Zap! (webcomic)

Infobox comic strip
title= Zap!


caption= "Zap!" Volume 1.
author= Chris Layfield
Pascalle C.
url= http://www.zapinspace.com/
rss=
atom=
status=
syndicate=
publisher= Keenspot
first= 2003-07-13
last=
genre= science fiction, comedy
rating=
preceded by=
followed by=

"Zap!", often erroneously referred to as "Zap in Space", is a sci-fi webcomic currently hosted on Keenspot. The series began on 2003-07-13. Since then, it has updated on a relatively stable schedule, with two-or sometimes three-updates a week. The comics are almost universally in color. The comic is co-authored by Chris Layfield and Pascalle C. The webcomic had 333 entries as of March 30, 2007.

"Zap!" was nominated for the 2006 Web Cartoonist's Choice Award for WCCA|2006|Outstanding Science Fiction Comic.

Plot

The plot takes place in an unspecified future. The Galactic Earth Federation, or G.E.F, has steadily grown and conquered planet after planet. They serve as the villains of the story. The story centers, however, around the captain and crew of the spaceship "Excelsior"-the only ship in the galaxy that actually picks its captain. So of course, it picks someone the crew can't stand, Zap Vexler.

Cast

Excelsior

Excelsior is the ship which Zap is captain of. Robot refers to it as a "her", and she is the only ship in the galaxy that chooses its own captain.

Zap Vexler

Captain of the "Excelsior", but no one knows why. Brash and rather obnoxious, Zap came in to the story fleeing from the G.E.F. he has somehow lost his memory; his earliest memories are sitting in a bar three days prior to boarding the "Excelsior", listening to a drunk babble about a Galactic Resistance-and then blaming him when G.E.F. forces arrived. Zap is rather childish, this may be a side effect of memory loss. He constantly argues with Robot and Grontar, and repeatedly hits on Reona. However, he has a more serious side, which manifests mainly in his deep devotion to Reona and his psychic abilities. He forgot his psychic ability along with everything else; however, as the story unfolds, his abilities are revealed as being far above that of an average psychic.

Reona Lightstar

First Mate of the "Excelsior". The only female member of the crew, she has to endure Zap's constant flirting as well as getting the crew out of the various scrapes Zap gets them into. Her former love, Efrem, was the earlier captain of the "Excelsior" and is believed dead, something Reona is still coming to grips with.

Grontar Grott

Grontar is a Quadrillian, a large, strong, four-armed humanoid species. He is the ship's mechanic and is very dedicated to Reona.

Robot

Originally known as XR-7439-Q, but one of Zap's first acts as "captain" was to order the robot to change his hard-to-remember designation to just Robot, for which he has never forgiven Zap. His job is to interface directly with the "Excelcior" (since his persona is male and the ship's is female, this can get rather intimate). Prone to snide comments about the intelligence of his crewmates, especially Zap.

Kasey

Kasey is a Stickle, a lion-like creature, who originates from Sticklebat 7. The other six were, in Kasey's words, "too flammable", and according to Grontar, destroyed by the Stickle's malfunctioning devices. She refers to Robot as "Sparky" and treats him like a superstar. Despite her carefree, happy exterior, she is sad and lonely on the inside.

Galactic Earth Federation

As human territories expanded, they needed to be governed. Humans united under the G.E.F., or Galactic Earth Federation. At first, it was a peaceful federation. However, the G.E.F. became greedy, and began to annex planets by force.

Gunner

An old "friend" of Zap, who is working under the alias of "The Serpent," the former Dean of the Galactic Psychic University, an institute of the G.E.F. His weapon of choice is an old fashion gun, and he uses his psychic powers to amplify his aim.

Collected editions

*"Zap! Volume 1" [http://paypal.keenspot.com/productDisplay.php?SKU16279]

External links

* [http://www.zapinspace.com/ "Zap!" Homepage]

* [http://www.keenspot.com/ Keenspot Homepage]