Line #18 ComicBook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew


1	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Zoo_Crew_group_shot_437.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:320: Left to right: Yankee Poodle, Rubberduck, Little Cheese, Alley-Kat-Abra, Pig Iron, Fastback, and Captain Carrot.]]
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4	''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!'' is a team of [[AnimalSuperheroes Superhero Funny Animal]] characters owned by Creator/DCComics. They were first published in their own comic book series in the early 1980's, though it didn't last very long. Created by writer Creator/RoyThomas and artist Scott Shaw, this was the first team of FunnyAnimal characters to be specifically recognized as being part of the Franchise/DCUniverse.
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6	In their origin story, it was explained that fragments from a strange meteor (which had been shattered by ComicBook/{{Superman}} before it could hit Earth) were somehow transported to the AlternateUniverse called Earth-C, which was inhabited by HumanoidAnimals instead of humans (specifically, it's the setting of all the FunnyAnimal comics DC published back in {{MediaNotes/the Golden Age\|OfComicBooks}}). The fragments gave superpowers to various animals, who decided to join together and form their own superhero team, the Zoo Crew. They are:
7	* '''Captain Carrot''', who is in reality mild-mannered comic-book artist Rodney Rabbit. The fragment didn't give ''him'' powers- rather, it charged up the carrots he was growing in his windowsill, so that eating them turns him into a musclebound rabbit with {{superstrength}}--temporarily. (This is reminiscent of Super Goof's super peanuts power source, but probably owes more to the WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon ''Super Rabbit''.)
8	* '''Fastback''', actually a [[CountryMouse Country Turtle]] named Timmy Joe Terrapin who had gained {{superspeed}}.
9	* '''Rubberduck''', actually movie actor Byrd Rentals, who became elastic.
10	* '''Yankee Poodle''', secretly gossip columnist Rova Barkitt, who gained the ability to shoot "stars" that repelled objects out of one hand and "stripes" that attracted them out of the other.
11	* Martial artist Felina Furr gained magic-like powers and renamed herself '''Alley-Kat-Abra'''.
12	* Peter Porkchops, a pre-existing DC funny animal character, was transformed into a large, living metal being with SuperStrength and NighInvulnerability, and thus renamed himself '''Pig Iron'''.
13	* Later, the team was joined by '''Little Cheese''', actually a mouse named Chester Cheese, who had the power to shrink down to the size of... well, a mouse. A ''smaller'' mouse.
14	As you can see, despite supposedly being as "real" as the rest of the DC universe, Earth-C (and the series) was full of the kind of puns you see in cartoons. This is never explained beyond a "what seems funny to us make sense to them" attitude. ([[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when Changeling of the ComicBook/TeenTitans visits Earth-C and asks the Crew about why their cities have such "silly names") [[note]]It turns out they think our city names sound equally silly. "I'll bet in [[UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC Washington]] they've always got a ton of washing to do!").[[/note]]
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16	The Zoo Crew battled both their own villains and ones from the main DC Universe (Starro, the Starfish Conqueror, an old ComicBook/{{Justice League\|of America}} alien enemy, in their first issue; Gorilla Grodd in their last.) They also met the "Just'a Lotta Animals" ("JLA") a team of heroes from the similar "Earth C-minus" whose heroes were {{Expies}} of DC's main heroes.
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18	After the series was canceled, the characters reappeared in, of all places, "The [[Literature/LandOfOz Oz]] / [[Literature/AliceInWonderland Wonderland]] War" miniseries, which was ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Decades later in the 2000s, they reappeared in an issue of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' (as part of a comic book Eddie Bloomberg/Kid Devil was reading) in a story that parodied the "[[MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]]" style of modern comics: The team had disbanded after Little Cheese's death, whose murderer (seemingly) turned out to be Alley-Kat-Abra! This was followed by a 2007 miniseries, ''Captain Carrot and the Final Ark'', where the team was reunited and Abra was cleared of the murder (it was her EvilTwin). They were joined by a new member, the non-powered crimefighter '''American Eagle''', secretly right-wing talk show host Johnny Jingo. However, Earth-C was flooded as a result of a war between aquatic and non-aquatic animals, and the heroes had to evacuate it on a "Space Ark." They ended up on the main Earth of TheMultiverse, but found themselves changed into normal animals while there. However, they were changed back to their true forms in the last issue of the ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'' CrisisCrossover.
