A Decade Dent In Existence....

Adam Smith's oblique Transformers' comic reference.

How about that, ay, Khaki Shorts hits 10 years old this week (and that's discounting the 4 earlier issues dating back to 1999)! 10 years since the title returned for its second (of three) runs!

The plucky "mascot" (never to be seen again until the final issue).

It was a chance meeting in Futureshock in July 2004 that sealed the comic's fate, both Adam Smith and Rob Miller's (familiar faces from SCCAM meets of '99) trains of mutual thought colliding on the spot. "We should do a comic!". Against all the odds of sanity this conversation then continued....

Elexender Browne, page 1, "Straight in with the inks".

It'd be that winter that Rob'd settle down to conjure up what'd morph/escalate/drag on into the long running Elexender Browne (a strip Smith credits as inspiring him, showing the possibilities of what could be achieved). Of course, this then inspired Miller to rattle out/carefully craft even more pages right away. Over those initial 7 Browne pages - intended to be printed 1 per issue, but eventually bundled together as a full block - you can see the work gradually morph from the tried and untested "straight in with the inks" approach to, er, the more forgiving "actually pencilled" norm....

Elexender Browne, page 7, "actually pencilled".

As a comeback it was certainly a very mixed bag - the comic would take a few more issues to successfully find it's feet, the core of other creators, including Neil Bratchpiece, Iain Smith and Mark Murphy (noted as being on holiday at the time) taking an issue or two to really hit their stride. Baz and Gaz (by Neil), The Amazing Adventures of Karn (by Iain), Ballboy and Colin Cornflake (by Adam) all put in rough around the edge appearances....

From "Cool and the Gang" by Adam Smith

The interiors wrapped with another strip that would become a mainstay over the comics' run, Star Trudge (by Rob), which introduced us to the crew of the U.S.S. Cancellation, "....caught in a boring story-arc destined to run a minimum of 1,000 strips" (it lasted a modest 50 pages in all).

Captain Reddy Meel makes his debut!

Rounding off the issue was Adam's intepretation of his band, The Plimptons, song "Jolly Top Hat" (the video should be embedded here but' y'know how it sometimes is or indeed isn't....). This strip in itself would inspire Glasgow's mighty underground force of nature, Curt Sibling, who delivered a cracking JTH cover and "reboot" of the strip for the 9th issue....

As to which of these strips have made the cull for the - DRUM ROLL PRECEDING INCREDIBLE IMPENDING ANNOUNCEMENT! - The Khollected Khaki Shorts, well, you'll just have to buy it this summer and find out. Early days yet, but here's a sneak peek at the *not final artwork* cover, featuring another eventual mainstay, Boy Mindless (by Adam)....