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each in his own unique way

Captain Carrot manages to stop the plane

a quick recap

Pig-Iron

the circumstances of his transformation

her secret origin

the “Reptilian Rocket” has his own origin story

how they gained their superpowers

Starro The Conqueror

successfully attack and subdue Starro

CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW

illustrated and signed by the great Jack (YAK YAK) Davis

a strip-ad

Writer/editor Roy Thomas was born on November 22, 1940 in the state of Missouri. A devoted comic book reader as a child, Roy was one of the most influential individuals in early 1960s comic book fandom, and was also one of the first fans to penetrate the world of professional comic books. With Dr. Jerry Bails, he created the seminal comic book fanzine, ALTER EGO After graduating college in 1961, Roy initially worked as a teacher for four years. During this time, Roy began writing a few comic book stories -- on a freelance basis -- for Charlton Comics; “The Second Trojan War” in SON OF VULCAN No. 50, January, 1966 was his first credited story to see print long after it was actually written, with “The Eye Of Horus” in BLUE BEETLE No. 54 (March, 1966). Then he wrote a “Jimmy Olsen” story for notorious DC “Superman” editor Mort Weisinger, but when he relocated from the St. Louis area to New York City to work for Weisinger, he only lasted for eight days before he reconsidered a job offer from Marvel’s Stan Lee, took a writing test and switched employers. Shortly thereafter, Roy was given the title and duties of “editorial assistant”. It wasn’t long before Roy was writing a lot of material for Marvel, including stories for MODELING WITH MILLIE, TALES OF SUSPENSE (on “Iron Man”), PATSY AND HEDY and STRANGE TALES (on “Dr. Strange”). Stan Lee was evidently pleased with Roy’s writing, because in April, 1966, he became the regular writer on Marvel’s SGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS with X-MEN and THE AVENGERS following soon after that. Eventually, “Rascally Roy” would write every one of Marvel’s top characters, and he created or co-created quite a few new ones as well, including Man-Thing, the Defenders, Ghost Rider, Iron Fist, Brother Voodoo and the Invaders, as well as conceiving the new X-Men -- which he regarded as an international, mutant version of DC’s Blackhawks! But in addition to his work on characters in the so-called “Marvel Universe”, Roy was integral in convincing Stan Lee and publisher Martin Goodman into licensing Robert E. Howard’s pulp hero, Conan the barbarian, Lancer paperback collections of which were enjoying renewed popularity at the time. Although something of a risk, Roy’s collaboration with British Barry Smith on CONAN THE BARBARIAN produced some of the most exciting comics of the early 1970s. These led to an entire line of “Conan” and Robert E. Howard-related comic books and magazines -- including one starring sexy RED SONJA, drawn by Frank Thorne -- all supervised (and mostly written) by Roy. In 1972, when Stan Lee became the publisher of Marvel Comics, Roy assumed the position of Editor-In-Chief, but stepped down after only two years, preferring to write and edit his own books. He also created and edited Marvel’s WHAT IF -- ? series, the eighth issue of which featured a humorous back-up funny animal story, “What If A Radioactive Human Had Bitten A Spider?”, written and drawn by Scott Shaw! (which in many ways, eventually led to the creation of CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW!) Roy was also responsible for bringing George Lucas’ STAR WARS (1977) into Marvel’s fold, and STAR WARS No. 1, written by Roy, is very likely the best selling single issue that Marvel ever published, one that may have prevented the company from shutting its doors forever. In 1981, Roy left Marvel due to problems with controversial new EIC Jim Shooter and began working for DC Comics under a three-year exclusive deal. There, he worked on WONDER WOMAN, revived the Justice Society Of America as part of his new ALL-STAR SQUADRON, and co-created ARAK, SON OF THUNDER with Ernie Colon, INFINITY, INC. with Jerry Ordway and CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW! with Scott Shaw! (with input by Gerry Conway). But in 1985, Roy returned working for Marvel on such titles as DOCTOR STRANGE, THE MIGHTY THOR, WEST COAST AVENGERS and, of course, CONAN THE BARBARIAN. He also began to expand his efforts, not only for other comic book publishers such as Hero, Topps, First, Heroic and Dynamite, among others, as well as writing for television and films. In 1998, Roy revived ALTER EGO as a slick magazine published by TwoMorrows, which in 2007, received the Eisner Award for “Best Publication About Comics”. Roy is currently doing a number of projects for and relating to Marvel Comics, including adaptations of classic literature, MYSTIC ARCANA (a new mini-series starring “The Black Knight”) and THE MARVEL VAULT, a book on some of the more obscure details of Marvel’s history. Roy Thomas has been awarded the Alley Award (1969, “Best Writer”) and three Shazam Awards (1971, “Best Writer”; 1973 “Best Individual Story”; and 1974, “Superior Achievement By An Individual”). Roy lives in South Carolina with his lovely and talented wife Dann and a menagerie of animals both domestic and exotic. He also serves on the board of the Hero Initiative, a charitable organization that provides financial aid to comic book artists in need.