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20	Captain Carrot has now reappeared in the pages of ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity'', while both he and Fastback are significant characters in several tie-ins of ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}''. Captain Carrot later went on to join the ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueIncarnate''.
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22	Fans of Creator/TerryPratchett will have realised by now that ''this'' Captain Carrot has nothing whatsoever to do with the Literature/{{Discworld}}.
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24	----
25	!!Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Tropes!:
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27	* AffectionateParody: ''Zoo Crew'' is a gentle ribbing of superhero comics in general. Some of the parodies included recognizable elements from mainstream DC comics; Zoo Crew headquarters was based on [[ComicBook/TeenTitans Titans Tower]] (only shaped like a Z instead of a T), one villain was a ComicBook/SwampThing-like MuckMonster, and one issue saw the team fighting the Screeching Tire, a spoof of ''ComicBook/{{Blackhawk}}'''s [[MonowheelMayhem War Wheel]]. FunnyAnimal versions of Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian and Franchise/IndianaJones also showed up.
28	* AlphabetArchitecture: The Crew's home base, the "Z-Building", which [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is shaped like the letter "Z"]]. This is an AffectionateParody of the ComicBook/TeenTitans' H.Q., as their series was at the height of its popularity at the time.
29	* AmericanEagle: In the relaunch, the American Eagle is a riff on CaptainPatriotic superheroes.
30	* AnIcePerson: Both the villains Cold Turkey and King Kone use cold and freezing guns as weapons, though the latter prefers ice ''cream'' as the ammunition.
31	* AnimalJingoism: Subverted, it doesn't really happen here except for Abra's murder of Little Cheese (which turned out to be the work of a magically created EvilTwin[=/=]{{Doppelganger}}).
32	* AnimalSuperheroes: The premise is a combination of {{Funny Animal}}s with superhero comics.
33	* AscendedFanboy: Rodney Rabbit (who was already a PromotedFanboy as a comic artist.)
34	* AppropriatedAppellation: Captain Carrot's choice of team name was inspired from how a [[BadassInDistress captured]] Superman described the RagtagBunchOfMisfits gathered to fight Starro as a "zoo crew."
35	* BadassNormal: American Eagle, sort of; he didn't have any super powers, and only the abilities associated with being an anthropomorphic eagle.
36	* BarefootCartoonAnimal: In an odd subversion, a good portion of the Zoo Crew wear completely formfitting boots, complete with individual toes. However, some of the supporting characters play the trope straight.
37	* BigApplesauce: Rodney hails from "Gnu York" (Earth-C's UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity).
38	* TheBigEasy: Alley-Kat-Abra hails from "Mew Orleans", Earth-C's version of UsefulNotes/NewOrleans.
39	* TheBigGuy: Pig-Iron is both the largest of the team and the one who does most of the tasks involving super strength.
40	* BoisterousBruiser: Pig-Iron, the crude and frequently rude muscle of the team.
41	* BrickJoke: The end of ''Final Ark'', which deliberately tossed the brick for Creator/GrantMorrison to drop in ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis''.
42	* ButHeSoundsHandsome: Rubberduck and Yankee Poodle would frequently plug their secret identities, movie star Byrd Rentals and gossip columnist Rova Barkitt. Even Captain Carrot would praise the work of Roger Rodney Rabbit.
43	* CanonImmigrant: ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheCrow'', which not only had its own theatrical cartoon series but ran as a DC comic for twenty years, is considered an official part of Earth-C.
