The cover. Under the title, The Tales of Alex & Fez, issue 1, a smiling blond boy, Alex, wears a backpack. Out of it pops Fez, a friendly robot with a screen for a face, waving his jointed arms. By Paul Spencer.
The 24 Hour Comic Book Challenge: a letter from the author on an old parchment over the sea, with a sailing ship below. “24-Hour Comics Day” is an event held around the world which challenges writers and artists to create a full 24-page comic in 24 consecutive hours. Thousands of artists participate in the challenge every year and the comic you're currently holding is the final product from the challenge that I completed successfully in 2011. The biggest issue I have with the challenge is the lack of planning that is allowed. The aim is to enter into the challenge with absolutely no pre-conceived ideas or characters in mind before starting the 24 hour stint. With this particular comic, the only goal I wished to achieve was the aim: I wanted to tell a story with a lot of heart, that kids would get a kick out of. Upon arrival at the venue where I would spend the next 24 hours, I was given a card, which had written on it the word ‘Drowning’. The idea of the card being that it was from an imaginary thing called the ‘Death Machine’, which with a drop of blood would tell you how you would die. The concept and the type of death both needed integrating into the story I was about to tell. Transforming the morbid concept of ‘the death machine’ into a story containing heart was a difficult task to achieve, but in the end I think the limitations nurtured something really special. I hope you enjoy this comic book, I had a blast making it. Until issue two. Signed, Paul Spencer.
A bright sun in a clear blue sky, with a few clouds.
A seagull swoops past, beak open, with another in the distance.
A red and white striped sail billows from a wooden mast.
The wooden hull of a ship cuts through the waves.
A young pirate captain with an eyepatch and a feathered hat bellows orders.
Alex shouts: “Hands to braces ye sea dogs!”
Three burly pirates, the biggest in a red spotted bandana, answer together.
Crew shouts: “Aye Captain!”
At the ship's bow, beside a carved mermaid figurehead, the captain peers through a brass spyglass.
Alex: “We be 'avin some treasure to find.”
A huge hammerhead shark with jagged teeth bursts out of the sea. The captain points a cutlass at it.
Alex shouts: “It's the Kraken!”
A ship's cannon, its fuse fizzing.
Sound effect: Ssssss
The cannon fires.
Sound effect: Ba-doom!
Back in the real world, a blonde woman walking in is hit in the face by a toy dart.
Mum: “What are you still doing awak—” Mum shouts: “Oww!”
Alex's mum, cross.
Mum shouts: “Alex! I thought I told you to go to sleep?”
Alex, still wearing his eyepatch, looks up innocently.
Alex: “But I'm not sleepy.”
Alex's bedroom: a blanket fort over the bed, a Goonies poster, a pirate flag and toys all over the floor. Alex stands on his bed as his mum throws out her arms at the mess.
Mum shouts: “Look at this mess!”
A door slams somewhere in the house. Mum glances round.
Sound effect: Slam Mum: “Your father's home.”
Mum tucks Alex into bed.
Mum: “No more games. Time for bed.”
Alex's dark bedroom, lit only by a strip of light from the door left ajar, falling across glow-in-the-dark stars, a moon and planets on the ceiling. His parents talk outside.
Dad: “Did I see Alex's light on?” Mum: “He was just playing. You know how he likes to play.”
The strip of light narrows as Alex's eyes drift closed.
Dad: “I know he likes to spend all his time in a magical fantasy land. It's not healthy.” Mum: “He's just got a vivid imagination, it's harmless.” Dad: “I think something's wrong with him.”
Eyes are nearly shut; the light is a thin sliver.
Mum: “Don't say that!” Dad: “He doesn't have any friends and talks to himself. I'm telling you, that's not normal!” Mum: “That's a horrible thing to say!” Dad: “What's it to you? It's your fault anyway, always coddling him.”
Only a crack of eyes open, and the argument grows smaller andR fainter.
Mum: “Don't blame me.” Dad: “Why not? You're the reason he's not into sports, or normal things.” Mum: “I'm sorry he can't be more like you.” Dad: “Yeah, I'm sorry too.” Mum: “You've been drinking, you're always horrible when you drink.” Dad: “You're heading for a smack in the mouth with all that talk.”
In the school playground, Alex sits cross-legged on the grass, playing with two little superhero figures.
