<!--
	Title: Infocomics: Lane Mastodon vs. the Blubbermen
	Author: Shay Adams
	Source: Questbusters, v5(6)
	Date: June 1988
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

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<strong>Type:</strong> Story on Disk<br>
<strong>Systems:</strong> Apple 2, C 64
</div>

No puzzles, no mapping, no game—that's what they promised and that's
what you'll get in this, the first Infocomics title. (And "no review" is what you'd
get if it were not from Infocom.) Originating with Tom Snyder Productions,
the concept and program was sold to Activision and eventually published under the
Infocom label for reasons Infocom Joel Berez explained in [last
month's issue](/library/questbusters-infocom-adds-graphics). It's a one-disk program that uses both sides of the disk. You get
no manual or docs; everything you need to know is explained in the story's
introduction.

## Refugees from a Fat Farm

The plot: Blubbermen from Jupiter are blasting Earth with a Mutation Ray in
preparation for an invasion, and only Lane Mastodon can save the day. The
cast: Lane; his fifteen-year-old sidekick Lambert; Ivory (Lambert's older sister);
Zabor (head of the Earth Defense League) and assorted villains.

The action: push keys to freeze the current display, fast-forward or reverse,
save your place in the story, or switch to view the next sequence from another
character's perspective. The slant: a takeoff on the science fiction tales of the
Fifties, in the tradition of *Leather Goddesses of Phobos*, minus the lewditity.

Simple line drawings, nicely colored and animated, are bolstered by effective
use of cinematic techniques such as zooming in/out and panning across the
room or horizon. In comic book fashion, character's dialogue appears in the picture
(but not in balloons), while other text is seen below. Pictures fill the
screen rather than appearing in individual cartoon panels as in *Accolade's Comics*.
Sound effects are also effectively employed, along with a few simple tunes.

## Changing Perspectives

When a marker materializes in the upper right-hand comer, you can punch the
return key to shift perspectives. After Lambert is captured by the Blubbermen,
you may go along with him or remain with Lane and Ivory. While this gives
you a certain unique kind of "interaction," it doesn't mean you are completely free to
view the story exactly as you wish—not if you hope to fully comprehend what's going
on. Only by "rewinding" and bouncing back and forth could I make sense of
all the various events. I went to sleep halfway through the first session,
but luckily hit my head on the "B" key (Bookmark) and saved my place. A week later I "finished"
it between frequent glances at the morning paper.

Maybe if I were fourteen I would have enjoyed it. But I'm not so sure my advanced
age is the reason I didn't—I still read comics (*Heavy Metal*, *Ronin*, etc.)
from time to time and cover to cover.

One problem is that these graphics can't compare with those in comic books.
Another lies in the program's premise: why seek passive entertainment in a computer
program, when you can get better quality in other non-interactive media? If
I want to fast-forward and back through something, it will be a tape of *RoboCop*.<br>
**Conclusions:** Infocom says this is not aimed at their adventure fans. Instead,
they hope to attract a new market made up of people who normally don't play computer
games. That's why *Infocomics* are being sold in comic book stores and other
new venues. Hopefully this will work and these folks will soon advance to playing
real adventures, since there isn't much here for serious, or even lighthearted, adventurers.
Several more titles are planned, as well as mysteries and other
kinds of stories intended for a more mature audience (old folks like me, I presume).
*Infocomics* will make a lot more sense when CDI becomes a reality, and
hopefully this just represents a first step in that direction. I can only recommend this
one if you're extremely curious about Infocom's new directions—or your VCR is
in the shop.

<hr style="border-top: 6px double;">

**Skill Level:** Not Applicable<br>
**Protection:** Program<br>
**Price:** $12<br>
**Company:** Tom Snyder Productions/Infocom
