Action Time Buddies
is a webcomic from the minds of Antarctic Press veterans Robby Bevard (head writer for the latter Vol 2 of Ninja High School) and Fred Perry (Gold Digger, The Littlest Zombie, Zombie Kid Diaries).
It follows the misadventures of Kid (a human character with a pilot motif), his friend Bro (a Pegasus), and newcomer Artie (a wolf and a ninja) in their rather strange world that they live in while hanging out with one another.
As per the course with a lot of Rob and Fred's work, this one's a parody using archetypes from shows like Adventure Time, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Thunder Cats and others and blending them together to create a rather unique world. Fred stated his goal with the comic isn't big storylines but general character interaction and having fun with them and the locations they visit.
Comic books and volumes will be distributed through Antarctic Press's website. Ultimately became an Orphaned Series as Fred got too busy to continue it and eventually the website that used to host it went dead with no word from either Robby or Fred on if they wish to keep going.
Action Time Buddies has the following tropes:
- Beware the Silly Ones: Artie, who seems like a ditz but she was trained by a ninja clan and has some skills to back it up.
- By the Lights of Their Eyes: The fourth story arc involves the group in a blackout. Not surprisingly, there are instances of this.
- Challenge Seeker: Both Kid and Bro, be it adventure or fighting.
- Expy: Kid of Finn. Bro of Rainbow Dash.
- Robby and Fred are on record in the various commentary notes that while the visuals are a little borrowed from current cartoons, that Kid is based on Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, and Bro is based more off Jackie Chan.
- Funny Background Event: Here
- Gratuitous Ninja: Artie
- Guest Strip: J.L Anderson's story that involves Artie.
- Idiot Hero: Apparently the characters don't know the meaning behind "danger".
- Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: No rhyme or reason to this world, whatever Fred or Rob thinks is cool is going to make it in here in some form or another.
- Not What It Looks Like: Whoops
- Pegasus: Bro
- Progressively Prettier: Combined with Art Evolution, Kid and Artie. Bro starts off with solid white eyes with sketchy outlining, no noes, and a hat that completely covers his hair. By chapter six, he's softer blue eyes, a nose, and long brown bangs. Artie is more subtle, but she started with tiny, solid black pupils before getting larger, more detailed ones.
- Scars Are Forever: Bro gains one on his cheek during a fight with Artie. He seems quite pleased with it.
- Shout-Out: Kid and Bro's dwelling is a old war time air plane that seems modeled after Sea Duck
- The creatures Bro fights in the first story like looks a lot like Pokémon.
- Well doesn't this landscape look familiar.
- Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: Emporer Tusk
- It's become a little more clear in recent chapters that while Tusk enjoys playing the part of a villain complete with evil fortress, he's almost as big a kid at heart as the leads are, and seems to be doing evil just for the fun of it.
- Indeed the latest story arc paints him as this. Ultimately subverting this trope.
- Why Couldn't You Be Different?: Said to be the case with Artie as her sister, Inky, doesn't approve of her childlike nature.
