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Amazon Space Rangers: FAQ


OK. What's the dealio?

Don't say dealio.

Alright, "How did you come up with this brilliant idea?"

That's more like it. A few months into Night Shift, I came up with a plotline involving a TV show that Harry, Wendell & Roberto just HAD to see, and were terrified wouldn't tape properly. It's based, not too surprisingly, on real life. I have worse than usual skill and luck with programming VCRs, which has made me paranoid.

Trying to come up with a show that all three of these guys would like, I tossed off the cheesy-sounding title "Amazon Space Rangers". At first I thought it was a guilty pleasure, but as the storyline progressed I thought that maybe it was something a little more complex. That turned into a gag about how many levels of irony were at work, and eventually I decided to show the Amazons, leading to the special strip below.

At that point I realized I wanted to actually write a few Amazon Space Rangers stories. I thought they would actually take over the main page for a while, but I wanted to keep the Night Shift archives separate--and the ASR site was born. (Though, as you can see, the two are intertwined.)

What's the basic idea for the strip?

Well, the original idea is a completely gratuitous lowest-common-denominator TV show-within-a-strip, but it's shaping up to be something kinda different. It's sort of a cross between goofy adventure SF of decades past, and cheesecake action shows like Charlie's Angels. But, me being me I couldn't help but introduce an element of surrealism, plus a bit of legitimate SF. I dunno...picture if "Josie & The Pussycats in Outer Space"* was written by the Wachowski brothers and drawn by Frank Frazetta. (OK, I'm not actually that good, but you get the idea.)

*Yes, for those of you unaware, this was a REAL show.

So this is, like, hardcore porno?

Oh dear God no. My parents read this site sometimes. I haven't decided exactly what this strip would be rated if it were a movie, but it'll be either "PG-13" or "R", not "NC-17". There may not even be any real nudity. (OK, there goes 80% of my audience.)

"Playful" is the operative word here. "Tastefully sexy", maybe. Well, not tasteful at all, but at least slightly restrained. Like maybe on the level of a College Fraternity Vacation movie from the early 80s, or maybe Pewfell Porfingles. Nowhere near as shameless as CuteWendy.

Please describe the strip for me, because I'm too lazy to actually read it.

Three cute chicks, in tight outfits, tracking down interstellar criminals. There's Captain Trish, the blonde, kickass pilot and commander; Lt. Roz, the dusky-skinned and saucy medical officer; and Lt. Missy, the ditzy-yet-brilliant engineer and mechanic (redhead). They're joined, inobtrusively, by Sapper-9, a lovesick helper-bot. Their boss is the mysterious Mr. Theglo Fraxx, who they've never seen except in holographic form. Also getting in the way a lot is Captain Gary "Crash" Landerson, the more famous but less competent space hero, who usually steals all the credit.

The amazons have a ship, the Amazon-1, and a lot of nifty technology, including rayguns (natch), polymorphous nanofiber uniforms, and "utility garters" full of useful gadgets. Their mandate is to track down the galaxy's nastiest criminals for GHIDA (the Galactic Hegemony Intelligence & Defense Agency). Oh yeah, and there's some mysterious criminal mastermind known only as "The Worm" who seems to have a vendetta aginst them.

You can learn more about the Amazon's world (or galaxy) in the Amazon-1 Onboard Information Archive, compiled and edited by Lt. Missy...coming soon.

So this is set in the future, right?

Nope, it's the present. The Amazons live and work in everyday jobs here on Earth, but teleport off at a moments' notice to solve crimes among a complex galactic civilization. Only seven human beings (right now) are aware this civilization even exists. The Amazons and Crash represent four of them.

OK, WHY are these four random people off fighting crime amonst the stars?

Ah. There is an explanation for that. You'll just have to read the origin storyline, "The Girls of the Milky Way", to find out the Amazons' backstory. I've also just launched a "Previously on Amazon Space Rangers" page to summarize the plot.

What do the Amazons do all day? When they're not fighting crime?

Trish is a stewardess, Roz is a nurse, and Missy is a supposedly unemployed catholic high school student. Crash, by the way, is in the Air Force.

Gosh, I'd just love to be part of the Amazon Space Rangers experience somehow. And did I mention I'm a talented artist/writer?

I would *love* to collaborate with someone on ASR, or build up material in some way, shape or form. Fanart is heartily welcomed. Anyone who wants to do more, maybe even draw or script a short Amazons story, please contact me.

Can I have Lt. Missy's phone number?

No, and stop asking.

ASR Cast Page | Main FAQ page | Main ASR Page




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