44	* CarnivoreConfusion:
45	** Earth-C's animals [[{{Veganopia}} long ago stopped being carnivores]].
46	** Peter Porkchops used to be a regular funny animal which was reused in this series, and in the early Peter Porkchops strips, his wolf neighbour actually wanted to eat him. This is referenced in the comic with Wolfie seeking psychiatric treatment, because he is having cannibal fantasies again, and it worries him after he was cured before. It ends badly despite his good intentions when he is turned into the Wuz-Wolf.
47	%%* CatsAreMagic: Alley-Kat-Abra.
48	* CheesyMoon: Earth-C's moon is not only made of cheese, it's cheese with superpower-granting energy.
49	* CityMouse: Yankee Poodle, an arrogant and rich Califurnia native who is frequently frustrated by the antics of the rural Fastback.
50	%%* CombatStilettos: Alley-Kat-Abra wears them.
51	* ContinuityNod: Several characters from DC's old FunnyAnimal comics make appearances, often turned into the MonsterOfTheWeek.
52	* CountryMouse: Fastback, who frequently shows his problems dealing with life in the big city.
53	* DarkerAndEdgier: The revival [[ShowWithinAShow Comic Within A Comic]] from ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' #30 & #31. The team split apart, [[FantasticRacism Fantastic Speciesism]] running rampant, team members dead or missing, the SuperRegistrationAct, Rodney Rabbit in the middle of a HeroicBSOD (and a bottle)... and, of course, Alley-Kat-Abra (seemingly) turning evil.
54	** The ComicBook/{{New 52}} comic ''Threshold'' features "Captain K'Rot", described by writer Keith Giffen as "a borderline psychotic, booze-swilling, whore-mongering rabbit," and by others as an attempted AlternateCompanyEquivalent of ComicBook/RocketRaccoon.
55	* DeepSouth: Fastback hails from a swamp in the rural American South, and has a hayseed personality.
56	* DistaffCounterpart: Carrie Carrot, for Captain Carrot. She was introduced as a PosthumousCharacter in the 2000's ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' story -- [[StuffedInAFridge her death mainly served to justify Rodney's Heroic BSOD, as well as someone whose name American Eagle could invoke to get Captain Carrot back in the game]].
57	* DownerEnding: See next entry.
58	* [[DroppedABridgeOnHim Dropped A Bridge On Them]]:
59	** The Zoo Crew's fate at the end of ''The Final Ark'' seemed needlessly cruel and left a bad taste in a lot of long-time fans' mouths. Thankfully, this may have been a BrickJoke, resolved in ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis''; fan speculation has it that Creator/GrantMorrison used ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'' to undo what he saw as obnoxious ExecutiveMeddling. (It has also been speculated that ''Final Ark'' ended the way it did ''because'' Morrison wanted to do a scene of them transforming back, but that would imply more co-ordination than any other ''ComicBook/CountdownToFinalCrisis'' tie-in displayed.) Morrison later used Captain Carrot as a character in ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity'', where he knocked out a CaptainErsatz of ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk--[[SugarWiki/AwesomeMoments with one punch]].
60	** And then it happened ''again'' in ''ComicBook/DarkNightsDeathMetal'', in which [[spoiler:Perpetua's Apex Predators kill the entire Zoo Crew, with Captain Carrot as the SoleSurvivor. Again, this was a set-up-and-resolve situation; all the universes destroyed by Perpetua are restored by the end of the story.]]
61	* DumbMuscle: Pig-Iron may not be totally brainless, but he's easily confused by technical terms, thinks with his stomach, and mostly just enjoys smashing things.
62	* FantasticRacism: Introduced in the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' revival. A major plot element of ''The Final Ark'' was a species war brewing between land and water animals -- ducks and turtles were distrusted as {{Category Traitor}}s.
63	* FlintstoneTheming: Every possible pun you can think of that could be made involving animals was made in this series. The names of the cities were just the start.
