Author notes

The McGeddons 001

xailenrath

on Jan. 2, 2019

Okay… not so long ago I was having a discussion with a few folks I know, and the conversation turned, as it inevitably does in our get-togethers to the 2 subjects that ALWAYS come up: sex and cartoons.
The sex part is of no consequence.
The cartoon discussion veered into Hanna Barbera territory. Long story short, discussions of The Flintstones and the Jetsons gave birth to an idea.
If the Flintstones were the "Modern Stone-Age Family" and the Jetsons with the Nuclear Family of the Future, I asked: What's next?
HB even took a few stabs at the family unit in other times like The Roman Holidays and such. I figured that the next "modern nuclear family" would take place in an even further future than the Jetsons, but the idea just came out like…. the Jetsons. Maybe on a starship with alien neighbors, I thought, but, I have a fair few space projects on the back burner already. Then, I thought - what if the story took place after an alien invasion. Humans in the future living among the aliens that conquered the planet. I took that one a step further in a "Life During Wartime" idea that would take place during World War 3 - which would be Earth vs the Alien Invasion instead of us all killing EACH OTHER in a nuclear Armageddon.
Then, it hit me- Nuclear Armageddon!
I remembered my childhood when every B movie was about nukes, mutants, the end of the world and random topless chicks screaming. I remembered TROMA!
The modern nuclear family would be heavy on the NUCLEAR, as the backdrop should be post-apocalyptic!
Well, living in the Pacific Northwest, I am definitely sick of the whole "Zombie Apocalypse" thing. Mad Max just had a movie, so I figured dieselpunk/there's no gas but everyone drives muscle cars and monster trucks would be a good way to go. And, as mentioned - TROMA!
Which is where The MacGeddons comes from.
I thought - what if the Flintstones was made by the Troma company?
A sitcom family of radioactive mutants going through every day life after the end of the world.

I figure it'll take place about 250 or 300 years after the big boom.
We've had World War 3, which is when we bombed each other.
World War 4 happened to the survivors a century later when we beat back the alien invasion.
World War 5 happened 30 years after THAT when we beat back that OTHER alien invasion.
Then came the VIRUS, which amped up the mutations. Then a leftover AI from the second alien invasion took over the few computer systems the planet had left/refurbished.
Then the demons broke into our reality. They didn't stick around. Post apocalyptic Earth was too much like hell. There was no point. Still, a couple of them were the basis of a new religion or 2, so there's that.

Then, there was peace. A very creepy, psychological thriller type of peace, which allowed humans (or what passed for humanity at that point) to do what they always do when things settle down after a clusterfuck - they began to try to rebuild society exactly the way it was before.
(I HATE that about apocalypse stories. Don't get me started on The Matrix!)

Anyway, cut to about 212 years after that and we have our setting.

-Slabb McGeddon is a hardworking insurance salesman. Of course, nowadays "insurance" is in the vein of The Mob's version of insurance, thus, he works for a corporation called "Mobbko"… As in "Nice fledgling business you got here - in Mobbko Territory. It'd be a shame if something unfortunate happened to it. Just sign this Mobbko Insurance policy and kick back 15% of your profits and you'll be protected from your enemies, OUR enemies and any unfortunate mishaps". Despite what he does for a living (which is, of course just business in a terrible future) he is a doting father and husband.

-Malignancy McGeddon, his wife, (everyone calls her 'Nancy') Works in the real estate business. She and her team scout out prime locations to either 'recycle' for the purpose of housing people, or kill the monsters that may dwell there so that new buildings may be built. She makes a good living and thus, has a degree of status in the community.

-Mandible McGeddon, aka "Mandi" is the eldest daughter. She is in the 15th grade, that is to say that she is a Senior in the current version of the American Educational System. She is about to turn 21, and is obsessed with popularity. She has been just on the cusp of being one of the "cool" girls at school, but never quite made it. This is her last year of school and her last chance to be socially popular. She finds herself constantly having to choose between her siblings plus her one, true friend at school and impressing the cool girls, whom, you may have guessed, are MEAN Girls.

-Ragnarok McGeddon, aka Rocki is an 18 year old middle child tomboy who likes fast cars with loud engines, the local Crushball team and what passes for fast food in their society.She's as close to normal as you're likely to meet, in both demeanor and looks. She's practically all-human, save for the reptile claw that is her left arm. Socially, the more human you look, the more status you have in various parts of the community. Rocki is popular and well-liked all around town… which drives her sister, Mandi nuts!

-Tricycle Trinity Triplet McGeddon, aka "Tryke" is the youngest of the brood, yet the largest. He takes after his dad in that regard. Though imposing of stature and very strong, he is actually a bit of an introvert. He possesses high intelligence and has a bit of a bohemian side. He enjoys creating things, reading and is pretty handy around a workbench. As such, his family and friends seems to take him for granted whenever something needs to be repaired.

Slabb's family tree is infested with reptilian DNA and it manifests itself in him and his kids. He is a 6'9" dragon of a man with a crocodile tail, horns and a reptilian right arm. One of his eyes is lizard-like, and though skin colored, his left arm is scaly. His daughter, Mandi looks perfectly human - from the neck down. She's a lovely blonde girl with a huge maw of row upon row of sharp, crocodilian teeth and 2 large mandibles on either side of her mouth with tusks jutting upward. Rocki takes after her dad with one strong scaly arm. Mom Nancy also looks almost completely human, save for her 3 eyes. They are somewhat light sensitive, but, Nancy can see in complete darkness and has almost preternaturally excellent vision both near and far.
Tryke gets his strength and size from his dad and his multiple eyes from his mom. Of course, those multiple eyes rest on multiple heads. Tryke has 3 heads and 3 arms. Despite his multiple craniums, he is just one boy with just one personality. It is conjected that having 3 brains is what makes him very intelligent. His back is somewhat humped, and when medical tech once again reaches the point that the medical profession is once again up to par, an x-ray or catscan would reveal that Tryke has a 4th, or "junction" brain just inside the armor plating on his back, the processes the information his brain receives just a bit differently than most folks.

In this apocalyptic future society, the more human you look, the more social status your are afforded. The McGeddons are a bit bizarre looking, but are a bit more human looking than most of the denizens of "Villeburgtownton", the city they live in (which, in the "Before Times" was known as Jacksonville, Florida.)

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