Cartoonist Ross Andru was born on June 15, 1927 in Cleveland, Ohio. Attending New York City’s School Of Visual Arts, the Music and Arts High School and the Cartoonists and Illustrators School, Ross initially thought he would go into animation, but his first professional gig came along in 1948 in the form of print media, ghosting the Sunday syndicated newspaper comic strip TARZAN for Burne Hogarth. Three years later, eager to produce their own comic books, Ross and his life-long friend and partner-in-cartooning. Mike Esposito, formed “MR Publications” in 1951. The fledgling company published two titles, MR. UNIVERSE, a comic about a JOE PALOOKA-like wrestler, and MR. MYSTERY, a horror comic hosted by a dapper man in a top hat and tails. Unfortunately, the influence of the newly-formed Comics Code Authority hastened MR Publications’ early demise. They also worked on JOE YANK for Standard Comics, as well as drawing romance comics for Ziff-Davis (1951), Hillman (1952), Pines (1952 - 1954) and Fawcett. In 1952,  the creative team of Andru and Esposito began working for DC Comics. They illustrated writer/editor Robert Kanigher’s first “Sgt. Rock” story in OUR ARMY AT WAR, as well as working on dozens of other war stories for ALL AMERICAN MEN AT WAR, GI COMBAT, OUR FIGHTING FORCES and STAR SPANGLED WAR STORIES (which later featured their much-loved “soldiers-Vs.-dinosaurs-in-WWII” series, “The War That Time Forgot”). Still restless to control their own product, Andru and Esposito once again struck out on their own in 1954, this time with “Mikeross Publications”. Together, they created one of the very best MAD imitations, GET LOST!, as well as a line of well-produced romance comics, including 3-D LOVE, 3-D ROMANCE and HEART AND SOUL. Despite the high quality of these comics, they met with immediate failure, due to a legal threat from EC (the publisher of MAD) and the over-saturation and short fad-life of 3-D comics. Again, it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Back at DC with Kanigher, Andru and Esposito co-created “Metal Men”, “Suicide Squad” and “Rip Hunter, Time Master”, as well as drawing his stories for WONDER WOMAN for a decade. Later, in the late 1960s, Ross and Mike drew THE FLASH for DC editor Julius Schwartz (after Carmine Infantino left the feature) and the WORLD’S FINEST duo of Superman and Batman. In 1972, Ross left DC for Marvel Comics, where he drew THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, FANTASTC FOUR, MARVEL TEAM-UP, DOC SAVAGE, SHANNA THE SHE-DEVIL, SUB-MARINER, KING KULL and even NOT BRAND ECHH, among others. While working on THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN with Marv Wolfman, John Romita, Sr. and Ross  co-created “The Punisher”, as a take-off of Don Pendleton’s never-ending line of “Executioner” paperback novels. In 1972, Andru and Esposito took a break from Marvel Comics to make a third -- if equally unsuccessful -- attempt to break away from the major comic book companies. Under the name “Klevart Enterprises”, they published, edited, wrote and drew a satire magazine to compete with MAD, CRACKED and THE NATIONAL LAMPOON. Bearing the Oddball title UP YOUR NOSE AND OUT YOUR EAR. Some of the magazine’s continuing Oddball characters were “Garlic Man”, “Thelma Of The Apes” and “Count Varicose”. Unfortunately, only two issues were published; supposedly, the title and a character named “Joe Snow” led their distributor to believe the magazine was somehow advocating the use of cocaine! Ross also drew a few stories for Skywald during this period. In 1976. Andru penciled the tabloid-size (and historic) SUPERMAN VS. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, jointly published by Marvel and DC. In 1978, Ross returned to DC, editing a number of titles and drawing many covers. The following year, with writer Marv Wolfman and inker Mike Esposito, Ross co-created a short-lived syndicated newspaper comic strip, THE UNEXPLAINED; all his life, Ross had been interested in Fortean phenomena. In the 1980s, Ross returned to drawing comics, including JONAH HEX, VIGILANTE and BLUE BEETLE; he also drew all the Clark Kent/Superman figures in the first two stories starring Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew. Ross attempted to venture into self-publishing once  again in 1990, but failed before funding could be found. In 1993, he and Mike Esposito re-teamed on Archie Comics’ ZEN, INTERGALACTIC NINJA. Ross Andru died on November 9, 1993. In 2007, Hermes Press published PARTNERS FOR LIFE, a book written by Dan Best and Mike Esposito about the lives and careers of Andru and Esposito.

