Page Commentary No. 39

Gunwild: Kettlehead, that's just a Windows 3D Pipes screensaver.

Psu: Oh man you guys had no idea how long I looked forward to this page when I saw it in the early scripts.

Psu: It's so silly and totally unique to our gelatinous aliens and combined sense of humor. Kag (the orange pilot Vanaa) doing a platoon pose next to the bodies of his dizzy comrades is one of my favorite dumb jokes we've done.

Gunwild: I'm so worried that people didn't get the "mess hall" pun. Not because it's smart. Because it's stupid.

Psu: We also have to gleefully ignore that whatever "messhall" translates to in Vanaa probably doesn't involve the same pun we're using.

Gunwild: Shhh.

Psu: Anyway, if they don't get it, it's their loss.

Psu: Story telling wise we had to do a number of things here. I'm not sure if we had the zoom tube idea before I started adding them to the ship design, but it gave us a good way for Cassiopeia to delay the Vanaa crew without really hurting them all that much.

Gunwild: Kag's collar has the Aid Corps square-in-a-circle shape, but winged!

Psu: ... Oh my GLOB. I forgot that little detail. I didn't add that in later appearances by Kag either... Maybe he only puts them on when he's actively going to be flying. You better remember that for me the next time we draw him on the ship.

Gunwild: I will have to do so. But yeah, maybe it's like turning your hat backwards for a Pokémon battle.

Gunwild: Or someone ordered him to stop trying to impress people with the wings when he wasn't on duty.

Psu: Well not all pilots wear their uniforms when going to museums and stuff. Yeah. I mean, not everyone is Hal Jordan.

Psu: Anyway, there's another visual here we should probably talk about since we don't see it again for a while. I can't remember how much discussion we had about what the Vanaa eat. And I think I had free reign to design something.

Gunwild: We discussed it a little, but yeah, these machines dispense tasty semiliquid nutrients to the user per their preferred combinations, like a Coke Freestyle machine or something.

Gunwild: They look kinda Wonka-ish and fun to use.

Psu: It's definitely different than the Gel Balls you see later in the comic. I like to think they appreciate flavors but not so much textures. The jelly spheres carry the flavor of whatever object is in the middle. These food tube nutrient dispensers are more complicated but might be more practical in the context of a ship. It's like a self serve buffet!

Gunwild: So, last thing: what does Kag keep in those cool guy military-style pouches, you think? Other than starch sticks I mean.

Psu: I figured it was MOSTLY starch sticks. But Kag probably has survival gear on hand too. Things he would like to have should he crash land on a deserted planet. Food capsules. Lighters. Compass. Starch Sticks...