Annotations:
In Clown City
Albert Einstein has tracked Hitler's lieutenant to Clown City. Clown City is a quarantine zone protecting the solar system from its most dangerous scourge, clowns! Can Einstein defeat this circus of debauchery? Can Einstein stand along against the fun house of horror? Only time will tell.
This chapter harkens back to two important things. After reading the script for
the first chapter my best friend remarked that Einstein seemed intensely similar
to Marv (of Sin City fame). Up to that point I wasn't really sure how to design
Einstein, but then everything clicked. Take one part Marv, the wife-beater, the
holster, then throw on some khakis, because that's what I figure most
scientists wear. Then we have Einstein. That's where "In clown City" comes from.
"In Clown City" is the really obvious Sin City parody arc. Once I decided to move
past Hitler I started thinking of the most evil historical figures ever. John
Wayne Gacy came up soon, and I decided, "Why not put him in this sort-of clown
ghetto, because in the future everybody hates clowns?" Once I named it Clown
City I made the connection to Sin City and thus, was the flying bastion of evil
born.
Panel 3
The mime has a blank sign. Get it? Clever huh? Shut up.
Protoclown, from
an episode of "The Tick" is behind the mime, and the Joker is behind Protoclown.
Panel 4
You can probably easily see execution.jpg here, but that clown being run over by
the black blob is supposed to be the famous Tiananmen Square picture.
Panel 8
I'm not really sure why making rude comments at the theatre is on par with a
cannibal steak house, but it is.
Panel 4
Troma's own Srgt. Kabukiman NYPD makes
a brief guest appearance playing poker.
Panel 6
"Gaze into the
Fist of
Dredd!
Panel 7
The fist bursting through the clown's chest suddenly changes sides.
Whoops. It'll stay consistant after this though, rest assured.
Panel 2
Bazooko's Circus was a thinly veiled stand-in for the Circus Circus casino used in
the movie adaptation of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." I know it's spelled
differently, but "Bazucco" reads more "Italian Mafia" if you catch my meaning.
Panel 3
Krusty the Clown is getting clobbered.
Panel 2
This panel felt like it needed a brave cone dog.
Panel 7
This is the chainsaw from Doom 3. Why? Because I like you.
I don't have a hell of a lot to say about this page. I'm really satisfied with how the
chain-saw flies through the air, and I'm less satisfied with the panel of Einstein lining up to bat.
Introducing Pogo the Clown!
The design of Gacy is pretty close to the clown getup he used to entertain
neighborhood children while he raped their older brothers' to death. John
Wayne Gacy was a class act all the way.
Panel 2
My, what a phallic broken baseball bat you have, Einstein.
Panel 3
"I don't think you can brock a chainsaw with sais."
Panel 2
For whatever reason I decided to write Gacy's dialog in the voice of Bad Ash, from
"Army of Darkness."
Starting with this page I began inking the pages with wedged caligraphy pens.
Variable line widths are much easier to obtain, and I'm quite happy with the
results.
Panel 4
"Catches bullets with his teeth? Bullets with his
teeth? Nigga please."
Today clown cars resemble the automobiles of yesteryear. In the future the clown cars
will resemble the automobiles of today.
The Clown Valet's design is somewhat derived from Ronald McDonald. On the next
page I'll delve a little deeper into Einstein's mind, but for now marvel at the space
Cadilacs and vinyl fences.
On this page Einstein mashes a clown through a wall into space, killing him in
the most terrible way imaginable. Most of the people I've shown this page to
are a little horrified. This is good, because that's exactly what I'm going for.
Albert Einstein is a flawed man. Sure, he's almost as badass as Marv or Batman,
but that's tempered by his pathological hatred of clowns. It makes the character
much more interesting and layered. Also: It gives me a future story where Einstein
kills more clowns and resolves his issues regarding them.
Panel 2
Einstein tools around in a space-Humvee. The reason is of course because Humvees
are completely badass. On top of that it's hard to imagine a space worthy Humvee.
These facts conspire to give Einstein his primary mode of locamotion.
The narration bookends the story by repeating large swathes of vaguely appropriate
text, which links back up to the shocking end.
Panel 6
From this far vantage point we can't see John Wayne Gacy being corpsified. Combine
that with the well known comic law that "If there's no body they're not dead," and
you get some interesting results. Will Einstein have to confront his inner demons and fight more clowns later? Only time will tell.
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