Cartoonist Scott Shaw! -- yes, that exclamation point is a part of his name -- was born in Queens Borough, New York City, New York on September 4, 1951. He is living proof of gonzo journalist’s Hunter S. Thompson’s statement: “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” An experienced professional cartoonist/writer in the fields of comic books, animation and advertising, Scott has also worked as a comic book retailer, and remains a reader, collector and fan of cartooning in all its forms.  Scott’s first published comic story appeared in the underground comic book GORY STORIES QUARTERLY. After writing and drawing a number of stories for other underground and “ground level” comix, including FEAR AND LAUGHTER (Kitchen Sink); QUACK! (Star*Reach); and WILD ANIMALS (Pacific), he went on to work on such titles as HANNA-BARBERA’S THE FLINTSTONES (Marvel and Harvey); HANNA-BARBERA’S YOGI BEAR (Marvel and Harvey); HANNA-BARBERA’S LAFF-A-LYMPICS (Marvel); WHAT IF -- ? (Marvel); and DESTROYER DUCK (Eclipse). With Roy Thomas, he co-created the funny animal superhero series, CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW! (DC). Scott went on to work as a writer, penciler or inker (and sometimes, all three) on a diverse assortment of comic books, including SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (Archie), MIGHTY MUTANIMALS (Archie); TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MEET THE CONSERVATION CORPS (Archie); WHO’S WHO: THE DEFINITIVE DIRECTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE (DC); USAGI YOJIMBO (Fantagraphics); DUCKMAN (Topps); DONALD DUCK ADVENTURES (Disney); BETTY AND VERONICA (Archie); LITTLE ARCHIE (Archie); RADIOACTIVE MAN 80-PAGE COLOSSAL (Bongo); SIMPSONS COMICS (Bongo), BART SIMPSON COMICS (Bongo), BART SIMPSON’S TREEHOUSE OF HORRORS (Bongo), TEX AVERY’S COMICS AND STORIES (Dark Horse); DROOPY (Dark Horse); SCREWBALL SQUIRREL (Dark Horse); BURGER KING KIDS CLUB COMICS (Burger King); GO-GO GORILLA AND THE JUNGLE SQUAD (Ape Entertainment): THE BIG BOOK OF URBAN LEGENDS (Paradox); THE BIG BOOK OF LOSERS (Paradox); SPARK GENERATORS (Slave Labor); SUPERMAN & BATMAN: WORLD’S FUNNEST (DC); the autobiographical anthology STREETWISE (Two Morrows); LOONEY TUNES (DC); and WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY (Wildstorm). In a related field, he’s worked on the syndicated comic strip incarnations of BUGS BUNNY and WOODSY OWL. Scott has also contributed articles to the magazines THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR, GEEK MONTHLY, COMIC BOOK MARKETPLACE, THE COMIC BUYERS’ GUIDE and THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE. He also created, assembled and wrote the copy for a thirty-two card set of ODDBALL COMICS TRADING CARDS (Kitchen Sink Press) (1994) and an ODDBALL COMICS CALENDAR (Avalanche Press) (1995). His hilarious Oddball Comics on-line feature, spotlighting "the craziest comic books ever published," can be viewed every Monday only at http://www.oddballcomics.com and is the basis for an upcoming book. In addition to comic books, Scott has made his mark on animated cartoons. Recent animation projects include DUCK DODGERS, WHAT’S NEW, SCOOBY DOO?, JAKE LONG: AMERICAN DRAGON, KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG, DANGER RANGERS and CLASS OF 3000.  He wrote gags and sequences for The Walt Disney Company’s direct-to-video production, MICKEY’S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS; before that, he performed similar duties on the direct-to-DVD MULAN II. He was the producer/director of John Candy’s CAMP CANDY (DIC; NBC and syndicated) and the co-producer/art director of Martin Short’s THE COMPLETELY MENTAL MISADVENTURES OF ED GRIMLEY (Hanna-Barbera Productions; NBC). Continuing the SCTV connection, he worked with Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis on a new “McKenzie Brothers” cartoon for the Internet. Scott also worked for eight seasons as a writer, storyboard director and character designer on JIM HENSON’S MUPPET BABIES (Marvel Productions; CBS) and was a storyboard director and designer on GARFIELD AND FRIENDS (Film Roman; CBS). He also has done work on MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM (AKA GRIMMY) (Film Roman, CBS); HEY ARNOLD! (Nickelodeon); TEAMO SUPREMO (Disney), CHANNEL UMPTEE-3 (Sony; KidsWB); DEXTER’S LABORATORY (Hanna-Barbera; Cartoon Network); WOODY WOODPECKER (Duck Soup/ Universal; FoxKIDS); SECRET FILES OF THE SPY DOGS (Saban; FoxKIDS); FAMILY GUY (Film Roman; FoxKIDS); FANTASTIC FOUR (New World Animation; syndicated); CRO (Film Roman; ABC); SANTO BUGITO (Klasky-Csupo; CBS); THE TANGERINE BEAR (Hyperion; direct-to-video); and MIGHTY MOUSE, (Stan Lee Media) among many others. Scott has worked on many other cartoon favorites, including the Jetsons; Huckleberry Hound; Alvin and the Chipmunks; Droopy; Inspector Gadget; Yogi Bear; Popeye; the Smurfs; the Pink Panther; Scooby-Doo; Kwickie Koala: the Snorks; Monster Tails; The Bungle Brothers; Casper the Friendly Ghost; and many, many others.  As Senior Art Director for the Los Angeles office of the Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency (1992 - 2000), Scott co-created, designed, storyboarded, laid out, and art directed all the animated commercials for Post Cereals, including Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles and Cinna-Crunch Pebbles (all featuring his favorite cartoon characters, The Flintstones), Post Alpha-Bits and Post Marshmallow Alpha-Bits. He also designed many of the cereals’ in-pack premium giveaways. Other commercial clients have included MacDonalds, Burger King, Denny’s, Purina, Hardees’, Carl’s Jr., The Walt Disney Company, Kellogg’s, Pepsi, The Department of Defense, Keebler, Rhino Records, Days Inn, Draft General Foods, Jim Henson Productions, Buena Vista Home Video, Bedrock Press, Discovery Zone, Folger’s Coffee, Power Dogz Pizza and many more. Recently, Scott has added to his resumé by designing well-received lines of action figures of Hanna-Barbera and SIMPSONS characters for McFarlane Toys. For 10 years, Scott was one of the handful of local comic fans who gathered together to organize the first San Diego Comic-Con, the biggest convention of its type in the world, now known as Comic-Con International, currently in its 31st year. A regular guest there, Scott has become known for performing his popular Oddball Comics slide show and MC’ing the convention’s annual Inkpot Awards ceremony. Scott has received four Emmy Award certificates (for Story Direction on JIM HENSON’S MUPPET BABIES); an Eisner Award (for his work on BART SIMPSON’S TREEHOUSE OF HORRORS No. 5 (for Best Humor Publication), an Eisner Award for his work on SIMPSONS COMICS (1999, for Best Publication For Younger Readers) The San Diego Comic-Con’s Inkpot Award (for Outstanding Achievements in Comic Books and Animation); The Humanitas Award (for CAMP CANDY); The Shazam Award (for Best Comic Book Humor Art) and, a Squiddy Award for SUPERMAN & BATMAN: WORLD’S FUNNEST. He was nominated for the Eisner Award for his set of ODDBALL COMICS TRADING CARDS (Best Comics-Related Product); the Reuben Award, (Television Animation Division) and the Annie Award (For Outstanding Art Direction.) Scott is a member of the National Cartoonists Society, the Comic Art Professional Society and the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Local 839, IATSE.  Born in New York City and raised in San Diego, Scott currently lives in Sherman Oaks, California with his wife Judith and son Kirby, along with their Border Collie and three black cats. Scott is currently finishing drawing CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARK, a three-issue mini-series for DC Comics, and writing and drawing stories for Bongo Comics’  SIMPSONS COMICS and BART SIMPSON COMICS. When he’s not writing, drawing or spending time with his family and friends, Scott collects comic books, original comic and animation art, vintage toys, action figures, videos of obscure 1950s monster movies and Hawaiian shirts.

