Follow TV Tropes

Following

Webcomic / Schlock Mercenary

Go To

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/interface_8101.png

"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

Schlock Mercenary is a Space Opera with several relatively Hard Science Fiction aspects in the 31st and 32nd centuries.

The comic is named after Schlock, an amoebic alien shaped like a pile of poo who joins "Tagon's Toughs", a space-faring mercenary outfit. The cast includes Kaff Tagon, The Captain of the group, Commander Kevyn Andreyasn, inventor of the "teraport" system and all-around Mad Scientist, Ennesby, a former-virtual-boy-band-turned-ship's AI, and many others.

With consistent humor (it is very quotable), and we mean consistentSchlock ran for seven days a week without missing a day from its first strip on 12 June 2000 to its final strip on 24 July 2020, over twenty years later. There are moderate elements of social and political satire, but it's never partisan; let's just say it's not for people who think governments deserve sympathetic treatment. This is a universe where the only universally respected authority is the one with the larger gun — in other words, the perfect environment for a mercenary company.

Howard Tayler has given enthusiastic permission to John Ringo to write about the First Contact days in a series of novels collectively titled Troy Rising. However, the two worlds have drifted apart and Troy Rising is not currently considered canonical within the Schlockiverse. However, Tayler still considers the books a Spiritual Licensee.

The story ended on July 24th 2020, but Tayler has said it will not be the end of the stories from the Schlock universe.

A spin-off RPG called Planet Mercenary (after an in-universe weapons store) has attained critical acclaim. Its Kickstarter campaign met funding within 24 hours of launch.

Now has a Referenced page and a recap page.


Trope sub-pages:


Top