Bob and George
Encyclopedia : B : BO : BOB : Bob and George
Bob and George is a sprite-based webcomic which parodies the fictional universe of Mega Man. It is written by David Anez, a physics instructor who lives in the American Midwest. [link]. The comic first appeared on April 1 2000 and has been updated daily with very few missed comics. To date, the series has only missed updating from September 17 2000 to September 30 2000, December 20 2001 to December 22 2001, and May 19 2006 to May 28 2006, a total of 26 update-free days out of over six years of comics. However, Anez has since made comics for the most recent update gap, so since the comic began, there have only been 17 days which haven't had a comic.
Initially conceived as a hand-drawn comic, Bob and George became a sprite comic first as filler, and then permanently after two failed attempts at the hand-drawn format.
Most Bob and George strips are still images. The initial strips were mostly done in GIF format (occasionally using JPEG for more graphic-intensive comics) before converting to PNG in May 2004. In addition, occasional comics are animated using either animated GIFs or Macromedia Flash. Some of the Flash comics have the characters speaking, voiced by Anez and others (often forum members). Animated comics are generally used for the annual week-long anniversary parties, for especially climactic scenes, and for the Cataclysm videos.
The comic's plot is mostly made up of story arcs of varying lengths. Amongst past story arcs there have been retellings of various Mega Man games which often play out quite differently than the originals, as well as battles against powerful foes. In addition, many of the story arcs involve either time travel or dimensional travel.
History
Bob and George was originally planned to be a hand-drawn webcomic about the college adventures of two brothers named Bob and George. Slated to start on April 1 2000, the plan fell through when Anez didn't have a scanner with which to scan his drawings. He instead released a sequence of filler comics using Mega Man sprites, which he intended to be a temporary measure until he gained access to a scanner, at which point he would implement his initial plan involving the hand drawn comics. He eventually purchased a scanner, and on June 1 he released the hand-drawn comic.
Anez has stated that he hated the hand-drawn comic[link], and returned to making the sprite comic with Mega Man characters on June 11. The sprite comic continued for several months, until David Anez took time off from the comic on September 17 to practice drawing. On October 1, he restarted the hand-drawn comic. Once again, the hand-drawn comic didn't last long, and on October 12 he went back to producing the sprite-based comic, which is still being produced. According to Anez, the reason for this is that he realized that he still couldn't draw, and wasn't going to get any better.[link]
However, this meant that the comic strip was titled "Bob and George", but didn't contain any characters named "Bob" or "George". This was fixed shortly, when sprite versions of the two characters were introduced into the comic. Bob was depicted as a black Protoman recolor while George was a helmetless Mega Man recolor with blond hair.
Fan Community
Bob and George has an active fan community. As of March 2006, the site's forums have over 9,000 registered users and over 480,000 articles posted. In many ways, the forums have grown to be almost completely disconnected from the main comic by now, as the community is quite thriving and has blossomed on its own. In an informal survey conducted of the Bob and George forum members, 81% of survey respondants claimed to read Bob and George on a regular basis, with the remaining 19% either reading it occasionally or not at all. [link]
In addition to the main comic, the Bob and George site hosts a number of comics created by fans of the comic. These comics, which were selected by Anez for inclusion on the site, are known as "fancomics". Fancomics that have been determined by Dave to be of sufficient proven substance are referred to as "subcomics", and are linked to in their own area in the site. Most of the fancomics are sprite based.
Subcomics
As of April 2006, Bob and George hosts the following titles as subcomics:
- The Karnak Hates Everything Show by Karnak: The story of Karnak, a demon lord and leader of his own alternate Hell, Karnakville. This story features a mostly original realm and cast of characters, as opposed to the traditional basis on Mega Man or another video game.
- by Karnak: A serious comic that centers in the fantasy world of Terra. It has a large and ever-expanding cast of characters, each with their own background and role.
- by Reynard. The comic involves Samus, a degenerate caste Space Pirate with designation Jay-Oh-EE (Joey), and Charles (aka Squish) a sentient Metroid, and their (mis)adventures revolving around Dark Samus and Phazon.