This issue’s 27-page “Captain Carrot And His Amazing Zoo Crew!” cover-story is “The Pluto Syndrome!”, written by Roy Thomas, penciled by Ross Andru and Scott Shaw!, inked by Bob Smith, colored by Carl Gafford, lettered by Todd Klein and edited by Dick Giordano. A continuation  of “This Bunny Unbound!”, a 16-page “preview pullout” in DC’s NEW TEEN TITANS No. 16 (February, 1982), this story begins as Captain  Carrot and his new human friend -- one that he insists on calling “Supermax” -- travel across a cartoon version of Metropolis (called Gnu York City), each in his own unique way:

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
I tell you, CAPTAIN CARROT -- you’ll never be able to KEEP UP with me!

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
When I want some STATIC, Supermax, I’ll turn on a RADIO! You just LEAD THE WAY, okay?

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
The name’s SUPERMAN -- and I still can’t quite BELIEVE this! Me -- the only HUMAN BEING, in a world of FUNNY-ANIMALS!

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
Watch who you’re calling FUNNY, Five-Fingers!

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
It’s just a figure of speech, friend! On MY version of Earth, we call creatures like you -- GREAT KRYPTON!

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
WEIRD name for a whole SPECIES, pal…but it’s YOUR world, so I guess you can call --

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
No, I mean -- LOOK THERE!

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
Leapin’ legumes!

Our heroes react as an odd beam of light strikes from above a passenger jet from “Trans-Woof Airlines”:

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
It’s that strange RAY FROM SPACE that hit us before -- the one that originates from the planet PLUTO! It’s striking that plane!

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
>Ulp!< D’you suppose it’s doing the same thing to the PEOPLE inside that it did to -- ?

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
I keep FORGETTING you don’t have X-RAY VISION, Captain.

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
Stop rubbing it in! What do you SEE?

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
The PILOTS -- at least I guess that’s what they were -- have started acting like REAL ANIMALS!

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
Listen, CHARACTER ASSASSINATION’S never a good way to --

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
NO, I mean they no longer know how to FLY A PLANE -- and being an OSTRICH and a KIWI, they sure never knew how to fly THEMSELVES!

Captain Carrot tries to stop the plunging jet plane, but accidentally sends it into a spin. Superman grabs its fuselage from below, but suddenly suffers a bout of dizziness, similar to what he experienced earlier (in DC’s NEW TEEN TITANS No. 16) and drops the aircraft, which skids along the tarmac, out of control and headed directly toward the airport’s terminal. Although the strain is incredible, Captain Carrot manages to stop the plane mere inches away from the traveler-filled building, digging a trench in the tarmac in the process. Then, after a quick recap of the events of NEW TEEN TITANS No. 16 -- including how carrots exposed to the radiation from one of six special meteorite fragments gave comic book artist Roger Rodney Rabbit superpowers -- Superman and Captain Carrot once again attempt to penetrate the space barrier separating our Earth and that of Roger Rodney Rabbit. But after a number of tries, the Man Of Steel finds himself trapped in the barrier…and then disappears! Captain Carrot goes after him, but he merely bounces off of the mysterious barrier. As Captain Carrot plummets toward the ground that’s miles below, he has some final thoughts pm becoming a superhero:

