awww, thank ya, Pam! You are so nice and the bringer of happiness.
Left-handed, eh? That soundsssss…SINISTER! Well, that’s what the term derives from: ‘left-handed’. I looked it up!
@George Oh, man, so many times I turn my head when someone yells, “HEY, STOOPID!” or some such thing. I always catch myself a microsecond too late.
Doing SCAPULA as a monthly title would require a mighty big paycheck to sway me (we’re talking Marvel/DC proportions), since it’s a truckload of work, work, work to make one of those every month. Go to your local comic store and check out how many monthly titles there are that you normally never even notice: a lot of folks out there are grinding themselves into the ground for, sadly, nothing.
On the plus note, I get to draw characters getting killed or clobbered in all sorts of wacky ways. Not a bad gig at all.
Great strip. Love panel 5. Great action and pacing. I almost got a table at Comikaze but I have an event the following weekend and could not pull it off. I may stop by to say hello.
i wonder if that one mira actually understands inverto
she could just be saying i see to not loose face as a scientist
@FrankMHansen Another critical review by our ol’ pal Frank! I’m not sure what to expect from Comikaze, but if you’re around be sure to swing by! We’ll see if this newest of new conventions takes off.
@BarbaricBob She has no clue. But smartypants people will never admit that they don’t understand something.
I just love all the madness and crazy characters, I still have much to read here.
Hooray!
Well given the average comic generally generates about 7 if they’re doing well, yes, 19’s a good solid number hun (your nearest competition this week was 11…. yes, I do actually rate comics numerically hehehehehehehe). Actual seal clubbing is pro points. As noted previously….. sadist. And for my vote, a larger (though not misshapen) breast is worth more than several smaller breasts because I happen to be a big fan of them and it’s MY score sheet and I’ll do what I WANNA! Knuckle Sam is worth pretty much the whole horde of Mira Mira on that scale.
Katana fighting ooooohhh…… yeah, going to need a minute. Looks like second post time.
A katana relies on the fear of it’s image and it’s reach and slicing potential. Since Japan has been forcing it’s culture into us like a razorblade enema, this fear continues, but they’re actually just swords. They’re too long to stab with effectively unless you pause several moments to line up the thrust, they’re huge one-or-two handed blades that need a big arc to cut properly, and they weigh nothing compared to similar blades like an english bastard sword or a chinese wo dao. Their impact is highly minimal. In addition, their famous edge is nothing to brag about unless you’re attacking someone in no armor, or armor made of leather or thin bamboo….. the typical samurai’s design since Japan, like all aggressive idiots in history, gave little thought to defense compared to attack.
Chain mail with a padded underlayer renders a katana useless since they lack any striking power due to light weight and the typically light and small wielder (their handles are specifically made for japanese hands, meaning larger people tend to find them rather uncomfortable and so drift to ‘meatier’ weapons hehehehehehe). More effectively, a bulletproof vest with ceramic inserts provides both protection, padding, and the added advantage of less weight. Proper arm guards and a helmet reduces your strikeable areas to very few.
Not panicing is important. Jemini and Mira-Mira both freaked both at the close range combat and the reputation of the killer, and so moved away….. exactly where someone with a huge arc required of them wants them. Fair…. Mira-Mira is japanese and so culturally required to fear a sword like that, and Jemini is a gun user, not a brawler. Sam strolled up and clocked him…. no fear, no worries.
The prime thing to remember is that these are not the wonder ginsus everyone dreams of. They’re swords, and at that, single edge. Once a swing has been committed to, Katana fighting styles require a momentary realigning pause that meshes well fighting other katana styles….not modern brawlers. After the swing, they’re open, and you attack the person, not the sword, because you aren’t FIGHTING the sword. It’s just a hunk of steel. Sink your teeth into their wrist and I guarantee they’re not going to have a sword much longer.
