Strip 495 -- First Seen: 2010-07-30
Escape From Terra is updated with new pages every Monday through Friday.

One Dollar Sale Continues!

Hard to believe it, but Big Head Press published it's first novel, over 20 years ago. To commemorate our stubborn longevity, we continue to stubbornly offer each of our non serialized graphic novel stories for just one mere American dollar (plus shipping). Start your holiday shopping early and light up some body's mind with one or more of these titles.

Offer only available in the United States.

Kickstarter Success!

The Not-Safe-Space 2 Kickstarter Campaign has ended successfully. Thanks to all who pledged!

Now we get to wait 2 weeks while Kickstarter transmits the funds, and Scott can order the books, and send surveys to backers to get current e-mail addresses for the .PDF versions and mailing addresses for the physical books.

All of this should show up in June.

The Transcript For This Page

Panel 1
The mass driver is on its side once again. Bert (on the left) is removing the hoppers from the Conveyer, Ernie is removing the bracing struts from the bottom-end of the Mass Driver.
 
Bert: You know, something occurs to me about our friends ...
 
Ernie: Yeah?
 
Panel 2
Bert is now standing near Ernie and making gestures in sign language. (He holds one hand cupped by his ear while the other arm does a double-exposure effect, pointing upwards and then at himself.)

Bert (translating his signs): They can still hear our radio transmissions.
Ernie (aloud): Crap.
 
Panel 3
Bert presses one of a half-dozen buttons grouped on the wrist of his space-suit.

Bert: We should be okay if we lower the gain on our transmitters to 50 milliwatts. That cuts the effective range to 250 meters.
Ernie: Gotcha.
 
Panel 4
Ernie glides by Bert, carrying one of the hoppers.
 
Ernie: Now, help me weld these things on the base end of the Mass Driver.
 

Panel 5
Tall panel. The Mass Driver, now inverted, is braced up against the inside crater wall, it's bottom-end pointed up. The four hoppers have been attached to the now-elevated bottom end. See reference sketch 'Rockrocket.gif' for the arrangement. The Brothers stand on the crater rim looking at their work.
 
Bert: This is going to be a walk in the park.
 
Panel 6
Two-shot of the Brothers, Ernie looking dubiously at Bert, Bert looking back at him.
                       
Bert: No, really, Ernie, this isn't rocket science.
 
Ernie: Actually, Bert it is rocket science.
 
Panel 7
Same shot, now the Brothers are both looking at their make-shift rock-rocket.
 
Bert: Oh yeah, I guess it is.
Bert: Anyway, it's not particularly difficult rocket science.