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
Boy! There’s a lot MORE to this SUPER-HERO thing than I realized when I was just drawing SUPER-SQUIRREL! Maybe after I LAND, I can figure out a better way to -- HUH? “After I LAND”!? That reminds me of one little DIFFERENCE between Supermac and me…Namely, I CAN’T FLY! I’m not even INVULNERABLE like he is -- only HARD-HEADED! When I HIT, people are gonna find a HARE in their soup -- from Gnu York to Follywood! That’ll be ME, all OVER! And there’s just one thing I’d like to KNOW before I die. Do HUMAN BEINGS think up stupid puns t a time like this?

But instead of turning into sky-tossed street pizza, Captain Carrot is caught by the city of Piggsburgh’s newest superhero, Pig-Iron. The Porcine Powerhouse introduces himself and even relates the circumstances of his transformation from the former Peter Porkchops (a star in his own right in earlier DC comics stories and now a steelworker) -- into a living metal superhero:

PIG-IRON (PETER PORKCHOPS):
I was just plain ol’ PETER PORKCHOPS, dumping limestone in a vat at the local STEEL MILL…when a GLOWING ROCK bopped me INTO the goopy stuff! We BOTH fell in -- but I’M the only thing that came back out! I happened to stop a local BABK ROBBERY a little later…and that’s how I wound up on the EYEWITLESS NEWS!

Captain Carrot and Pig-Iron decide to locate the other four new superheroes they’ve seen on television. The first of these, super-sorceress Alley-Kat-Abra turns up in the southern city of Mew Orleans, where she’s part of its big Mardi Gras parade. When another of those space rays from Pluto bathes the costumed parade participants, they revert to animalistic behavior, and its up to Captain Carrot, Pig-Iron and Alley-Kat-Abra to quell their rampage. Afterwards, she offers up the tale of her secret origin:

ALLEY-KAT-ABRA (FELINA FURR):
Well, my REAL name is FELINA FURR -- and I’m what they call in the trade a MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTOR…meaning, I get PAID to kick people instead of doin’ it gratis. In what I laughingly refer to as my spare time, I also READ a bit…MYSTIC stuff, mostly. Today, I was MEDITATING -- contemplating my chalkboard-pointer and navel, in that order -- when this hunk of NEON ROCK landed right in my TABBACHI! My guess is, it gave both ME and my WAND some kind of MAGICAL POWERS…though I’m not straight on just what we CAN do, and what we CAN’T.

Alley-Kat-Abra whips up a magic spell of transportation that whisks them off to the flatlands of Kornsas, where they find Fastback, a super-speedy turtle who’s using his powers to unravel tornados. Once again, the “Reptilian Rocket” has his own origin story to relate:

FASTBACK (TIMMY-JOE TERRAPIN):
Y’see, I always been a mite SLOW for holdin’ down a STEADY JOB. My LAST one was with the Tallahatchee FIRE DEE-partment…so I headed WEST…I was hurryin’ to catch the BUS TO ABALONE, when this li’l ol’ PEBBLE glowin’ like a LIGHTNING-BUG dropped down my shell….All of a sudden-like, I found out I could RUN LIKE SIXTY…if’n the speed limit wasn’t 55!

Once again, Alley-Kat-Abra uses her magic to transport the group to Follywood, Califurnia, where the last two meteor fragments fell to Earth. (Fastback races them there; they wind up in a dead heat), but once there, they witness another of those space-rays having its way with the local populace:

NARRATIVE CAPTION:
Ah, yes -- the good ol’ L. A. FREAKWAY SYSTEM -- marvel of modern engineering -- with clover-leafs to nowhere, off-ramps to oblivion -- taking PEOPLE who’d rather stay home to PLACES they’d rather not be. Hard to believe this is what all those DINOSAURS gave up the ghost for ‘way back when, isn’t it? But now, a huge section of freakway is suddenly BLANKETED by a wide-ranging RAY, beaming Earthward like a fiendish FLASHLIGHT FROM THE VOID…

While attempting to restrain the even-more-savage-than-usual motorists, Captain Carrot and company are joined by two more costumed heroes who call themselves “Rubberduck” (who can stretch like Plastic Man, Elongated Man, Elastic Lad and Mr. Fantastic) and ”Yankee Poodle” (a patriotic superheroine who can shoot stars and stripes from her paws). They relate exactly how they gained their superpowers:

RUBBERDUCK (BYRD RENTALS):
Right up front, I may as well admit I’m really BYRD RENTALS, star of stage, screen and screeching tires.

YANKEE POODLE (ROVA BARKITT):
While I, my dears, am none other than ROVA BARKITT…famed for my timely and tasteful talks with the great, the near-great and the late-great of the ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. We in the KNOW, of course, prefer to refer to it as “SHOW BIZ.”

PIG-IRON (PETER PORKCHOPS):
You mean Rova Barkitt, the GOSSIP COLUMNIST!?

