The Adventures of Dan and Dave

The year was 1993. I was the editor of Dallas Rocketry, and, like every newsletter editor ever, I needed content badly! My personal motto was "All the news that fits, I print." There was space to be filled, baby! I had done a few one panel comics to fill up pages, but I wanted to do something...bigger. Then I thought, "What about a rocket related comic strip?"

Now, I had never actually done a comic strip before. I wasn't particularly good at drawing...or story writing...or anything comic related, really. But, I had space to fill, so with a wing and a prayer I launched one of the weirdest strips I had ever seen. For seven issues, the bottom of one page was taken over by Dan and Dave.

Now, 24 years later, I am going to publish them here in this blog because:

1. I have space to fill yet again.
2. Only about ten people ever saw them (which might be a good thing, but still...)
3. Even though they're weird, I think they're kind of funny.
4. I'll probably never do a comic strip again, so why not?

Therefore, here you go. I've made random comments under the strips. You're welcome.

Ah, the first strip. Storyline established. (As was lack of artistic skill) I do think I did a pretty good job on the vulture, though... 

I didn't like drawing bodies, so I stuck the guy behind a podium. I sometimes have trouble deciding what to do with my hands too... Notice the subtle name change of the strip. Clever.

What's the easiest way to draw Robert Goddard? Make him invisible! Take that, Stephan Pastis! I traced the last panel from the previous strip. Also, that is the worst Garfield ever. Just saying.

I think the whole idea of a "Psycical Association of Rocketry" is hillarious. However, I also thought "Green Acres" was hillarious. By the way, my Goddard drawing is dead on. (Get it?)

When you get tired of drawing people, just zoom out and show the Earth. That's a hint I bet they don't teach you in cartooning school. I wouldn't know, because I never went. Obviously.

This might be a good time to point out that I have no idea which of these guys are Dan or Dave. I don't really care. I was really mixing it up with that "dramatic angle."

The big finish punch line! ...which only works if you know rocketry history. Again, I was tired of drawing those guys, so you get eyeballs in panel two. Those packages of Estes motors are pretty accurate, I think. 

And that was that. If Dan and Dave ever had any more adventures, I wasn't aware of them. Maybe they found someone who could actually draw to tell their story...

I leave you with this...just because I always liked it. I'm not sure why...

Until next time, fly 'em fast and high!