Love, death and fleas among the stars.
World Animal Space Patrol ONE
An excuse to draw aliens, ray-guns, and animals in spacesuits.
A six-page intro episode about a collection of 'real' space-going animals who have been grouped into a kind of animal justice league. The art for the animals can be realistic if you like, but would probably works better if at least some are done in that kind of comic-book animal-human blend that is everywhere. However it is done some animals exhibit very human characteristics and behaviors.
There is a lot of scope for further episodes. You would not believe how many kinds of animals have been sent into space, and I have created back-stories for most of them ;)
PAGE ONE
The first page has no animals on it. Rather it starts off like a 'normal' story.
1/1
[The Chinese were the first to detect the death ray on the far side of the moon. ]
The moon with a small satellite/craft visible traveling close to it. The satellite is Chinese, they are sending a lot of things up to the moon lately, so if any writing or symbols are visible on the satellite make them Chinese.
1/2
[ Naturally they blamed the Americans. ]
Chinese man at a podium talking tough in political mode.
1/3
[ The Americans said it must the Russians. ]
US president in press conference waving his fist.
1/4
[ The Russians assumed everyone else was plotting against them. ]
Russian guy raising both fist in the air.
1/5
[ But eventually they figured out it was something else. ]
Larger panel showing the floor of the UN, with all the countries in session.
[ So they called us ... ]
PAGE TWO
TITLES: The World Animal Space Patrol
Full page of TITLES, the W.A.S.P. logo, and several of the animals posing with spacesuits and ray-guns.
Okay ... some explanation needed here.
This is a group of made-up super-animals, but all based on real animals that have actually been in space. The untold backstory is that when they went into space some of the animals came back with mutations that gave them super-powers. Many of them act human, but others still seem very animal in their ways.
The logo of W.A.S.P. The World Animal Space Patrol should be a cartoon wasp with a space helmet and that sort of elliptical space trail you see in so many space logos, such as the NASA logo. You can also have the W.A.S.P. letters as well.
The characters in this episode, who are only a small fraction of the total, are ...
Albert, a male rhesus monkey, but in clothes with a pipe. He's the wise old leader of group. Albert (actually Albert II) was one of the first animals in space, traveling in a modified V2 rocket in 1949. Make him a stereotypical old guy in terms of dress, but he's a monkey. Thick glasses, suit with patches on the elbow, maybe holding a book or file of papers, and a pipe.
Laika, the female Russian dog. The first animal in orbit, in 1957. That kind of attractive russian woman in fur type you see in spy movies, but a dog. She is always arguing with Felicette. She talks in old communist phrases. Have her resting a paw on the shoulder of Albert, who she has some kind of a relationship with. Called a variety of affectionate nicknames by Albert ... Little Curly, Little Bug, Little Lemon (all actually nicknames of the real dog).
Horst, the male Tortoise. Launched by the Soviets in 1968, we can make him (East) German, because of the name (he was a Horstfield's tortoise). He returned from space with super-speed, for a tortoise. So he's almost as fast as the other animals. He does have some other powers, such as increased strength and a shielding ability.
Two female spiders, of unspecified nationality, Anita and Arabella. (Skylab 3 in the 70s). They now have super strong webs that will be used in the first story.
Ham the American chimp, who is rash and head-strong (and short-lived).
So while there are plenty others in W.A.S.P. stick with these ones for now and draw them posing with astronaut gear and ray-guns under the titles and the W.A.S.P. logo.
PAGE THREE
3/1
Spaceship heading to the moon. Make it something normal-ish, like the space shuttle or an old Apollo module.
Radio transmission from the spaceship: "Good luck, Laika. Your squad will be dropped just short of the far side."
3/2
Laika the russian female dog talking on a videophone to Albert the monkey.
Laika: "Don't worry, comrade. It will be a walk in the cake."
Albert in radio transmission bubble: "A cake-walk? Maybe. Just come back safe, you crazy Russian."
Also in the squad in the spaceship are the two spiders, Anita and Arabela. Horst the German tortoise. Ham the American chimp. Not that you have to show them in this panel, but you need to show them at some point in this page. You can show Ham to be American by a flag on his spacesuit.
3/3
One of the spiders asking a question of Laika. Maybe have the spider dangling down into the frame.
Anita: "Are we taking the rover, Major?"
Laika: "Da. We may need to get out again in a hurry.
3/4
Laika talking to the squad, Ham the chimp being a little exuberant.
Ham the chimp: "I call gunner."
(Laika): "Just remember the safety switch this time!"
PAGE FOUR
4/1
A moon rover racing across the moon's surface. You don't have to show details, but Horst is driving, Laika shotgun, Ham on the rover's mounted machine gun in the back, like a military jeep. Speech bubble from the rover.
Laika: "Just over this rise."
4/2
The rover being a small speck, with a large death ray on huge tank tracks.
(Ham): "Wow! That's bigger than Texas!"
4/3
Horst the tortoise and Laika. Laika has the two spiders with her.
Laika: Ham, cover us from the rover. Horst, with me."
Horst: "Jawohl."
4/4
Ham shooting at a couple of aliens with big rayguns from the rovers machine gun. Make the aliens anything you want, but something with tentacles is always good.
Ham: "We got company, boss!'
PAGE FIVE
5/1
Everyone hiding behind moon rocks to take cover from the alien fire, except Ham who is still blazing away from the rover.
Laika: "We need to take down that death ray before they attack Mother Earth."
5/2
Close up of the two spiders on or near Laika.
Arabella: "How about the old tractor pull maneuver, boss?"
Laika: "Da! Great idea. Horst, give us cover!"
5/3
Horst the tortoise creates cover for Laika by making a kind of force shield that radiates out from his shell, and deflects the alien blast rays. Laika uses this cover to get up and prepare to throw both of the spiders.
5/4
Laika throwing the spiders over the death ray with a super throw, but also in low gravity. The spiders leave a trail of silk behind them.
Laika: "Happy landings, leggy friends."
5/5
Laika pulling on the silk that now goes over the death ray.
Laika: "Help me pull, Horst."
5/6
Horst and Laika straining on the silken ropes...
Horst: "It's coming ... "
PAGE SIX
6/1
The death ray collapses on top of the aliens.
{KERR-SPLAT!!!} or some other sound effect noise.
6/2
Laika looking pleased, slapping Horst on his shell.
Laika: "Excellent work, comrades!"
(off) Anita: "Laika, come quick ... It's Ham."
6/3
Ham dead on the ground, a blast to his chest. Laika's head and feet visible in the side of the frame as the team look down at Ham's body.
Laika; "Ham...?
6/4
Larger frame of Laika holding the dead Ham in the classic pieta pose used by so many comic artists. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PietaPlagiarism has a couple of classic examples.
Laika: "NOOOOOOO-OOH-OOH-OOOOOOOOWW!"
NEXT: THE FACTORY OF FATAL FEMBOTS
I'm writing episode six at the moment, with plans for about twenty or so overall. If there's anyone out there interested, drop me a line. Keep Watching The Skies ... for fleas.
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