YANKEE POODLE (ROVA BARKITT):
Puh-LEASE, dahling! I am, rather a CELEBRITY INTERVIEWER! In fact, that’s precisely how BYRD and I GAINED our fantabulous super-powers…I was taping a radio interview with him at h is luxurious mansion in BEL-AIREDALE…Next moment, quick as a press agent’s promise, a funny little GLOWING THING fell on each of us -- they were about the size of those EXQUISITE diamonds I bought the other day in BEAVERLY HILLS….I don’t mind telling you -- I haven’t been so FRIGHTENED since the last time a cameraman photographed me with a FULL-FACE shot. Like the game little TROUPERS we are, though, we soon FIGURED OUT more or less what had happened: BYRD, of course, now had SUPER-STRETCHING abilities -- while I had gained powers of ANIMAL-MAGNETISM!

After explaining his story about “Supermax” and the space barrier to his new allies, Captain Carrot asks Alley-Kat-Abra to transport them to outer space, where they attempt to penetrate the transparent blockade:

ALLEY-KAT-ABRA (FELINA FURR):
It’s like an invisible MAGICAL BARRIER -- like one that might’ve been created by a mystic YOGI!

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
CAPERIN’ CABBAGE! Y-you mean, it’s a -- YOGI BARRIER!?

Just like Superman before them, Captain Carrot and his new allies find themselves first trapped in the barrier, then they disappear from sight, zapped to the surface of the planet Pluto. Investigating a metal door, built into the face of a nearby rock formation,  Captain Carrot “and his blockbustin’ buddies” crash through the thick metal door and find Superman inside, held helpless by glowing chains made of Green Kryptonite. And even worse, he’s being held prisoner by the Justice League Of America’s first foe,  that giant sentient starfish, Starro The Conqueror:

PIG-IRON (PETER PORKCHOPS):
Either that’s SUPERHAM -- or somebody’s sure got a funny taste in BARBEE DOLLS!

RUBBERDUCK (BYRD RENTALS):
But -- WHAT in the name of plastics is that BEHIND him?

STARRO THE CONQUEROR:
I am not a “WHAT”, you feather-brained fool-- I am a “WHO”! STARR THE CONQUEROR, to be precise -- destined MASTER of this universe, OVERLORD of this cosmos, and future SERGEANT-AT-ARMS of every Kiwanis Club in Rhode Island! To accompany this task, I must destroy ALL OF YOU as well as the MAN OF STEEL! But FIRST, I will tell you HOW I came to be in your universe…as well as WHY I intend to use my space-ray to REVERT every animal on your Earth! Anyhow, I first encountered SUPERMAN’S EARTH years ago, when I fought a memorable battle with its JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA. Later, I got BLASTED TO SMITHEREENS by the hero AQUAMAN in a free-for-all NOBODY remembers. ONE of those smithereens, however, passed thru a CHARTERUSE HOLE…into THIS universe…where it grew a NEW Starro -- ME! Making the best of a bad deal, I now plan to CONQUER your planet, by REVERTING everyone there to a PRIMITIVE STATE! The way they are now, they remind me too much of HUMAN BEINGS!

Then, the chained Man Of Steel expresses a hunch of his own:

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
Run for your LIVES, all of you! -- I’ve fought Starro BEFORE -- and there’s no chance YOU can beat  him when I couldn’t, Captain Carrot! This time, he wasn’t after the people on MY Earth at all -- but some of the space-rays he beamed toward YOUR world somehow created similar side-effects on MINE, causing me to come HERE. The GLOWING METEOR I brought along, though, somehow caused STARRO’S energy-output to interact with my own KRYPTONIAN energies -- and THAT’S what gave you and this ZOO CREW of yours SUPER-POWERS!

RUBBERDUCK (BYRD RENTALS):
Can you FOLLOW any of that, C. C.?

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
Not a LOT, no.

STARRO THE CONQUEROR:
It doesn’t MATTER…for, you are all DOOMED, in any event! I teleported you here to PLUTO, because you alone stood in my path of CONQUEST of your Earth, and NOW --

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
-- We still DO! STAND ASIDE, beasts and birdies! CAPTAIN CARROT claims first crack at this refugee from an aquarium!

Raising a scalloped tentacle, Starro fires a bolt of energy at Captain Carrot; the blast leaves the rabbit superhero weak and dazed, but expressing a single thought:

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
T-teamwork! T-that’s what we need -- teamwork -- !

Next, Yankee Poodle attacks, but her stars and stripes don’t have much effect on the huge starfish. Starro hurls her at Alley-Kat-Abra -- who’s preparing to cast a spell -- taking out both of them at the same time. Pig-Iron’s next, but when he charges Starro, the interplanetary conqueror blasts a hole in the floor directly in the path of the former Peter Porkchops, dropping him out of sight. Rubberduck and Fastback go after Starro, but when the super-speedy terrapin whips up a “tar-nado”, he becomes wrapped up in Rubberduck’s elongated limbs tighter than a Christmas present. But as Starro announces his triumph, rapidly-recovering Captain Carrot inspires his new teammates to make a final attempt to stop their foe:

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
LISTEN, gang! I can only say this ONE MORE TIME! We’ve ALL SIX got to act TOGETHER -- or SUPER-WHOZIT and our EARTH are both FINISHED~!

