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Posted on Jul 08, 2004 - 02:32 AM by Admin |
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If the future could be this cool, Marty McFly might have parked the DeLorean and never came back! Creator Alex Bernstein’s Prom On Mars offers a fun and unique look at the future - a look unlike anything you’ve ever seen before! Imagine The Legion Of Superheroes meets “American Pie“, and you’ll get an idea of Prom On Mars - guaranteed retro-future fun!
In addition to being THE Comic Fanatic, I have loved science fiction for as long as I can remember. I won’t even begin to tell you how much of a Star Wars fan I am, or how the largest room in my house isn’t our bedroom - but rather a Star Wars “toy room.” But I love a good sci-fi, futuristic tale, especially when it comes to comic books.
One of the very first comic books that I ever owned was an old copy of Superboy & The Legion Of Superheroes. My cousin sold me that classic comic for the family rate of a dime at a yard sale. To this day, I still have that issue and still read it on occasion. That comic was largely responsible for my love of not only sci-fi comics, but also futuristic tales.
As a kid, those futuristic tales fed my imagination and gave me something to look forward to. At the time, we all knew that by the time we graduated high school we would be getting around in flying cars and every house would have a robot or two of their own. Now that I have grown older and those futuristic imaginations haven’t panned out like I dreamed they would, those futuristic tales are simply a means of escape from the grim reality of the “real world.”
Creator Alex Bernstein contacted me and asked if I would be interested in taking a look at Prom On Mars. After a quick look at the Prom On Mars website, I was waiting impatiently by my mailbox for this book to arrive. And I wasn’t disappointed! Stunned and impressed, yes! Disappointed? No.
Prom On Mars chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Liz and the seniors of Liberty High in the year 2053. The teens’ biggest ambition is to make it to the prom, which just happens to be on the planet Mars. Along the way, we discover that this future is much different than anyone could have ever imagined! Well, anyone but Bernstein!
One of the first things that you will notice about this future is that teenage sexual activity has become more acceptable by society. It is so acceptable, that high school students 16 years of age and older can get temporarily sterilized as a method of birth control. And with sexually transmitted diseases virtually wiped out, sex has become a commercialized, competitive sporting event along the lines of football! And Liz’s classmate Lena Crane is the star sex athlete at Liberty High!
Before traveling to Mars for the prom, the students must go over the proper Martian etiquette. The kids must remember not to stare into the Martians’ third eye, never refer to Martian as a “Skewhead”, don’t forget to tip their Martian waitresses and most importantly, never have sex with a Martian!
Bernstein fills this adventure with tons of hilarious pop culture tidbits and even more unique futuristic vernacular. The teens spout such words as conch, double-conch, Montrose and Kukla for things that are cool. And in the place of obscenities, the teens utter such words as frap, double-frap, frappucino and krank!
As for the pop culture references, the teens enjoy such drinks as a Waco Blaster, a Condoleeza Rice Milk, a Grape Unabomber and a Cheney Colada! And for the ultimate surprise of the future, check out which United States President addresses the Liberty Senior Class: President Chelsea!!
As you can probably gather, Prom On Mars is a lot of fun. A lot of this can be credited to a great cast of characters. Bernstein has covered most of the Hollywood stereotypes when it comes to a teen movie: Liz is the likable main character and senior class president; Lena is the character most of the male Comic Fanatics will fall for…the sex athlete; Marc is the loser and depressive of the group; Wade is a sexually confused young woman; Mel is Liz's best friend; Bick is the jock; Kari is the weird chick with the wild hair and clothing; and Claire is the homely looking student protester.
The art of Prom On Mars defines this story almost as much as the imaginative and creative writing. Originally Bernstein put together Prom On Mars using clip art. Now, Bernstein illustrates this story in a unique manner that at times resembles clip art. It’s this art that gives this book its charming retro-future feel, and reminds me of those classic comics of decades gone by.
One of the first things I thought after reading Prom On Mars was that this would make a great movie. Perhaps “American Pie In Space!” It should come as no surprise that Prom On Mars was originally a screenplay, although that story was apparently a much darker tale where everyone died in the end! As much as I enjoyed this lighthearted, fun look at the future, Bernstein’s writing here is so creative, I would love to get a look at the “dark side” version of Prom On Mars, as well!
Prom On Mars is one of the most imaginative looks at the future that I have ever seen. Filled with memorable characters and hilarious pop culture references, Prom On Mars is a bright, intelligent story with endless possibilities. This is certainly a future I never would have imagined as a young Comic Fanatic. However, this future is so much fun, you would have to believe that if Marty McFly dropped in, he might never have wanted to make it back from this future!
Prom On Mars has been running online for over a year at Prom On Mars.Com, where Comic Fanatics can find the latest strips for free. The first 46 strips have been collected in a book, Prom On Mars: Volume 1. This book has a limited press run and for a limited time can be purchased online at Prom On Mars.Com for $3.95.
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