In short, get them into low overhead, tight quarters, armor up if you can (a frying pan makes a very effective shield against such a light sword and can even cause it considerable damage), and remember that it’s only in the swing that it’s dangerous…. or a slowly-set-up thrust. If nothing else, keep them with only one hand on the blade (to weaken their hold), or run away (hey, don’t get yourself killed here, folks!). Better yet….. JUST SHOOT THE JERK!
This has been your ‘anti-katana-myth’ announcement, not that most japanophiles will believe me.
First off, LOVE the layout (especially tiers 2 and 3)! You’ve taken this monkey train off the rails! Let me try to sum this up. It’s a double-headed, Mustachi-OOHHHed, nihontō-dicing, Knuckle Sammiched Seal slammer, followed by a bass-awkward Inperverto with a Don Juan fetish for baby-faced clone-ions. What a great day for webcomics!
@jwbalsley Get crack-a-lackin’, buddy! There’s a lot of characters to catch up on, and even more madness to soak in!
@LadyJenn the First My comic rating system is much more simple: “This sucks” or “I’ll keep reading”. I’m also a very quick judge.
My boob-rating system is more or less the same.
@LadyJenn the Second Wow…just wow. Someone REALLY likes to do their homework! After reading all this I’m almost ashamed I had Seal using a katana in the first place, when he was much better off with shurikens and intimidation.
My familiarity with Japanese culture is mostly limited to tokusatsu films (i.e. Godzilla), although I took one semester of Japanese in community college about a million years ago. A large number of people I have known, however, were obsessed with Japanese culture (they were all trendy white liberals, naturally…hey, it’s California) and would probably throw a fit if they read about anyone supporting anything American over a Japanese alternative. But hey, if any of them have a problem they’re welcome to go pick a fight with our resident combat expert…I just doubt Lady Jenn will give them any quarter, much less mercy!
In any event, glad to have learned more about the wonderful world of butt-kicking, and if Seal ever returns (once again, I haven’t given any consideration to whether or not that club to the skull killed him), he’ll be armed with something new…and then Jenn can teach us all about it.
@MarkStokes Monkey train? MONKEY TRAIN?! I dunno what that is, but it sounds awesome! Cue the Quad City DJs! “C’mon, ride the train, it’s the Monkey Train! Woo woo!”
‘Tis a fine day to be in the webcomic biz, indeed!
@ Mark Stokes You’re way too cool to be normal, hehehehehehehe.
@ DadaHyena Hey, a katana is a good sword, and well made, don’t get me wrong. And given his geographic origins, a natural choice for any killer looking for a little flair. But it’s way too hyped. Against his current opponents (minus the unplanned for giant brawler, obviously), I dare say even an excellent choice on his part as evidenced by their terror. He could have even gotten really nasty with the infamously ignored wakizashi, or japanese short sword, the Katana’s constant but unused companion in a proper daisho. The smaller sword makes up for the failings of the larger by making coming close a dangerous prospect and giving options when the larger one is busy.
I personally would find Dadaman’s scissors more threatening than a katana wielded by most people. Maybe not Seal…. he’s pretty boss.
He’s turning into a regular ladies man. I love it.
Seal Sakuro is bad ass! I enjoy reading his japanese dialogue too, “Shi ou kakugo suru!!!” very samurai-like 😉
@LadyJenn I’m just surprised you didn’t point out that Jemini could have simply shot him, but, as evidenced both here and in the GANGWAY story, the killer’s reputation preceded him. Hey, it pays to be scary!
Dadaman’s weapons of choice (garden shears and a monkey puppet) are probably the deadliest combo any combatant could ever face.
@MortJMoose Hey, women love a man who can talk backwards! I guess…I dunno, I never tried it, but it could be worth a shot.
@alecho Glad someone around here understands what he’s saying, because I’ve already forgot what I wrote! Ah, Google Translator, where would I be without you?
Being scary is more than half the battle in most fights. I’ve won plenty just by showing up after a bad day. Half the time I don’t even have to hurt anyone.
I still DO, I just don’t HAVE to. You know how it goes. Sadism, reputation, et cetera.
Hahah! I laughed when I saw how the Seal Sakuro was put out so easily! Great comic again, Dada!