Mayberry Melonpool is the television-addicted, somewhat clumsy, not-all-that-intelligent Captain of the "Steel Duck." Oh yeah, and he's obsessed with getting a date. In short, he doesn't have a lot going for him.
Sam T. Dogg is completely out of his element. He’s super intelligent, a highly-skilled pilot and has the most common sense of anyone aboard the "Steel Duck." Also, no one takes him seriously because he’s a dog.
A giant snail gangster has a price on both Mayberry (who he thinks is named "Mulberry Melonhead") and Ralph. His base of operations is on Mollusca 7, a wretched hive of scum and villainy. No relation to Jabba the Hutt.
I often go out to enjoy a margarita with a couple of coworkers. I am the only one who asks for theirs with salt. They clearly don’t understand margaritas.
I kind of grappled with a lot of these issues as well while writing it. The Slime Lord was originally going to be attacked with salt at P.J. O’Earthy’s, but I couldn’t figure out how to get his giant body through the door. I also wanted to give a little more gravitas to Mayberry becoming captain (since people continuously asked during the initial run why Sam and Ralph allowed him to be captain). I thought a two-week story arc where Mayberry accidentally throws salt on a snail was too weak, so I kept adding to it. I had no idea this story would last as long as it has — and it’s still going!
As for the salt at the Slime Lord’s bar — I figured since there were tons of different aliens there, he’d probably have a fully-stocked bar. Also, I always try to put more energy into the comedy than the hard science fiction in this strip — I mean a giant hamster powers a spaceship — so I didn’t want to spend a week figuring out how Mayberry found the salt, how he knew it’d hurt the Slime Lord and still keep him kind of stupid.
As originally conceived, Mayberry was going to bring Jim a Marguarita in the bar and he was going to notice the salt — but I had no idea if Flatworms reacted to salt like Snails did. Then, after the Slime Lord and his goons entered P.J. O’Earthy’s, Mayberry was going to throw salt at the Slime Lord, allowing everyone to escape. In the skirmish, Jim was going to be split down the middle and Ralph was going to bring Sam as pilot, but he’d only come if Mayberry was made Captain.
I think the way I ended up doing it works a lot better, even if the salt thing is kinda full of holes. 😉
Of course, if the Slime Lord survives this, he’s going to want Mayberry arrested for “a salt” ….
My parents drink salt-less margaritas.
Why would the Slime Lord even have salt in his home?
Well, whatever; this is still a brilliant resolution. I didn’t see it coming, and I love how he looks in the second panel.
I often go out to enjoy a margarita with a couple of coworkers. I am the only one who asks for theirs with salt. They clearly don’t understand margaritas.
I kind of grappled with a lot of these issues as well while writing it. The Slime Lord was originally going to be attacked with salt at P.J. O’Earthy’s, but I couldn’t figure out how to get his giant body through the door. I also wanted to give a little more gravitas to Mayberry becoming captain (since people continuously asked during the initial run why Sam and Ralph allowed him to be captain). I thought a two-week story arc where Mayberry accidentally throws salt on a snail was too weak, so I kept adding to it. I had no idea this story would last as long as it has — and it’s still going!
As for the salt at the Slime Lord’s bar — I figured since there were tons of different aliens there, he’d probably have a fully-stocked bar. Also, I always try to put more energy into the comedy than the hard science fiction in this strip — I mean a giant hamster powers a spaceship — so I didn’t want to spend a week figuring out how Mayberry found the salt, how he knew it’d hurt the Slime Lord and still keep him kind of stupid.
Hope everyone’s enjoying the ride, though!
As originally conceived, Mayberry was going to bring Jim a Marguarita in the bar and he was going to notice the salt — but I had no idea if Flatworms reacted to salt like Snails did. Then, after the Slime Lord and his goons entered P.J. O’Earthy’s, Mayberry was going to throw salt at the Slime Lord, allowing everyone to escape. In the skirmish, Jim was going to be split down the middle and Ralph was going to bring Sam as pilot, but he’d only come if Mayberry was made Captain.
I think the way I ended up doing it works a lot better, even if the salt thing is kinda full of holes. 😉