STARRO THE CONQUEROR:
SUPERMAN already IS, Captain Klutz -- for this RAY-GUN shoots GOLD KRYPTONITE! It will REMOVE all his powers  -- and he’ll revert into an ape -- FOREVER!

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
WRONG, Starro You LOSE -- because you BLABD when you should have BLASTED! We’re ALL taking you on now -- AS A TEAM!

Then, in an arrangement that’s intended to reference the cover of DC’s BRAVE AND THE BOLD No. 28 (February - March, 1960), Captain Carrot, Yankee Poodle, Rubberduck, Alley-Kat-Abra, Pig-Iron and Fastback -- all using their superpowers simultaneously -- successfully attack and subdue Starro! This scene was re-created by Scott Shaw! for the cover of Roy Thomas’ ALTER EGO No. 72 (TwoMorrows; September, 2007) . While Yankee Poodle frees Superman from his Kryptonite chains with a star-blast, Alley-Kat-Abra magically pulls limestone out of Pig-Iron’s metallic makeup to coat Starro with it. (We’re told that starfish are “allergic” to limestone.) Superman and Captain Carrot share a moment before returning to their respective Earths:

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
Well, Captain -- things are probably returning to NORMAL on both our worlds, so I’ll be heading home. Sorry I UNDERESTIMATED you and your pals.

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
No sweat! You’re only HUMAN, right?

SUPERMAN (CLARK KENT):
At least some GOOD will come of all this -- especially if you six NEW SUPER-HEROES stay together to fight INJUSTICE on your Earth.

ALLEY-KAT-ABRA (FELINA FURR):
You better BELIEVE we will!

CAPTAIN CARROT (ROGER RODNEY RABBIT):
CHECK! We’ve even got a NAME already -- from something YOU said before! From now on, EVIL-DOERS the world over had best beware of -- CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW!

Meanwhile, back on “Earth-C”, President Mallard Fillmore receives another ultimatum from a secret organization that calls itself “A.C.R.O.S.T.I.C.” .  But while the President declares that he’ll never bend to the group’s demands, he’s completely unaware that the mysterious leader of A.C.R.O.S.T.I.C. is watching him !

“TEASER” CAPTION:
NEXT ISSUE: A Certain Really Ominous Secret Throng Inevitably Christened…A.C.R.O.S.T.I.C.! PLUS: The mighty menace of the mammal called -- ARMORDILLO!!

Also included in this issue of CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW! are the following stories, features and advertisements:

• “With MPC  Options Are Standard Equipment.”, an inside-front-cover ad for “MPC” plastic model car kits manufactured by “Fundimensions”.

• “Play The Bubble Yum Sweepstakes”, an ad -- illustrated and signed by the great Jack (YAK YAK) Davis -- with a maze-puzzle to complete in order to qualify to “win exciting electronic and photographic prizes” from “Bubble Yum” chewing gum (in “five great flavors: Regular, Tropical Punch, Spearmint, Wild Cherry and Grape”).

• “Batman” in “The K-9 Caper”, a strip-ad -- written by Bob Rozakis, penciled by Curt Swan and inked by Vince Colletta -- for “Hostess Twinkies Cakes” from the “Continental Baking Company”.

• A page consisting of two advertisements: “We Are Looking For A Few Good Boys And Girls Who Would Like To -- Earn Their Own Spending Money -- Earn Neat Prizes -- Bain Practical Business Experience”, soliciting for young people to work as door-to-door salespeople for “GRIT Publishing Co.”, the company that prints “GRIT, America’s Greatest Family Newspaper Since 1882”; and an untitled half-page -- illustrated by student cartoonists attending the Joe Kubert School -- for “Heroes World”, offering comic books, magazines and action figures for sale via mail-order.

• A page of various classified ads for comic books, “harmless” explosives, mail-order music lessons, magic tricks and information on breeding and raising parakeets.