Alex: “Take that, Captain Hero.”
A basketball smacks Alex in the side of the head, knocking the toys from his hands.
Sound effect: Thok
Three boys in school uniform loom over him. The one in the middle grins, bouncing the ball.
Bully: “What'cha doin, nerd? Playin' with ya toys?” Bully: “Where's all ya friends? Oh, that's right. You ain't got any, do ya?” Buly: “My daddy says your daddy is a fat loser. Must run in the family.”
Alex sits alone on the grass, head bowed.
Alex: “I just want to play super heros.”
A big black school shoe stamps down on Alex's toys, sending them flying.
Bully shouts: “Play time is over!”
Alex runs from the bullies, hugging a Goonies box, and ducks towards a door marked Extra Curricular Activities.
Bully shouts: “Get 'im!”
Alex presses himself against the door, worried.
Through the door's window, a bully's silhouette goes by.
Bully: “I think he went this way.”
Inside, a grey-haired man in glasses and a lab coat looks at Alex, who's clutching his box by the door.
Scientist: “Well, well. What do we have here?”
The scientist, an old man with round glasses and a black turtleneck under his lab coat, peers at Alex.
Scientist: “Looks like you've had some trouble.”
Alex, sheepish.
Alex: “I… I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to be here. I'll leave.”
The scientist turns and walks towards a doorway into a lab, where flasks glow on a bench.
Scientist: “I'm not sure that's such a great idea. In another 5 minutes, those bullies will check here when they circle back.” Scientist: “If you don't want them to find you, you'd better come with me.”
Alex hesitates, holding his box.
He glances towards the lab.
Alex follows the scientist into the lab.
A lab full of science: a crackling plasma ball hanging from the ceiling, bubbling flasks, books and a poster that says Science! The scientist opens a fridge while Alex looks around in wonder.
Scientist: “Would you care for a drink?” Alex: “This place is so cool. Why haven't I ever seen it before?”
The scientist tosses a can of cola to Alex.
Scientist: “Extra curricular activities didn't get a lot of enrolments this year.”
Alex catches the can.
Scientist: “Or any other year, for that matter…”
From behind, Alex gazes at a shelf of curiosities: a jar of pickles, a skull, a red rocket, a ray gun and a robot.
Alex: “What is all this stuff?” Scientist: “Oh… projects, toys, dangerous robots. That kind of thing.” Alex: “That's so cool.”
A round-headed robot with a blank screen for a face sits slumped on the shelf.
Alex: “What's this one do?” Scientist: “This one? It's called a Death Machine. Very dangerous.”
The scientist and Alex stand side by side, looking up at the shelf.
Scientist: “Just one drop of blood and he'll tell you exactly how you'll die. Remarkable!” Scientist: “Remarkable, but dangerous. One should never know too much about their own fate.”
The robot's screen flickers on with a smiling face, and a power symbol lights up on its chest.
Sound effect: Vrrrrrrr bing Scientist: “Those bullies will have gone now. I think it will be safe for you to return home.”
Outside the school, Alex peeks out of the Extra Curricular Activities door.
He heads off home, holding his box.
Moments later, the robot peeks out of the same door.
The robot steps out and follows him, its tongue poking out cheekily.
Night over the city: a small house with a blue roof sits between two tall apartment buildings under a crescent moon.
Alex is fast asleep.
Sound effect: Zzz
His eyes open.
The robot's grinning face looms over the end of his bed.
Alex sits bolt upright and screams.
Alex shouts: “Yaaaaaaaaaah!”
The robot winks. The screen on its chest reads Hi!
Fez: “Hi!”
Alex sits up in bed.
Alex: “Hey, you're that robot.”
Alex kneels on his bed, face to face with the little robot.
Alex: “What are you doing here, little robot?”
The robot looks shifty. Its screen reads Ran away…
Fez: “Ran away…”
Alex raises an eyebrow.
Alex: “You ran away?”
Alex breaks into a smile.
Alex shouts: “Cool!”
Alex's bedroom door, as a voice booms from the other side.
Dad shouts: “What's all that noise?”
Alex looks round in a panic.
Alex: “Oh no, it's my dad!”
The robot's feet disappear under the bed.
Alex: “Quick, hide!”