64	* FoxyVixen: One of the more popular secondary characters who showed up quite a few times was a blond vixen actress named [[Creator/FarrahFawcett Farah Foxette]].
65	* FranchiseZombie: An InUniverse example in a ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' parody story; Ezra Hound's "Bow-Zar the Barkbarian" series has reached this point, and he's ready to finally end it. But he hires Pig-Iron as a bodyguard because of the nightmares he's been having of his anti-hero seeking vengeance. MeanwhileInThePast, a real Bow-Zar's visions of a magician (Hound) drive him to travel into future [[HollywoodCalifornia Follywood]] seeking vengeance.
66	* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Yankee Poodle, being both a gossip columnist, arrogant, and very, ahem, catty. Only Rubberduck is willing to put up with her for extended periods, and then mostly because she pays him for interviews.
67	* FriendOfMaskedSelf: The entire Crew uses this for their secret identity, with the exception of Pig-Iron (who can't disguise his new appearance).
68	* FullFrontalAssault: Effectively the result when Gorilla Grodd comes to Earth-C without putting on any pants.
69	* FunWithAcronyms: Parodied with Brother Hood's organization A.C.R.O.S.T.I.C., which is given a different meaning in every issue featuring the organization. The word "acrostic" is itself a synonym for acronym.
70	* FurryReminder: A few fans were perplexed when American Eagle, after stating that he wasn't affected by a PowerNullifier because he doesn't have any superpowers, promptly turned out to be the only bird on Earth-C who can fly...
71	* GRatedDrug: In ''Oz[=/=]Wonderland War'', Alley-Kat-Abra actually gets a [[HighOnCatnip catnip high]], tells Captain Carrot that he is "really cute, but would be cuter if he was a cat", uses her magic powers to ''turn him into one'', and offers him some catnip. They're playing SickeninglySweethearts by the next scene until the catnip cloud's blown away. No, this wasn't from Creator/VertigoComics...
72	* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: The default for several characters, including Rodney in his civilian outfit.
73	* HilaritySues: At the beginning of ''Final Ark'', Rodney Rabbit tells a convention of comic fans that the Justa Lotta Animals put out an injunction preventing the Earth-C version of DC Comics from publishing their adventures. [[ChekhovsGag This actually becomes a plot point]]: [[spoiler:when the Zoo Crew is depowered and unable to call the JLA for assistance by normal means, Captain Carrot very quickly writes and draws a comic and sells it to Fastback for a nickel -- and a lawyer immediately emerges from a dimensional portal with a Cease and Desist notice. (He does agree to ask his clients for help -- after making Rodney go through a mountain of paperwork.)]]
74	* HollywoodCalifornia: the team's headquarters is in "Follywood, Califurnia", with two of its members being southern Califurnia natives (Rubberduck and Yankee Poodle).
75	* HostileShowTakeover: Shown on the cover of one issue, with the other team members complaining why their individual superhero logos never made the cover before. It was an anthology issue featuring solo adventures of several of the heroes, so in a way it was being "taken over," but Captain Carrot himself just cracks wise about being tired of carrying the rest of "these bozos".
76	* HufflepuffHouse: Brother Hood created three giant villains -- Frogzilla, Jailhouse Roc and Kongaroo. Frogzilla became a recurring villain while Jailhouse Roc and Kongaroo were never seen again.
77	* HumongousMecha: Doctor Hoot fights the Zoo Crew in a giant robot.
78	* InsistentTerminology: Rova Barkitt insists that she is not a gossip columnist, but a ''celebrity interviewer''.
79	* IntercontinuityCrossover: The [[Literature/LandOfOz Oz]]/[[Literature/AliceInWonderland Wonderland]] War.
