Invisible Robot Fish
Invisible Robot Fish #1: Mean Bob
Invisible Robot Fish Feb/March 1997 © Billy
Mckay
| Invisible Robot Fish Billy Mckay |
| Links: Mail:Billy |
The concept of this comic is similar to something I did myself once; Billy McKay sets out to write & draw a comic in 1 hour (but in fact takes 84 minutes). The comic contains no fish, invisible, robotic or otherwise; just a simple story of Mean Bob and his journey with a firecracker stuck on his head. On reflection, one of two possibilities suggest itself: the comic is either executed in a knowingly naive style, or Billy himself is aged about 7... either way, this comic is well worth the cover price and the 48 seconds required to read it.
Terry Wiley
Invisible Robot Fish #2: The Copter, & #3: Steve Robs a Bank
Invisible Robot Fish #3: Steve Robs a bank ©
Billy Mckay
Billy Mckay's aim in
these cute little 16 page comics is to write and draw them as
quickly as possible, preferably within an hour, while still
producing something worthwhile. Well, he certainly succeeded with
issue two, The Copter - written and drawn in just two hours
and five minutes, this is the heart-warming tale of a toy
helicopter (the kind of ride little kids enjoy in big stores) and
of the little boy who was the bane of his existence. Don't worry
though, they end up best of friends.Steve Robs A Bank in issue three, on the other hand, took a whopping eighteen hours thirty-four minutes - maybe it was using typesetting instead of hand lettering that took such a long time. No matter, because this tale of a thrill-seeking would-be bank robber and his super-intelligent lab monkey nemesis is great. It has a great set-up, a logical (if unlikely) plot and a very satisfying ending - not bad for just fifteen panels.
The art on both issues is a bit rough in places of course, but the stories are well told and the writing is clear and simple, without being at all simplistic. In fact, there's nothing wrong here that a little polish wouldn't help, and the speed of the writing gives a great sense of kinetic energy, of headlong hurtling into fun and adventure.
David A Simpson
Invisible Robot Fish #5: The Crusaders
Invisible Robot Fish #5: The Crusaders ©
Billy Mckay
At the age of 12, Billy Mc.Kay enjoyed himself constructing a strip-story on index cards, probably motivated by their size, shape and format.
The adult Billy scans them into his P.C. to produce this delightful piece of desktop publishing. The tiny images are fitted into the ruled lines, leaving the rest of the horizontal rectangle blank to represent sky and space. See inside back cover for a fun way to obtain back issues without sending money!
Bib Edwards
| Invisible Robot
Fish:#1,#2,#3, 16 18x14cm pages |
Received at ZUM! HQ: #1,#2, early 2000. #5 May 2000 |
Invisible Robot
Fish:#1,#2,#3, free +P+P (2 stamps or ICR's) |
Billy Mckay , Tile Comix, PO Box 542, N Olmsted, OH 44070, USA. |