Wednesday, November 23, 2005


After seeing Dushan's post at shtikl.com I decided to do a little departure myself the rest of this week. What I wrote to Dushan will explain it all:

You inspire me to post something ancient of mine. When I was in high school I did a few comic strip stories. One was a surrealistic Charlie Brown. Another was about Dr. Bubblebrain, a scientist experimenting with bubble gum that turned on him, causing him to go mad and try to take over the world. I think I had Charlie Brown as some kind of superhero wanting to stop him.

And then there's one I scanned in ten years ago and must have on some backup cds somewhere, a three page comic about an everyday guy who makes the mistake of flying Air Titanic.

I wasn't prolific, mainly because I draw at a third grade level, and only did stuff when I had a sudden, compelling inspiration. My son and most other children can draw better than I can.

So today I've posted page one. Tomorrow and Friday I'll post the next installments. By the way, not only can I not draw (it was truly a challenge for me to make the characters look the same from frame to frame), my handwriting is atrocious. This is from 1983.

Important note: To read the cartoon, in Internet Explorer, click the image to get a larger view, then position the cursor on the bottom right corner. You should then get an icon you can click to enlarge the image to its scanned size. Otherwise, just save the jpg and view it with your favorite photo editor. For those who can't read my writing, here is a transcription of the text:
Row 1, Frame 1: Airport
Row 1, Frame 2: Can you direct me to Air Titanic?
Row 1, Frame 3: Air Titanic? I've never heard of them. Just a minute.
Row 1, Frame 4: Boss, do we have an 'Air Titanic' at this airport?
Row 1, Frame 5: Sorry to keep you waiting. Their ticket window is located in a blue van in the rear parking lot.
Row 1, Frame 6: MEANWHILE AT THE AIR TITANIC HANGER..... This plane has had it. // I guess we'll have to give refunds.
Row 2, Frame 1: Wait a minute, let's swipe one of Delta's jets. They've got a dozen in the next hanger.
Row 2, Frame 2: They won't even recognize it once we put our logo on it.
Row 2, Frame 3: Perfect!
Row 2, Frame 4: Is this the Air Titanic ticket desk? // Yes.
Row 2, Frame 5: Can I have my boarding pass? Here's my ticket. // Sure, smoking or non-smoking?
Row 2, Frame 6: Uh... non-smoking. // OK, just a minute.
Row 3, Frame 1: Just wear this sign around you. If that doesn't work, you're on your own.
Row 3, Frame 2: Do you have any baggage to check? // Just the suitcase.
Row 3, Frame 3: It's kind of shoddy but I think we can get a good price for it.
Row 3, Frame 4: CONVEYOR BELT
Row 3, Frame 5:
Row 3, Frame 6:
Row 4, Frame 1:
Row 4, Frame 2: Used luggage for sale
Row 4, Frame 3:
Row 4, Frame 4: Are you in my seat? // No!
Row 4, Frame 5: Stewardess, this man is in my seat!!!
Row 4, Frame 6: Do you have a budget ticket? // Yes. // I'm sorry sir, you'll have to get into the overhead rack.

Click here to go on to part two.

13 comments:

admin said...

Cant make the writing out after the 6th picture :(.

Indeterminacy said...

Hi Viruswitch. I think you're right about my writing. It would make a great secret code in wartime. I've written it all out for you:

Row 1, Frame 1:
Row 1, Frame 2: Can you direct me to Air Titanic?
Row 1, Frame 3: Air Titanic? I've never heard of them. Just a minute.
Row 1, Frame 4: Boss, do we have an 'Air Titanic' at this airport?
Row 1, Frame 5: Sorry to keep you waiting. Their ticket window is located in a blue van in the rear parking lot.
Row 1, Frame 6: MEANWHILE AT THE AIR TITANIC HANGER..... This plane has had it. // I guess we'll have to give refunds.
Row 2, Frame 1: Wait a minute, let's swipe one of Delta's jets. They've got a dozen in the next hanger.
Row 2, Frame 2: They won't even recognize it once we put our logo on it.
Row 2, Frame 3: Perfect!
Row 2, Frame 4: Is this the Air Titanic ticket desk? // Yes.
Row 2, Frame 5: Can I have my boarding pass? Here's my ticket. // Sure, smoking or non-smoking?
Row 2, Frame 6: Uh... non-smoking. // OK, just a minute.
Row 3, Frame 1: Just wear this sign around you. If that doesn't work, you're on your own.
Row 3, Frame 2: Do you have any baggage to check? // Just the suitcase.
Row 3, Frame 3: It's kind of shoddy but I think we cang get a good price for it.
Row 3, Frame 4: CONVEYOR BELT
Row 3, Frame 5:
Row 3, Frame 6:
Row 4, Frame 1:
Row 4, Frame 2: Used luggage for sale
Row 4, Frame 3:
Row 4, Frame 4: Are you in my seat? // No!
Row 4, Frame 5: Stewardess, this man is in my seat!!!
Row 4, Frame 6: Do you have a budget ticket? // Yes. // I'm sorry sir, you'll have to get into the overhead rack.

Schluckauf said...

Wollt eigentlich nur sagen...
EIN SEHR SCHICKER BLOG!!

auch wenn mein Englisch WIRKLICH am Boden ist ... konnte ich ne Menge verstehen

Indeterminacy said...

Ju: Thank you for stopping by and saying hi. I'll answer in English because it will sound better than if I write in German. You'll do fine with blogging. The only thing that really matters is content, and your writing is pleasant to read and you are actually saying something of substance. I hope you have time to stop by again. I will certainly visit you.

Freja (with the sexy profile image): Thank you for your compliment. I'm glad you could understand something. If my English gets too funky there are always the pictures to look at ;-) I'm thinking of doing a German translation of the blog stories. I already have a "best of" selection translated into Polish.

Doug The Una said...

Oh, the indignity

Indeterminacy said...

Hey DOug, didn't mean to make you indignant. Be dignant again.

shtikl said...

Wow, Inide is offering his first Indie-Wallpaper. Which inspieres me to something as well... ;-)

admin said...

Thanks Indie, now I could read it. You draw better than me, but my letters look better ;). So there are two more pages?

admin said...

Suggestion: the readers vote their favourite story they read here. the winner story gets to be reposted :D.

The Mushroom said...

That takes a bit of courage, to post one's sketchy cartoons. If only I could find the "Billbo!" comics I drew in junior high I'd share -- but alas, my mom threw my stuff out while I was at school one day in my sophomore year. Wench.

I like how it's developing so far. Love the 'used luggage' sale. :-D

Doug The Una said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Indie.

Indeterminacy said...

Shtikl: Wow, I never thought of having an Indeterminacy wallpaper, although I can't imagine that anyone would want one, especially not this cartoon.

Viruswatch: Great suggestion! I've added a comment in today's post about that. Otherwise you can read some of the reviews I have linked in the sidebar to see a few favorites people had. Doug liked # 234. Sometimes visitors left a comment at one of the stories saying that was their favorite. Even I would have trouble finding those.

Indeterminacy said...

Mushroom: No courage involved. But reading these things probably requires lots of valour.

Doug: Happy Thanksgiving to you too! Unfortunately it's not a holiday in Germany :-(