Alex's dad, a big, heavy-set man, storms in.
Dad: “Why aren't you in bed?”
A red toy plane hanging from the ceiling smacks Dad in the forehead.
Dad shouts: “Aargh! Son of a…”
Dad dives to look under the bed and lands face first on the floor.
Sound effect: Oooff!
Dad's face on the carpet, a cut on his forehead bleeding.
Dad: “Huh?”
Under the bed, the robot stares back, its mouth a shocked O.
Dad: “What the?”
Alex peers anxiously over the end of the bed as Dad reaches underneath.
Dad holds the robot up in front of him, glaring at it.
Dad: “What the hell is this?”
Close up: blood trickles from the cut on Dad's forehead.
A drop of Dad's blood lands on the robot. The screen on its chest reads Fate, loading.
Sound effect: Blop
The robot's eyes turn to crosses and it frowns. Fate, loading.
The robot projects a vision above itself: Dad, drowning in the sea. The word Drowning is written across him.
Dad, suddenly worried.
Dad: “…No?”
Dad drops the robot, which lands on the floor in a heap.
Sound effect: Thud
Alex checks on the robot, who smiles up at him. Its screen reads Fine!
Alex: “Are you OK?” Fez: “Fine!”
A crescent moon in the night sky.
Alex: “That's so cool! What else can you do?”
Morning: the sun in a clear blue sky, with birds flying by.
Alex: “OK, OK. I swear this is the last time.”
Alex, sitting on his bed, holds out his alarm clock to the robot.
Alex: “My alarm clock. What can you turn that into?”
The robot narrows its eyes, tongue out, concentrating.
Its fingertips spark as it zaps the clock.
Sound effect: Zap zap zap
The robot hands Alex a pair of night vision goggles, and he's thrilled.
Alex shouts: “Night vision goggles! Awesome!”
On the way to school, Alex carries the robot in his backpack, its head and arms poking out over his shoulder.
Alex: “School's actually going to be fun with you coming along.” Alex: “Do you have a name? I can't keep calling you robot. How about ‘Fez’? That's a cool name.”
The three bullies are waiting. The grinning one tosses a rock in his hand.
Bully: “Hey fellas. Look who it is, the nerd.” Bully: “Where did you run off to yesterday? We missed you.”
Alex glares, gripping his backpack straps.
Alex shouts: “I'm warning you. Leave me alone!”
The bully sneers.
Bully: “Or what?”
The bully grins, rock in hand, his two mates either side of him.
Bully: “I won't lie to you. This is going to hurt.”
Alex clicks his watch, and a glowing blue force field bubbles up around him.
Sound effect: Click Sound effect: Vrrrrrr
The rock bounces off the force field.
Sound effect: Bing
The bully gapes.
Bully shouts: “What? How did you do that?”
Inside the bubble, Alex grins and raises a fist.
Alex: “I'm just warming up!”
A metal gauntlet clamps onto Alex's arm.
Sound effect: Chink chink chink
A silver helmet and blue goggles appear on his head, and he smiles.
Armoured boots clamp onto his legs.
Sound effect: Chink chink
Rocket jets pop out of his backpack.
Sound effect: Ping ping
Fully suited up, Alex blasts off into the sky on a jet of flame and smoke.
Alex shouts: “Let's go!”
Alex soars over the stunned bullies, who scramble to run.
Bully shouts: “Let's get outta here!”
Alex hovers over the school field on his jets, arms out wide.
Back on the ground, Alex beams, with Fez peeking over his shoulder from the backpack.
Alex: “That was so cool!”
Alex, with Fez in his backpack, looks out across a field at a dotted trail leading to an X beside the school.
Alex: “Alright, Fez. X marks the spot. You know what that means.”
Back in his imagination, the pirate captain bellows orders.
Alex shouts: “Hands to braces ye sea dogs!”
The three burly pirates answer together.
Crew shouts: “Aye Captain!”
On the bow of the pirate ship, Captain Alex looks through his spyglass. Beside him, Fez wears a pirate bandana and waves a cutlass. Fin.
Alex: “Let's get ye treasure!” Fez: “Arrggh!”
The back cover: a blue sky with clouds and falling autumn leaves. A story about a lonely boy, his quest for adventure and the discovery of an unexpected best friend to share them with. Guardian Comics.