• “A Candygram From Captain Carrot And Crew”, a text-page written by Roy Thomas. -- “This first issue of CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW! which you hold in your eager hands (or paws, or tentacles, or whatever) has a long, long genesis -- at least back to the 1940’s. The idea of a ‘funny-animal super-hero comic-book’ -- a lot of hyphenated words, there! -- is hardly a new one, certainly. It goes back at least as far as Mighty Mouse, the Terrytoon terror who was originally called Supermouse (though rumor has it that a certain Decidedly Correct comics company objected to that name at the time). Later in the 40’s there were likewise Super Duck (from the Archie people), Super Rabbit (from Timely/Marvel), and even another Supermouse, unrelated to the first. And of course, Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, who recently made his first comic-mag appearance in three decades. In the 1950’s, just to herald the changing times, there was even an Atomic Mouse, soon followed by an Atomic Rabbit. The more things change, etc. DC Comics, however, has been involved n the funny-animal super-hero biz a lot longer than most of the above, even if you ignore the fact that’s they’re all ultimately inspired by Superman anyway. Or didn’t anybody out there ever hear of The Terrific Whatsit? The Terrific Whatsit, also known as McSnurtle the Turtle, was a major feature for a couple of years there in a DC mag called FUNNY STUFF, which debuted in summer of 1944. Before long, a duo called the Dodo and the Frog took over the book, but that doesn’t concern us here. What matters to us is the Terrific Whatsit, because he was one strange dude. He was, I said, a turtle -- a mild-mannered shopkeeper who, in time of peril, shed his shell and donned an outfit virtually identical to that of the original Flash (now of Earth-Two), winged helmet and all. His one and only power, of course, was super-speed. The oddest thing about the Whatsit, though, was that -- though I don’t recall a single reference ever in his strip to the Flash himself -- the artist of the feature was one Martin Naydel. And Martin Naydel was also, at that time, the major artist of the Flash feature in both FLASH COMICS and ALL-FLASH! So far as I know, it’s the only case in comics history where an artist regularly drew both ‘serious’ and ‘funny’ versions of the same character. Matter of fact, being a cartoonist with a relatively simple, one might almost say crude style, Martin Naydel was better fitted to draw McSnurtle than Jay Garrick’s swift-footed alter-ego. And then, while the Whatsit was still racing around in FUNNY STUFF, something else happened which -- when combined with McSnurtle and other, less weighable factors -- led by a circuitous route to CAPTAIN CARROT and his beastly buddies. That something was ALL-STAR  COMICS #30, published for Aug. - Sept., 1946. For in that issue of what was easily the favorite comic of my childhood, a villain called Brain Wave (who’s been back a time or two since) tricked the fabled heroes of the Justice Society of America into allowing him to manipulate their dreams. Unknown to the stalwart JSAers, Brain Wave intended to use nightmares to drive his old enemies stark, staring mad -- and he more or less succeeded, though that’s another story. What counts is that the Flash’s solo chapter in that issue, drawn by one Martin Naydel, put the Fastest Man Alive in what the copy called ‘the most bizarre setting of his slam-studded career.’ For the Flash, who was drawn in Naydel’s usual cartoony style, suddenly found himself in a dream-world of funny-animals quite similar to those in which he was drawing in FUNNY STUFF, at the same time! In fact, the splash page even featured a turtle…doubtless distant relatives of McSnurtle’s, checking up on things. The Flash was driven virtually insane over the next few pages, but of course he recovered by issue’s end, and Brain Wave was locked up for the umpty-leventh time. Then came DC COMICS PRESENTS #34, and -- But that story-behind-the-story will have to wait till next issue. For now, we’d just like to state the one most important way in which, at least to Scott Shaw and Bob Smith and Dick Giordano and Yours Truly, CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW! is different from most if not all previous funny-animal super-hero comics and cartoons. To us, Earth-C is real…an alternate earth, as true in its comic-book way as Earth-One or Earth-Two or Earth-Shazam, let alone all the various Earths and Universes and Multiverses floating around between full-color covers these days. Cap and the guys just happen to live in a world with slightly different set of rules than ours, that’s all.  How different? Well, keep watching, and you’ll find out. It’ll take a while to unfold, but we kind’a think the wait will be worth it. Meanwhile, let us know what you think of CAPTAIN CARROT #1. Send your letters c/o DC Comics, 6th Floor, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, JY 10019 Be here next time for A.C.R.O.S.T.I.C., the astonishing Armordillo, and inevitable Who’s-in-Charge-Here hassle, won’t you? -- Roy Thomas”

• “Comics For Collectors”, a black-and-white, inside-back-cover ad for back-issue comic books available for sale via mail-order from “Moondance Comics”. (What’s interesting -- and rather puzzling -- is that the ad lists CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW! No.’s 2, 3 and 4, which hadn’t yet been published at the time of this ad’s publication!)

• “Comin’ On Big!”, a back-cover ad for “Monogram Super Scale” plastic truck model kits, available from “Monogram Models”.

ODDBALL FACTOID – The team’s “Zoo Crew” code-name was originated by then-DC-staffer Andy (THE SHADOW) Helfer!

Double-Bonus ODDBALL FACTOID – Three primary creators of CAPTAIN CARROT AND THE FINAL ARK -- Bill Morrison, Scott Shaw! and Al Gordon -- are incredibly loyal fans of Todd Rundgren's music in all of its incarnations. Maybe CAPTAIN CARROT is the “Nazz” or the “Utopia” or even the “New Cars” of comics?

Triple-Bonus ODDBALL FACTOID – October 8th,, 2007 also marks the sixteenth birthday of cartoonist Scott Shaw!’s greatest co-creation -- with his wonderful wife, Judith --  their son Kirby Garlin Shaw! Happy birthday, Kirby!

New Next Week: ODDBALL COMIC #1,195: MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2007 – Before cartoonist Kurt Schaffenberger was drawing the exploits of SUPERMAN’S GIRLFRIEND, LOIS LANE, he was teaching people how to roller skate -- through a digest-size “giveaway” comic book promoting the pleasures of “Chicago Roller Skates”! (And don’t tell me that ain’t difficult!) Don’t miss SKATING SKILLS, an ODDBALL COMIC that’s bound to send you off to the nearest rinky-dink skating rink -- or die trying!

**For more on the creation and history of CAPTAIN CARROT AND HIS AMAZING ZOO CREW!,  the 72nd issue (September, 2007) of Roy Thomas’ award-winning ALTER EGO magazine is a special “Captain Carrot” issue. To order copies, please visit TwoMorrows.com**

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