80	** The second issue of that miniseries upped the ante when the Nome King accidentally summoned Wonder Wabbit, [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Hoppy the Marvel Bunny and his girlfriend Millie]], the March Hare, the Easter Bunny, Wonderland's White Rabbit, and Bo Bunny from one of DC's old FunnyAnimal comics, along with his original target, a depowered Captain Carrot. The plan was to trap them all with a QuirkyMinibossSquad of Nomes turned into ComicBook/FantasticFour {{parodies}}, but it goes so wrong[[note]]The trapped rabbits realize the canon WeaksauceWeakness of Nomes to eggs -- including the ''Easter Bunny''.[[/note]] the Nome King has to literally wish he never thought of the plan to keep them from ending the miniseries early.
81	** As well as single-panel visits (during a trip from Earth-C to Earth-C-Minus) to the Creator/{{Disney}} universe, a WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry-like universe, the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica's Earth-2, and ''ComicStrip/{{Pogo}}'''s swamp ...
82	* InterspeciesRomance: Cap and Alley-Kat-Abra were never officially a couple, but they did have a lot of mutual ShipTease. The species gap seems to be what kept them from committing, since Cap immediately focused on Wonder Wabbit after meeting her and he and Abra were only able to express their feelings after Abra temporarily turned him into a cat.
83	* ItsAlwaysMardiGrasInNewOrleans: In the team's origin story, several future Zoo Crew members visit "Mew Orleans" (Earth-C's UsefulNotes/NewOrleans) during its Mardi Gras celebration. This is when Alley-Kat-Abra, who lives in Mew Orleans, joins the group.
84	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Pig-Iron, Yankee Poodle
85	* KangarooCourt
86	* KilledOffscreen: Armordillo was killed Captain Carrot in revenge for the death of Carrie Carrot.
87	* LastOfHisKind: American Eagle; Alley-Kat-Abra's EvilTwin funded the species-ist group that killed his parents.
88	* LawyerFriendlyCameo: [[Franchise/IndianaJones "Oklahoma Bones"]], among others.
89	* MagicMeteor: How most of the Zoo Crew got their powers.
90	* MagicWand: Alley-Kat-Abra's "Magic Wanda".
91	* UsefulNotes/MillardFillmore: Parodied as ''Mallard'' Fillmore ([[ComicStrip/MallardFillmore No relation]]).
92	* MixedAnimalSpeciesTeam: The original members were a rabbit, a turtle, a duck, a dog, a cat, and a pig. The two {{Sixth Ranger}}s are a mouse and an eagle.
93	* NakedPeopleAreFunny: When [[Characters/TheFlashRoguesGallery Grodd the Super-Gorilla]] travels to Earth-C, his biggest immediate problem is everyone's reaction to his being ''naked.''
94	* NighInvulnerable: Captain Carrot is shown to have nowhere near Superman's level of invulnerability, but he's still plenty tough. Pig-Iron may be even more durable, though he's vulnerable to things that damage metal.
95	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: [[Creator/FarrahFawcett Farrah Foxette]], [[Creator/BurtReynolds Byrd Rentals]], and bucketloads more.
96	* NoHuggingNoKissing: Any romance was at most implied-Captain Carrot and Wonder Wabbit's mutual attraction, Captain Carrot and Carrie Carrot's relationship and Alley-Kat-Abra's crush on Captain Carrot.
97	* NowDoItAgainBackwards: Literally flying a spaceship ''backwards'' in one story--to escape an UnrealisticBlackHole. "[[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum It'll never notice the difference!]]"
98	* OddlySmallOrganization: A.C.R.O.S.T.I.C. had only five members (Brother Hood, Armordillo, Frogzilla, Jailhouse Roc and Kongaroo) and crime boss Fatkat had only two henchmen.
99	* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: One story had a "wuz-wolf"-- [[JustTheIntroductionToTheOpposites a mild-mannered wolf who turns into a monstrous, cannibalistic human at night.]]
100	* PatrioticFervor: Averted with Yankee Poodle; the power effects dictated the gimmick. Played straight with American Eagle.
