#7

Captured by the Smerks, Lip, Barbara, Orson and Potato Head are taken before Jim Jenson, puppeteer-turned-genetic-engineer. The noticeably insane and somewhat Welles-like Jenson forces Lip and PH to battle "the Soft Thing" in a gladiator arena, which is about as disgusting as you might imagine.

I love this story; it has a dozen of my favorite lines and images. It opens with my first extended dream sequence, which became somewhat of a recurring theme in my work. They're just so much fun! John wrote what is still one of the funniest sentences I've ever heard: "There's someone in the King!" This issue is yet another rejection of the cute little critters who invaded science fiction after r2d2, c3po, ET, and other characters who sound like software updates.

This issue also contains the 3-page JOEY strip, in which an unpopular child finds out he has an ID monster, who proceeds to destroy his family, friends and life. One of the most well received strips I've ever done. And here it is.

#8

Still lost, our trio comes across a community of stranded spaceships where they stay for the night at The Olde Earth Ship, a local pub. Having also warped time in their uncontrollable flight, they learn unpleasant details about the future Earth that include racial disharmony and their eventual destruction. Lip & Barbara nearly consummate their relationship...but of course don't quite.

This issue presents significant plot points that hint at the greater vision of Spaced that has yet to be realized, though I was able to pick up some of the threads in the Spaced encore that appeared in Mirage's Plastron Cafe. Most notably, the indication that the Pragmatic would return to Earth and all would be killed Less noticeably but more importantly, Earth and Lip's home planet Inebria are drawn into a war that has a LOT to do with the Pragmatic's secret mission. Cool note: Dave Sim kicked in the inks for a panel in this issue, and the world's easiest contest was held inviting readers to spot it. Hint: It's the panel that looks completely different from every other one.

#9

Snikt comes back in a BIG way, just in time to help Lip rescue a kidnapped Barbara from Deacon Slime, the local fat cat. Lots of drinking, fighting and bad decision making...including the decision to use a stuffed moosehead as a weapon. In between, Slime makes plans to take control of the Pragmatic and its crew, which nobody has managed to locate yet.

The big fight scene we wrote for the finale was clearly beyond my grasp of the medium; it's funny but doesn't read easily. Geez, why am I telling you this??!! In contrast, The early fight scenes with Snikt are some of my personal favorites. By golly, Snikt was fun to write and draw; the vulcan nerve pinch sequence was a blast. In light of what has come since, Snikt may seem non-violent, but at the time, kicking someone in the face and skidding for twenty yards on his head was considered silly. Now it's called Superman.