For the fifth installment of The Buddy System, I sent out the bare bones of a panel comic and asked a handful of friends to personalize it with their own story.
Interestingly, the responses came back broken out into three general themes: Exploration, Existentialism, and Celebrity.
Exploration
I realize now that putting a little person on a deserted island was an invitation for comics about sadness and loneliness. The explorers, however, are unique in their refusal to succumb to the malaise.
The first explorer comes from Maz D, an Australian artist and blogger. Maz took the assignment as an opportunity to educate this blog's audience about the history of Oceania. Maz writes:
I decided to go with a mash-up of the voyage of French explorer La Perouse and the TV show Lost. La Perouse disappeared not long after witnessing the English settlement of Australia. Mindful of the fact that I'm writing for a predominantly US audience, I've given La Perouse the outfit worn by Christopher Columbus on his Wikipedia page. "Any News of La Perouse?" was the question asked by Louis XVI as he was being led to execution, displaying the marvelous set of priorities that made him so popular with the common folk.
(click here to see a larger version)
The next comic comes from Jake C. Jake, as you may already know, played the part of Druid King in the B-movie Halloween classic, Astronaut Versus Druids. With his contribution, Jake continues the saga of the dim-witted astronaut marooned in a strange land:
(click here to see a larger version)
While the first two explorer stories take place on land and boats, my contribution involves an undersea exploration. In this tale, a deep sea diver finds himself in over his head:
Existentialism
Unlike the explorers, the existentialists can be found ruminating, and often obsessing, over their abilities and the cosmic purpose of life.
Edith Z, the famous food sculptor, sends in the story of a woman coming to terms with her special hands.
(Editor's note: I encourage everyone to check out Edith's recent miniature mysteries.)
Kevin G's comic tells the tale of a lonely solar flare. This comic is a lot like the movie Firestarter where Drew Barrymore wants to have a normal life but she sets everything on fire and people get super mad.
Laura P's comic features the protagonist engaged in a mental battle with himself/herself.
In Nico C's comic, an aging stick-man grapples with the meaning of life.
Celebrity
These aren't normal celebrities, they are outcast celebrities.
Ryan A spins a yarn about Britney Spears and the winds of change.
Angela B's blobby little man takes an exciting adventure to the Riverside Resort in Laughlin, Nevada.
(click here to see a larger version)
Ellen O's comic comments on the popular resurgence of Mike Tyson.
And finally, Ben C, my eldest cousin, sends in a comic that pulls together elements of all three categories: exploration; existentialism; and celebrity. Ben describes his piece as "an alternate imagining of the life of Howard Hughes, like if he had no money, his only possession a little lump of earth."
I was so impressed by Ben's Howard Hughes comic that I turned it into an animated short film:
Many thanks to everyone who contributed. If I didn't reach out to you to participate and you are interested in future collaborative assignments, drop me a line at aquietmoment@gmail.com and I will be sure to include you next time.
UPDATE: Tomorrow morning I'm heading to Mexico for a week. Ironically, I'm going to be just like the little dude in the comic, sitting on the beach thinking about life and growing my hair long.
I just discovered this site today. I love it. Really really love it.
Posted by: Candice | September 11, 2009 at 02:43 PM
I hugely regret not completing this assignment. The U.S. Government is working me like a dogg.
Posted by: Carl W | September 12, 2009 at 07:50 AM