- Misadventures by Plague. This comic takes place in the dark times of Mega Man X, where the Maverick Hunters are the only defense against Sigma's forces. The comic features Plague Roamer, the leader of the worst Hunter Team in history. Plague Roamer is an absolutely psychotic robot and the clandestine son of Dr. Wily, who fights evil for all the wrong reasons. This comic takes a serious tone at times with the main protagonist's battle against his own dark nature (though he doesn't try very hard or all that often).
- MSPaint Masterpieces by DisgruntledFerret: Another Mega Man-based comic, more closely related to the original Mega Man story than Bob and George is. The comic features new, author-created sprites for already extant characters and contains some plot elements and characters unique to the Game Boy line of Mega Man games.
- Oddball Fancomics by Rick O'Shay/RickX. An old subcomic that takes place in a Megaman world with Rick O'Shay as it's supreme author/all-around-god.
- Universal Voyage by Nameless Wonder (also known as NW): The story of the Nameless Wonder, a genetic clone. This story features an original realm and cast of characters, as opposed to the traditional basis on Mega Man or another video game.
Old Subcomics
A separate section of the subcomics page lists comics no longer featured as major subcomics, in most cases because their authors ceased to continue producing the comics. This list consists of:
- Dysfunction by kittykaboom
- Megami's Art Pages by Megami
- Randomness by iX
- Super Ho by Liss (This can be considered "finished" and not just ceased.)
- Taco: The Comic by Holly-Beth (aka Chick Bot)
- Jailhouse Blues by Ramnesis
- Warped Reality by Deccus
- Project: Suck by Travis Faust
- Suraida-chan's Art Pages by Suraida
- Kefka's Comic by Kefka
Dave's Subcomics
Subcomics authored by Dave Anez are also listed in the same category as the "old subcomics". These include:
- The Cataclysm: A series of animations which chronicles the events of the Cataclysm, the event in the comic which caused the divide between the original Mega Man series and the Mega Man X series.
- Helmeted Author Quips: This comic began as filler on the website's main page. This featured the Helmeted Author, who would generally be saying something corrupt or mean. This subcomic also encompasses the various other art, animations, and parodies displayed in the same area of the main page.
- Freakadave: Non sequitur animations featuring the Author, who has been transformed into a Freakazoid!-like character.
Fancomics
As of July 2006 the fancomics hosted on the site are:
- Reploid Hunter Iris: Code Megaman X by CardCaptor Schlueter
- Delta Atari by Archmage Devin
- Super and Jazz by Super Llama
- Reality Sucks by 2
- The Real Live Dead by Travis O.
- Evil Inc. by Jjkaybomb
- Sakurai Diaries by Azureman
- Laran by DFM
- House of Cards by Jjkaybomb
- Over the Fringe by Travis O.
- Full Fusion Canon by Crimson R.
Ex-Fancomics
As with the subcomics, there have been many former fancomics. Although some have become subcomics in place of a previous subcomic that ended or left the site, a few fancomics simply ceased to be, usually because the author of the comic stopped producing new comics. These include:
- The Ninja Bot by Metlord
- Rock & Roll by Beansdooma
- The thing of no sense by ThndrShk2k
- The thing of no sense 2 by ThndrShk2k
- Theta Radiation by Nick
- Chew on This by Lightguy
- High Sea Hijinks by The Cap'n
- Kurobei by DoctorDiablo
- Warcraft Idiocies by JnvReno
- Author Hunters by Myrmadon
- The Legend of Zelda: That One With the Ocarina by Stobbit
- Dogaland Adventure Redux by Dogadon
- Mr. Ganesha by Dogadon
- Megaband by Six
Cast
- ''Main article: Characters of Bob and George
Main cast
- Mega Man - The main star of the comic, he is a robot created by Dr. Light. His primary mission is to destroy evil robots and stop Dr. Wily; his secondary mission is to be an idiot. He's one of the many freaky ice cream fans in this webcomic, alongside George and Chadling
- Proto Man - Created by Dr. Light, he is the older robotic brother of Mega Man. He is considered a strategic fighter and one of the more mature characters in the comic, though he's often seen torturing Mega Man
- The Author - The (nearly) all-powerful being who made the comic. The Author often appears to see how things are going, but tries not to get directly involved in the story. He appears as a blue/purple palette swap of Mega Man without his helmet. See fourth wall.
