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If one cabbie disappears to service a single soul, what happens during an emergency…say, a bomb going off on a midtown bus?

This week’s STYX TAXI was a collaboration between myself and my extremely talented brother Dan (of SHOOTING WAR and ACT-I-VATE fame, born out of the idea of how Dispatch could calm an entire swarm of fares, all at once…

You know the song, so “sing along.”

Merry Christmas, everyone! See you in a week for the encore!

Are you slacking, resting or are you fortunate enough to be able to dictate how you will spend this portion of your life? Whatever the case please burn this latest OWT page into your mind. All the preceding pages are here as well, I’m confident you can figure out how to access them.

Gratefully,

Mistuh Dee Double You

Cartoonist Mario Boon of the upcoming series Texas Strangers (Image Comics) said this about this page over at The Engine: “That’s the smartest way to draw lyrics I’ve ever saw. I really get the feeling this is music that is intangible and can really go through you. Kudos! Tthis page would look great as a gigantic poster!

Thanks, Mario!

Catch up HERE, and then it’s on to Page Four:

Come back next Tuesday, December 26, for something special in your stocking - Page Five!

You’ll have to wait another two weeks for the next chapter of STUCK to begin, however, if you’re new here, just checking out STUCK and The Chemistry Set for the first time, then Five X Five is just for you. Five X Five includes a review of the last chapter, an interview between the two creators regarding the past 12 pages and a preview of what’s to come. So without further ado…

Chapter Two Review:

In Chapter Two of STUCK, we meet Frank Pastone, former NYPD, who does his best to take control of the panicked situation on the train. But things go from bad to worse for everyone as Carlos, a teenager, pulls a gun and accidentally shoots someone. As a nurse tries to save his life, Frank holds the teen at bay and tells him that if the passenger dies, so does he.

Five X Five:

Vito asks Tom…

Vito: In Chapter 2, we were introduced to Frank Pastone, NYPD. Or is he? Anyway, Frank just retired from the force the night before and is heading into the city when the train gets stuck. What do you think of his character development throughout the chapter?

Tom: He’s pretty complex: Sickly wife, and that dark side that came out at the
end there.

Vito: When you first drew Frank, you drew him a little older and…shall we say pudgier than what he became. You described him to me as looking like Terrance Stamp in The Limey. What drew you to that movie or to that character that in turn made you think of Frank?

Tom: When that sketch was nixed, Stamp in The Limey was the immediate pairing in         my head. (He’s) quiet, but tough.

Vito: Now, I know I haven’t revealed it to you yet, but I allude to something being wrong with Maddie, Frank’s wife. Any guesses?

Tom: Bedridden. (It) could be a number of things.

Vito: Chapter 2 also introduces a ton of new characters (Jerry Thaler, the news reporter; the teenagers; and Ramona). Any of them stand out to you?

Tom: I like the teenagers. (It’s) too soon to tell though.

Vito: Finally, at least from me, I threw a little curveball at you with the whole gun angle. Did you have any problems with it from a storytelling point of view?

Tom: Nah, I dug it. It really added something to the Frank character.

Tom asks Vito…

Tom: What lead you to go with Frank in this chapter (as the focus)?

Vito: I needed someone who would naturally want to be in control. I figured it’d be between the rookie firefighter (Hector) and the retired cop (Frank), but I went with Frank because I needed to bring a new voice in for the chapter.

Tom: Did you do any research into the NYPD for Stuck? If so how did it color
the character of Frank?

Vito: Not really. I know a lot of cops (some even in my family) that I could figure out what first reactions would be. And I have this great book, Police Procedural, that explains a few things. The part that gave me the biggest problem was the retirement party…where would they actually hold it? So, I made that up.

Tom: Will Shaggy make a cameo?

Vito: Oh, dude…you know I’m a pro. Shaggy ain’t coming anywhere near the N Train. However, we might have a cameo in the near future of a character related to another Chemistry Set comic!

Tom: Will we get to hear more about Frank’s wife in the future?

Vito: Next chapter, actually. She’s not the most important part of the story (as a whole) but she really colors the character of Frank, and that’s why she’s needed.

Tom: What lead to making Frank a newly retired cop?

Vito: Going back to your first question, I needed someone who was going to be an aggressor. Frank had to be the opposite of Eric, who is kind of passive, and he had to be a little more decisive than Hector. All in all, I needed a bad guy, even though he’s not a villain.

Chapter Three Preview:

In Chapter Three, we meet Ramona Lake, a nurse who unlike everyone else on the train, isn’t going to work, but going home after a long shift at NY Methodist Hospital. She is asked to save the life of a passenger who has been shot, but will she be too late?

ALSO:

YOU DECIDE! For the first time since A Death In The Family, two creators are putting the fate of a character in the reader’s hands. Will Wesley, the man who’s been shot, live? Or will he die? Only the fans know! Starting January 1, readers of STUCK will be able to vote on the fate of one of the passengers of STUCK by e-mailing vito@chemsetcomics.com. Votes will be tabulated and the results will be seen on The Chemistry Set on February 26, 2007. Voting will only last for six weeks (until February 5, 2007) and readers will only be given one vote…so make it a good one!

*****

Next Week…something special…

*****

-Tom & Vito

TODT HILL, an adventure strip by Kleid & Colden, updates here every Friday. The dialogue in panels two through four is the exact thing I used to say when I was frustrated as a kid. And now you know.

-Neil

View the Hunt Thus Far

Join the Crew at

To catch up on “Pastrami for the Dead,” click here.

Styx Taxi might be New York’s only taxi service for the dead, but that doesn’t mean they always give the fares what they want. In fact, sometimes it’s in the fares’ best interest to get refused service…

The art gears shift drastically in next week’s story, as we welcome my brother, ACT-I-VATE’s Dan Goldman, for a short but powerful ride with Styx Taxi entitled “Sing Along.” See you then!

Hello children. If you don’t know WTF is happening in this story you should read the story so far. You can do this by clicking the chapter links to your right, neatly arranged by our loving blog daddy Steven Goldman.

Sincerely,

Your Electronic Babysitter

Catch up on Pages One and Two here.
Now, on to Page Three:

Who can it be? Find out on Page Four, next Tuesday, December 19!!

This week, Tom and I are off.  We’ll be back next week with FIVE X FIVE, our review of Chapter 2, a preview of Chapter 3, and an interview between the two of us.  And there’s a big announcement you don’t want to miss.  Really!

Getting with the 21st Century in a hurry, The Chemistry Set is now on both MySpace and ComicSpace. Friend TCS for site updates and other news from our creators!