101	* UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}}: Pig-Iron hails from its Earth-C counterpart, "Piggsburgh."
102	* PowerUpFood: The cosmic carrots that transform Rodney Rabbit into Captain Carrot.
103	%%* PunnyName: The comic is full of them.
104	* PutOnABusToHell: The Zoo Crew itself at the end of "Final Ark", though that seems to have been fixed.
105	* RaidersOfTheLostParody: The Crew meet a FunnyAnimal version of Franchise/IndianaJones called Oklahoma Bones.
106	* RecursiveCanon: Earth-C is an alternate Earth-Prime. Earth-C-Minus is an alternate DC Universe. Rodney Rabbit draws ''[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justa Lotta Animals]]'', who are real superheroes on Earth-C-Minus who end up suing Wombat Communications (a take off on [[Creator/WarnerBros Warner]] Communications, DC's then-parent company) for trademark violation.
107	* RhymingWizardry: Alley-Kat-Abra's incantations take the form of (often silly) rhymes, which she makes up on the spot, either because it helps her concentration or because it improves the function of Magic Wanda, depending on the issue.
108	%%* RighteousRabbit: Captain Carrot.
109	%%* RogerRabbitEffect: The second type.
110	* RubberMan: Rubberduck and Elong-gator from the JLA both have stretching powers.
111	* ShoutOut: Numerous, both in the comic and some to it, later.
112	** The Zoo Crew is a popular cartoon in the main Franchise/DCUniverse. The uniform of Stargirl of the ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' was partly inspired by Yankee Poodle; Yankee Poodle is Stargirl's favorite character, which explains the costume. Christopher Kent in ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' had a Pig-Iron wristwatch.
113	** The movie monster costume in "His Name is...Mudd!" consists of [[Film/RobotMonster a gorilla suit and a diving helmet]].
114	** The Bunny From Beyond's real name is Ralf-124C4U, referencing the Hugo Gernsback novel ''Ralph-124C41+''.
115	* SitcomArchNemesis: Yankee Poodle and Alley-Kat-Abra occasionally engage in spats. Alley-Kat-Abra also tended to be this in the original series with anyone who is a possible love interest for Captain Carrot, due to UnresolvedSexualTension.
116	* SixthRanger: Little Cheese and American Eagle both joined the team a significant amount of time after the other members have been active.
117	* {{Sizeshifter}}: Little Cheese's power, to shrink from the size of a FunnyAnimal mouse-noid to the scale of a MouseWorld scaled mouse.
118	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The Squawker was the only villainess in the Zoo Crew's rogues gallery until the reveal of Dark Alley.
119	* StarfishAliens: Literally, with old [[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]] foe Starro the Conqueror -- a giant alien starfish -- as the StarterVillain of the series that the team gathers to battle.
120	* UnanthropomorphicTransformation: At the end of ''Captain Carrot and the Final Ark'', the Zoo Crew emerge on Earth-0, where they've become normal animals. This gets reversed by Nix Uotan in ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis''. This happens to Cap again in the ''ComicBook/SupermanRebirth'' storyline "Multiplicity", although he still has his mask and cape, unlike the previous event.
121	* TwoGirlsToATeam: The only women in the Zoo Crew are Alley-Kat-Abra and Yankee Poodle.
122	* WolverinePublicity: Superman in the team's origin story. Also, Changeling ([[DarkAgeOfSupernames the once and future Beast Boy]]) from the then astronomically popular ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' in the last issue ({{lampshaded}}: "Alright, already! We admit it! We ''sold out!''").
123	* WorldOfFunnyAnimals: "Earth-C" in the DC Comics multiverse system is designated as the world where most of DC's Golden and Silver Age funny-animal comics ("The Dodo and the Frog," "Peter Porkchops," etc.) take place. Post-Infinite Crisis, Earth-C was renamed "Earth-26". Earth C-Minus, the home of the Justa Lotta Animals, is also populated by funny-animals.

Context ComicBook / CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew