Bob - A Comic Strip About Robots

Panel 1: Extreme closeup of Bob’s worm head. He has a thermometer sticking out of his mouth. Panel 2: Bob (a box robot with a worm sticking out of it) is sitting on a table while Doctor (a stick figure wearing glasses and holding a clipboard) observes him. Doctor: We need to see if there are any lingering effects from being trapped in that gem. Panel 3: Closeup of Doctor as she looks at the thermometer, now in her hand. Doctor: Any questions? Panel 4: Bob raises his hand, because Freida once taught the robots about classrooms. Bob: Doctors are the humans with clipboards, yes?

Panel 1: Doctor (a stick figure wearing glasses and holding a medical bag) and Freida (another stick figure) approach Bob (a box robot with a worm sticking out of it) who is swinging a power sword about. Freida: Bob, this is Doctor. Panel 2: Bob retracts his sword and waves. Doctor returns the wave. Freida: She’s here to run some medical tests on you. Panel 3: Doctor awkwardly turns away and adjusts her glasses. Bob: Does she have experience doctoring worms? Panel 4: Doctor approaches Bob while Freida walks away. Freida: No. She’s a human doctor… Freida: … Freida: But I’m not the one who called her.

Panel 1: Doctor (a stick figure wearing glasses) and Freida (another stick figure) stand on opposite sides of a desk. Doctor is setting a medical bag down next to her and Freida is holding up some papers. Freida: Your paperwork does seem to be in order. Panel 2: The two stand there not saying anything. Freida: … Panel 3: They continue to not say anything. Two consecutive panels of this stands out as more than should be necessary, but you try telling that to these characters. Doctor: … Panel 4: We finally move on from that awkwardness as Freida comes from around the desk to lead Doctor elsewhere. Freida: Anyway, please follow me.

Panel 1: Closeup of a stick figure arm holding onto a medical bag. Panel 2: Closeup of Doctor (a stick figure wearing glasses) as she pushes he glasses up onto her face. Panel 3: Doctor faces a set of double doors and inhales audibly. A sign above the doors reads “Smith Robotics.” Panel 4: On the other side of the doors, Doctor clears her throat, getting the attention of Freida (another stick figure) who stands behind a desk. Freida (surprised): Helen! What are you doing here?

Panel 1: Stylized title panel that reads “Bob by: JDVM.” The “B” and “b” are both on their sides on tank treads and are firing upon the “o” with tank cannons. Panel 2: A massive drill headed tank is loudly racing against a bulbous tank with triangular fins in the back and a cannon in the front. Both are kicking up dust and the drill is in the lead. Panel 3: The bulbous tank pulls ahead, kicking up dust that partially obscures the drill. Panel 4: The bulbous tank has pulled far ahead and swung around to face the drill. The two machines are driving towards each other with a cityscape in the background. The machines are kicking up a lot of dust and making very loud engine noises. Panel 5: This panel is split diagonally, the first section showing Bob (a box robot with a worm sticking out of it) behind a steering wheel. The second shows Crescent (A squat robot whose head is a crescent shape) also behind a wheel. Crescent: What a lovely day! Panel 6: The two machines are even closer to each other now, the engine noises having gotten louder! Panel 7: Closeup of the bulbous tank as it loudly fires a projectile and continues its forward trajectory. Panel 8: The drill crashes into the bulbous tank as a direct hit can also be seen upon it. The drill head has wedged into the cavity where the tank cannon sits, and the cannon has been bent upwards in a way that wasn’t supposed to look elephantine but kind of does anyway. Panel 9: We see the cityscape again as Sam (a spherical robot with a mechanical grin) flies in at the helm of a triangular fighter jet. He looks down at the carnage. The bulbous tank has completely flipped over, a broken drill tip wedged into it. Bob lies on his back in exhaustion nearby. The drill is (obviously) missing its tip and a massive hole has been blown into the side of it. Crescent has fallen partway out of it, completely dazed. Sam: Darn it! I’m late.

Panel 1: Bob stands ready, holding his ground as a massive drill tank barrels towards him. He is next a building that reads “Abandoned Warehouse Co.) Panel 2: A bulbous tank crashes through the building firing on the drill, which does a flip out of the panel. Bob: My Tank! Panel 3: Bob stands in front of the machine, which is a tank that has a large bulbous central dome and triangular fins in the back. A square panel has opened up on top of it and a stick figure human has popped out, waving at Bob. Bob: Fred! How are you driving it? Panel 4: Closeup of Fred atop the Tank. Fred: Easy. Anything can fit in a square hole.

Panel 1: Bob (a box robot with a worm sticking out of it) and Sam (a spherical robot with a mechanical grin) stand with weapons in hand. Sam has his arms spread wide. Sam: Bob! What do we do?! Panel 2: Bob readies his weapon as Sam runs off panel, his arms still up in the air. Bob: There’s nothing we can do against this thing. You go get the jet. Panel 3: Artistic closeup showing only Bob’s head and weapon for emphasis. Bob: I’ll hold it off as best I can. Panel 4: Bob stands ready, holding his ground as a massive drill tank barrels towards him, kicking up an enormous cloud of dust behind it.

Panel 1: A city bus, minding its own business, the stick figure driver looking surprised as a massive drill headed tank burst through the middle of the bus, splitting it in half. Crescent: AHAHAHAHAHA! Panel 2: A large brick wall with barbed wire atop it. The wall is also minding its own business, but once again a massive drill headed tank is burrowing its way completely through the wall. Crescent: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Panel 3: Bob (a box robot with a worm sticking out of it) and Sam (a spherical robot with a mechanical grin) stand watching as the drill tank heads off towards the city, flames coming out of the back of it. This city scape is the best thing the artist has ever drawn and he spent a long time just staring at it. Crescent: AHAHAHAHAH— Bob: See, I told you tanks were cool.

