Comics Kingdom | Pardon My Planet by Vic Lee

Vic Lee

About

Pardon My Planet is a visual record of the nincompoopities of the human spirit. This imaginatively sly panel peeks under the veil of the taboo and paints a smiley face on the shroud. Deftly balancing the tightrope of political correctness, Pardon My Planet gives us a rubbernecker's eye-view into the boarded up attic of the human psyche.

In much the same way Charles Adams tweaked the norms of mainstream cartoons, Vic Lee twists a wide variety of subject matter ranging from courtship, marriage and divorce to birth, death, the afterlife and all the fears in between, including doctors, lawyers, monsters, and puberty.

Eschewing the silly and safe, Pardon My Planet is a panel for today's educated readers. By finding humor in all that makes us uncomfortable, Lee provides a sense of resolve about the fickleness of life and lets us all laugh at the goof-ball foibles of real people, laying bare the annoyances and eccentricities of the human race.

Pardon My Planet appears in more than 130 newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, Toronto Star, Chicago Sun-Times, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Newsday, Detroit Free-Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, Denver Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Perth Western Australianer to name a few.

If there is intelligent life in the universe, may it forgive us our shortcomings and celebrate our spirit.

Characters

Norris & Jesse Jane

Best friends and roommates represent all the young twenty-somethings who face each of the world's daily challenges with a gut full of alternating bouts of hope, doubt and downright panic. And this is during their sleep.

Dennis & Chloe

Middle-class suburbanites Dennis and Chloe wear the mantle of all those trying to balance the stress of being working parents with the stress of keeping their romance as renewed as a newborn's diaper. As in all walks of life nothing is without its little messes.

Mia Lee

Mia is the yin to Jesse Jane's yang. Not one to beat around the bush, she's direct, frank, and often gives us a subtle insight to the American condition. She's a conscience with both a halo and a pitchfork.

Jonas & Nelle

Long-time marrieds Jonas and Nelle search for independence amid their co-dependency. It's their distaste for each other that adds so much flavor to their relationship. Butting heads is as much a part of their daily routine as Medic Alert and Maalox.

Roscoe

Disco-stud whose dates always end at the doorstep. Because two people can't fit under a rock.

Dr. Scott

Local doctor. Believes in the benefits of Western medicine. Instruments include a lasso and a branding iron.

VJ
Bartender and local therapist. His drinks and advice are always served straight up.

Bette

It's amazing how much some people hate to work for a living.

Mr. Bork
Women find his funny style of dress irresistible. Seems all his clothes have such deep pockets.

Elsie

Community grandmother. Still proudly drives. Closely watches the speedometer 'cause she can't see over it.

Officer Tim, Inspector Booker and Officer Jim

The local law enforcement team. Where theres foul play, there are Officers Tim and Jim, with Inspector Booker arriving shortly.

Whether its investigating pillow fights at a bed-of-nails slumber party or discovering a 6-year-old taking an afternoon snooze and thereby solving a kidnapping case, they keep the order in disorder.

Mr. Carp

Attorney who believes in the American Way. Now if it can just be separated from that silly truth-and-justice part.

Father Rafferty
Local minister who marries 'em and buries 'em. Also acts a grief counselor for both.

Author

Vic Lee

Vic Lee grew up the son of actors who recognized at an early age that their boy was saddled with a huge sense of curiosity, talent, and rebellion.

An All-American soccer player, Vic left college early to pursue a professional career, which was cut short due to a debilitating on-field injury. The next 10 years were spent as a bartender and stage actor in Seattle. It was this occupational duo that helped form Vic's skewed and ironic view of the world. He later combined these views, his love of health, and three business partners to create a series of athletic clubs in San Diego.

As the appointed marketing director, Vic chose to go against the typical health club marketing grain and use cartoons as a way of getting people to read the advertisements. I tried to find a local cartoonist, confesses Lee, that could convey the idea of fitness and humor to an educated market week after week. After months of searching, I gave up and decided to give it a shot myself.

After winning three Nova 7 Awards for Marketing (Health & Fitness Industry) and building a small legion of fans of his cartoons, including his future wife, Vic decided to sell his shares in the gyms and develop his insightful sense of humor and cartooning skills. A short time later, he was syndicated by King Features.

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