Author notes

056 - "Hel-lo, Tits and Ass!"

El Cid

on March 23, 2016

Yup, we went all out with the casting for this project. If you look real close at the first panel, you might spot a celebrity… yup, that's right. The T-800 robot from 'Terminator!' He's way in the background. Well, okay, so actually that's his colorful robot cousin. He's from San Francisco. Fun guy!

You're also probably wondering by now why the heck is everybody drinking out of glass bubbles with sippy straws. Well, there's a good reason. Actually, no, there is no good reason. It's a very dumb reason, and now I must reveal my latest moment of shame.

When I was conceptualizing this scene, I realized that on Triton, because of the low gravity, liquids would be splashier. So in order for people to drink without sloshing stuff all over their expensive outfits, I decided they should drink out of some kind of covered cup. And also, because things fall slower, drinking a liquid might be like trying to drink a milk shake. So I gave them sippy straws. And that's how they ended up drinking out of glass Easter eggs.

But as it turns out, that was all unnecessary. I later learned from a transcript of the Apollo 10 moon mission that Gene Cernan very specifically remarks on how easy it was to drink liquids from a cup while on the moon, as opposed to drinking through a drink bag or squirt gun while in space. Triton has about half the moon's gravity, but still, I think they probably don't need the egg glasses and sippy straws. That one's my bad.



As an aside, there's a hilarious portion of the Apollo 10 transcript where the astronauts on board – Tom Stafford, Gene Cernan, and John Young – are interrupted mid-conversation by an unexpected visitor:

—

Stafford: “Oh – who did it?”

Young: “Who did what?”

Cernan: "Where did that come from?"

Stafford: "Get me a napkin quick. There's a turd floating through the air."

Young: "I didn't do it. It ain't one of mine."

Cernan: "I don't think it's one of mine."

Stafford: "Mine was a little more sticky than that. Throw that away."

Young: "God Almighty"

. . .

Cernan: "Here's another goddam turd. What's the matter with you guys? Here, give me a –"

(laughter from Young and Stafford)

Stafford: "It was just floating around?"

Cernan: "Yes."

Stafford (laughing): "Mine was stickier than that."

Young: "Mine was too. It hit that bag –"

Cernan: "I don't know whose that is. I can neither claim it nor disclaim it (laughter)."

Young: "What the hell is going on here?"

—

So… yeah. I did write Gene Cernan numerous times to get his opinion on whether he felt an egg shaped glass would be useful for a moon mission. It took weeks of intrepid pursuit, but he finally did write back to me:



I've taken enough of your time. Good day to you, madams and sirs.