Panel 1: Bob (a box robot with a worm sticking out of it) and Sam (a spherical robot with a mechanical grin) stand with weapons amid a handful of dead Henchmen (stick figures with an inverted triangle for a head) Bob is nodding along and a rumbling sound can be heard Sam: HA! They call that an attack? That was easy. Panel 2: The panel pulls back to show that the robots were standing at an intersection. They are both blown backward as a massive drill head bursts from the ground between them with a loud crash. Panel 3: A massive drill headed tank has burst from the ground and is still somewhat submerged. A gullwing door has opened on the side of the tank revealing Crescent (A squat robot whose head is a crescent shape). Crescent: HA! I bet you weren’t expecting that, WORM!

Panel 1: Crescent (A squat robot whose head is a crescent) sits at a steering wheel. At his sides are massive screens with endless streams of data. Crescent: This is it, Crescent. Panel 2: His look is one of determination. Crescent: It’s your big break. Panel 3: He smiles to himself. Crescent: They’ll have to notice you now. Panel 4: We see a massive drill headed tank burrowing under the street of the city. We see a bit of the street above and a dinosaur skull below, reminding us that this is indeed underground. Crescent: Drills are cool.

Panel 1: Closeup on the worm head of Bob, filling the panel. Panel 2: Closeup even further on Bob’s head. It is oppressively, uncomfortably large, so large that it does not even fit within the confines of the panel. Panel 2: Bob (a box robot with a worm sticking out of it) looms over the shoulder of Fred (a stick figure human). Fred and Sam (a spherical robot with a mechanical grin) are working with wrenches on a massive tank tread. Fred: Bob, you need to be patient. Panel 4: Alarms sound as the robots react with surprise, Sam rushing off to elsewhere. Fred: An attack on the city! You guys better get out there. Fred (thinking): So I can work.

Panel 1: Sam (a spherical robot with a mechanical grin) and Fred (a stick figure human) are working on what looks to be a large tank tread. Sam is using a wrench, and Fred is on top of the tread with a hammer. Panel 2: Sam and Fred are carrying a long tube over their shoulders. Panel 3: Wide overhead shot as Sam holds the long tube steady while Fred attaches it to what appears to be a central tank platform. Panel 4: General Alpha (A robot shaped like the letter A, dressed in militaristic garb) and Queen Vlavoil (A robot shaped like the letter V, with shaggy hair, a vacuum hand, and angular, mesh-like legs) stand with their backs to the viewer as they look at a design board showing the diamonds and triangles that make up the character Star. Panel 5: Title panel that reads “Bob” in massive black letters that take up the entire panel. Panel 6: Alpha and Vlavoil stand on opposite sides of a workbench, working on something large and triangular that is covered by a sheet. Panel 7: Dr. Smith and Freida (stick figure humans) stand in a laboratory setting. Smith is looking intently at a clipboard while Freida does science things at a table filled with science equipment. Panel 8: Freida stands at another table, looking into a microscope. Dr. Smith is pondering a design board showing two triangles, a square and a circle. Panel 9: Smith and Freida stand at opposite ends of a workbench, working on something large and triangular that is covered by a sheet.

Panel 1: Crescent (A squat robot whose head is a crescent shape holding a wand with a crescent shaped head) stands in the center of the panel with a tired look on his face. Star (offscreen): BANANA DEMON… Panel 2: Crescent closes his eyes as if resisting and trying to find his happy place. Star (offscreen): BANANA DEMON… Panel 3: Crescent stiffens with anger and resolve. Star (offscreen): BANANA DEMON Crescent: What! Panel 4: Crescent sinks with despair. Star (offscreen): YOU LOOK LIKE A MOON, BANANA DEMON. Crescent: Close enough.

Panel 1: Star (A robot shaped like a massive four-pointed star made of perpendicular diamond shapes) floats over a much smaller, raised platform, looking concerned. A very small Crescent (A squat robot whose head is a crescent shape holding a wand with a crescent shaped head) can be seen on that platform next to a ladder. Star: I DO NOT LIKE THESE HENCHMEN. Panel 2: A group of Henchmen (stick figures with an inverted triangle for a head) stand around a massive industrial drill that extends into a larger machine off screen. Some are supervising and others are on step ladders working on the drill with tools. Star (offscreen): LOOK AT THEM. Panel 3: One of the Henchmen has a reaction of surprise as a clicking sound happens near his hand. Star (offscreen): THEY ARE TRIANGLES. Panel 4: The drill turns on and whirls around. Most of the Henchmen run away in terror. The one who accidentally turned the drill on falls off its stepladder and another one is sucked into the machine. Star (offscreen): LOOK HOW THEY SCURRY.

Panel 1: Bob (a box robot with a worm sticking out of it) stands within a hanger speaking with Sam (a spherical robot with a mechanical grin). Sam is standing on a step ladder and reaching up towards a triangular fighter jet that is suspended from the ceiling with a wrench in his hand. Bob has his arms out in excitement. Bob: Good news! Fred is making me a tank! Panel 2: Sam turns around to look at Bob. We can see a thought bubble begin to extend into the next panel. Sam: Oh Cool! Like in Space Marmot 64! Panel 3: Sam’s thought bubble, showing the Worm Jet from behind in the air and a tank on the ground as they both fire upon a massive, disembodied face and arms.

Panel 1: Bob (a box robot with a worm sticking out of it) stands in the lab in front of a table where Fred (a stick figure human) is working. Fred spends these panels hammering away at what looks to be tank treads. Bob (waving): How is my tank coming along, Fred? Panel 2: Fred: Slow, like a tank. Panel 3: Bob: So it’s normal for tanks! Panel 4: Fred: Yes. Bob: Hooray!