It's one thing to know it, but another to admit... clockwise from top, Troubles(Lorraine), Robyn, Jeff, and Bud
"If Garbo played guitar with Valentino on the drums, we'd still be nothing more than a bunch of common bums, so TUNE UP!"
— 10cc, The Worst Band in the World
This comic deals with the adventures of four buddies who decide to start a rock group. It reflects a slightly embellished account of real events in the younger life of creator W.Byron Wilkins (assisted by his active imagination and a well-tuned sense of the absurd). It is set in 1977, hence the title, with flash-forwards to the later mature life of Author Avatar C. "Bud" Chambers, who in the present day is a widowed father of a teen daughter, wondering where his life went.
The full story of Plan 9 (From Outer Space), as so far revealed, is here
.
Tropes inexpertly played, by the creators of the critically declaimed sixth-worst album of the 1970s, include:
- Acme Products: Air horns are Acme products to be expected, but apparently, they also sell industrial garbage containers. And even the mystic frog seems to come from Acme.
- Author Avatar: "Bud" Chambers is a bass player, as was Byron.
- Bar Brawl: Tends to happen a lot around Plan9. Especially Robyn.
- Berserk Button: the trigger for Bud's transformation into his female alter ego is anger and rage. This also changes him back.
- But Not Too Bi: Robyn has a fling with a female police agent. Earlier in the storyline, she once kisses Troubles. And wonders. But most of the time she is hetero.
- Deal with the Devil: Guess who their producer/manager is in one story arc.
- Dumb Blonde: Jeff, a slacker stoner and not the brightest candle on the chandelier.
- Familiar: The Mystic Frog appears to be linked to Bud, if only by mutual loathing.
- Fartillery: Lorraine. The things her farts can do...just...wow.
- Gender Bender: Bud's seemingly random transformations into a female version of himself.
- Groin Attack: Bud is ground zero for a lot of these. Jeff isn't immune; Troubles once tips a cup of very hot coffee down his underpants.
- Hulking Out: When the normally easy-going Bud has had just about enough and transforms either into or out of Budette.
- I Call Him "Mister Happy": Bud. It is "Mr. Happy". Although he becomes Mr Unhappy when subjected to Groin Attack.
- Lazily Gender-Flipped Name: Provoked by people, Bud becomes female and adopts the name "Budette".
- Male Gaze: Directed at Robyn and Troubles. Frequently. The girls tend to speculate whether starting to wear bras would be a good idea.
- Mascot Fighter: Poco, defending his masters. A fire-breathing lizard is a useful asset in a bar fight.
- Ms. Fanservice: Take your pick. "Troubles", Robyn, Rhoda/Brenda, Lily, her mother Rose, Jeff's mother, even Bud as Budette... the strip has frequent semi or full nudity and sexual scenes, which while not explicit, make it decidedly NSFW. The author's Patreon page (pay to view) has an even more NSFW version with more nudity and blatant sexuality.
- Nipple and Dimed: Subverted. Take a look at the page image. Robyn and Troubles invariably have erect nipples.
- Nobody Loves the Bassist: Bud plays bass. And rarely gets the girl or even attention. This is also Byron's wry complaint about playing bass. Nobody notices.
- Our Dragons Are Different: Poco, the Team Mascot and fire-breathing, banana-loving, Bearded Lizard.
- The '70s: This comic isn't titled 1977 for nothing.
- Sex Shifter: Whenever Bud is so overcome with rage that he becomes Budette.
- Shout-Out:
- Every episode is titled after a line from a sometimes obscure seventies' rock or pop song. Some are very subtle and clever allusions.
- The name of the band is a Shout Out or perhaps Homage to Plan 9 from Outer Space, described by many as
one of the worst movies ever.
- Sleeps with Everyone but You: Bud's feelings about Lorraine. Resolved when they meet again in their fifties. But it takes a long time...
- Somewhere, a Herpetologist Is Crying: the Bearded Lizard is a common North American creature. But no recorded example has ever been known to breathe fire. Until Poco came along.
- Strolling Through the Chaos: Troubles. who wanders blithely through whatever chaos she's brought down, often oblivious, or asking naive questions like "What was that all about, then?"
- Team Mom: Robyn is often forced into this role, being the oldest of the four.
- Tomboy: Robyn, an Irish-American girl who learned to fight through having six brothers and through being pugnacious by nature.
- Titled After the Song: each strip takes its title from a seventies' rock or pop song: for instance, Poco goes on a fire-breathing rampage to the tune of the Blue Öyster Cult's "Godzilla".
- Toad Licking: Bud makes the mistake of licking an exotic amphibian thinking he will get high. The creature is the fabulous Mystic Frog, a sentient, magical and touchy creature. Which curses Bud with an attack of transsexual confusion.
- Wardrobe Malfunction: These tend to happen a lot, especially when Bud becomes Budette or vice versa and shreds just about every piece of clothing he/she wears.
- Wrench Wench: Robyn, a gifted and innovative auto mechanic.