- Bob - The evil younger, yet more mature, brother of George. His alter-ego is Napalm, a super-powered being with the fire-based powers. He is very adept at programming. He is a grey palette swap of Proto Man. Dave Anez has stated that Bob is a prime example of a Mary Sue.[[Citing sources citation needed]]
- George - The notably simple good older brother of Bob. His alter-ego is Blitz, a super-powered being with lightning-based powers. He greatly values ice cream. George is a light blue palette swap of helmet-less Mega Man with blonde hair.
Secondary cast
- Bass - Even less intelligent than Mega Man, Bass is a robot created by Dr. Wily and designed to be similar to Mega Man.
- Roll - A robot created by Dr. Light. Initially created as Dr. Light's former housekeeper, she has since demonstrated an enjoyment of combat.
- Nate - A yellow demon who once attacked several cast members, Dr. Light turned him into a humanoid-looking Yellow Demon prototype designated N4-T3. This process seems to have rendered him mute, as he now communicates nonverbally with signs, gestures, and the like. Has the ability to merge with other robots. Referred to as Nate, as this is what N4-T3 translates to from leet. Wears large eyeglasses which contain a control jewel.
- Chadling - A purple demon with Wolverine-like claws from the same dimension as Mynd. He was initially Mynd's minion. When not in demon form, he looks like a purple version of Mega Man 7 Robot Master Slash Man. He enjoys ice cream as much as George. His serial number is C1-14D, model L1N6. He is referred to as Chadling since that is what "C1-14D L1N6" translates to from leet.
- X - Dr. Light's most advanced robotic creation, X is a super-advanced robot from 100 years in the future who can think for himself. The star of the Mega Man X games.
- Zero - X's friend, he is a robot created by Dr. Wily. Went on a rampage that caused the Cataclysm. Was put into a 100-year sleep, and became good sometime after that.
- Dr. Light - An alcoholic scientist who created various members of the robotic cast, including Mega Man, Mega Man X, Proto Man, and Roll.
- Ran Cossack - A communist robot created by Kalinka, the daughter of Mega Man IV villain Dr. Cossack. Ran is very fragile, and can be destroyed with as little as a poke of a finger. However, upon being destroyed a duplicate body with a copy of his memory is beamed to his previous location. His weapon is the Cossack Buster, an incredibly powerful blaster with similarly powerful recoil. He is a well known fan character in the Bob and George community. In fact, the character is so well known that he is often mistaken for a canon Mega Man character.
- Mike - From the same dimension as Mynd. Mynd's former minion, Mike is a cybernetic ninja. He is a red/dark grey palette swap of Mega Man with Proto Man's shield. Called "Ninja Ned" by Roll, much to his dismay.
- Alternate Mega Man and Bass - Alternate versions of Mega Man and Bass from an alternate dimension. The two are extremely intelligent and spend much of their time debating scientific issues.
- The Shadowy Author - The author of the Rockman Universe, the Shadowy Author appears to be neither friend nor foe to the cast. He has interfered in the events of the primary universe on several occasions, though his intentions in doing so are unknown.
- Alternate Bob - A version of Bob from an alternate dimension. Is effeminate and openly homosexual. The only difference in appearance between him and the primary universe's Bob is that Alternate Bob's scarf is purple.
- Alternate George - A version of George from an alternate dimension. A psychotic killer who has killed his dimension's Dr. Light and Roll, as well as other characters. Was unable to kill his universe's Mega Man, Bass, Bob, Protoman or Beat. Alternate George is blind, as his eyes have been pecked out by his universe's Beat.
Villains
- Dr. Wily - An evil scientist plotting the downfall of Mega Man and Dr. Light. Often explains his plans in overheard soliloquy. The primary villain from the Mega Man games.
- Mynd - A Sigma-lookalike from another dimension and godmoder extraordinaire.
- Helmeted Author - Also known as "Helmut" and Fistandantilus. An Author from another dimension who wears a helmet which restrains his powers. He looks like the Author wearing a helmet, underneath which he has dark gray Sephiroth-style hair. Main character of Helmeted Author Quips, a subcomic which is displayed in the space beneath the main comic on the website.
- Evil Overlord Mike and Non-Alternate Mynd - The versions of Mike and Mynd from the same dimension as most of the main cast. Evil Overlord Mike is a villainous version of Mike, and Non-Alternate Mynd is his minion.
- X - The most advanced robotic creation of Dr. Light. At one point, he assimilated everyone in the comic because he wanted friends. He was subsequently reprogrammed and deactivated. Was reactivated 100 years later, preceding the events of the Mega Man X video game.
Locations in the comic
- The Mega Man universe - The comic's main setting is in a highly-parodied version of the Mega Man universe. Notable locations include:
- *Dr. Light's lab - The lab of Dr. Light, and home of most of the comic's heroes. The lab is complete with an area for the creation of new robots, as well as a holographic training simulator in which members of the cast hone their fighting skills.
- *Dr. Wily's fortress - The fortress was home to both Dr. Wily and Bass before being destroyed later in the comic. Dr. Wily has had a different fortress in each of the Mega Man games which inevitably end up being destroyed by the end of the game.
- *Dr. Cossack's castle - Located in Russia, the castle is home to Dr. Cossack, his daughter Kalinka, and Ran.
- The Alternate Mega Man universe - A parallel dimension, home to alternate versions of the cast who have dramatically different personalities than those of the standard universe. Examples include extremely intelligent versions of Mega Man and Bass, a homosexual Bob, and a homicidally violent George.
- Mynd's universe - Another universe, this is the home dimension of Mynd, and his henchmen Mike and Chadling.
- The Rockman Universe - A universe controlled by the Shadowy Author, this universe is based on the universe of the Japanese Rockman games. A more serious universe in which Rock (Mega Man) is competent, Roll is subservient, and Forte (Bass) and Dr. Wily are actually evil. This universe has recently suffered its Cataclysm due to actions of future versions of the Mega Man and Bass from the Alternate Mega Man Universe.
- The White Space - An all white dimension which is revealed to be a demiplane which interacts with all comic universes.
Terminology
- Cataclysm - The event in the Bob and George future where Zero kills most of the Mega Man characters.
- Helmeted Author Quips - Helmeted Author Quips are random pictures or animations that depict the Helmeted Author doing something generally unrelated to the Bob and George story. Also refers to or pictures/animations that are displayed below the comic that have nothing to do with the Helmeted Author. On Friday, October 28 2005, it was revealed that Helmeted Author has probably escaped this area. Most recently, Liss was depicted wearing the Helmeted Author's Helmet with a devious grin on her face.
- Quirky Personalities - The Robot Masters within the Bob and George universe are plagued with personalities that render them extremely stereotypical in relation to their name.
- Plot Hole - The end result of a logical paradox, such as a character being in two places at the exact same time. Believed to cause a catastrophic event of universal reach that would completely obliterate all universes that ever has or ever will exist. However, the Author continually insists that there are none, usually by way of the Jedi mind trick. Apparent plot holes in Bob and George are often resolved through convoluted plot, often involving time travel. Another common explanation given by the Author and characters is "A wizard did it".
Storyline
- Main article: Storyline of Bob and George
Year 1
The origins of Mega Man and Proto Man are shown in a flashback to the first Mega Man game. The Author is introduced. Bob, Blitz, and Napalm are introduced in the hand-drawn comics. In the sprite comic, the Author is apparently killed by Dr. Wily, leading to the second instance of the hand-drawn comics. The story returns to the sprite comic, where the Author is apparently fine. Bob, George, and Nate are introduced. Bob is sent to another dimension by the Author, and ends up travelling through various dimensions.Bass travels back through time to the period of the Mega Man II and alters the past. X travels back to the present from the future, and X and Mega Man travel back in time to fix the timeline.
Year 2
The past version of Mega Man is damaged, so the present-day Mega Man fights the 8 Robot Masters and defeats Dr. Wily. X and the both versions of Mega Man return to the present. Mega Man of the past is repaired, and he and X are returned to their own times.Meanwhile, Bob ends up travelling to Mynd's dimension. Bob is defeated by Mynd and Mike. Mynd, Chadling, and Mike return with Bob to the Mega Man universe. Mynd attempts to take over the Mega Man universe, but is defeated by the combined powers of Bob and George.
George awakens from the fight to find himself in the past, in the time period of Mega Man III. George is kidnapped by Dr. Wily. Mega Man defeats several Robot Masters before being defeated by Shadow Man. Bob wakes up in the future.
Year 3
Bob travels to the time period of Mega Man III and agrees to help Dr. Wily. Mega Man defeats the rest of the Robot Masters, and Dr. Wily is defeated. Bob and George return to their own time.Mega Man appears to turn evil, and is defeated. Bob ends up in the Rockman Universe, and kills that universe's Dr. Wily. Ran begins the story of the events of Mega Man IV.
Year 4
In Ran's story, Mega Man fights the Robot Masters, and Dr. Wily is defeated.George is sent back in time by Dr. Light, and discovers why he survived the events of Mega Man turning evil. It is revealed that Mega Man had not turned evil, but instead the Helmeted Author had been disguised as him. George heads to a tropical beach to wait for his timeline to catch up.
In the present, the Helmeted Author attacks. The Author and Helmeted Author fight, and appear to destroy the comic.
Year 5
It is revealled that the comic was not destroyed. Roll and Mike save the president from Evil Overlord Mike's ninjas.The Future Alternates inadvertently cause the Cataclysm in the Rockman Universe. Bob wakes up in the standard universe's past just prior to Mega Man V, and teams up with Dr. Wily to take over the world. The Present Alternates and the Future Alternates arrive in this time period, and team up with Mega Man and Ran to defeat Bob, which they successfully accomplish. Bob gets stuck in a subspace rift.
In the present, non-alternate Mynd attacks Dr. Light's lab and is defeated.
Year 6
Dr. Light activates X, who assimilates most of the cast, as well as most of the world. George defeats X, freeing those who were assimilated.Dr. Wily pulls Bob out of the subspace rift, in which (for several comics) he hung out with the cast of FF7, and coerces Bob to program Zero for him. Dr. Wily then sends Bob back in time, where he appears just prior to the events of Mega Man VI. George travels back in time to get his brother. The Mega Man VI robot tournament begins.
Year 7
The tournament continues, with Bob and George manipulating events behind the scenes so that the timeline remains unchanged.Shortly after the first round of the First Annual Robot Tournament ended, a "Temporal Burp" appeared within the comic, which seems to have been caused by Bob and George's antics in the Megaman 6 storyline. When they do things that either shouldn't happen or could cause things that shouldn't happen, the strips begin to deteriorate, at rates determined by the size of the alteration. Currently the strip is in a large distortion wave. Bob manages to steal the time-suit off of George and programmes Vic into Megaman, setting Megaman up to cause havoc in the tournament. However George Zaps Bob sending him through time, discovering he's is stuck in time, George goes crazy and the evil Megaman starts to hunt the other robots.
Up until about May 20th, progress was not being made. Instead the audience was privy to several battles of the annual robot tournament.See also
Additional Info
- The site is now back up as of May 28, 2006. However Dave has expressed concerns that the site may be going down and up because of server issues that are still being resolved.
External links
- [Bob and George website]
- [The Bob and George Continuum Squad/Gaming Clan]
- [Interview with David Anez]
- [Bob and George: The Wiki]
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.