A furry webcomic drawn by Nixie.
This almost-Steampunk Space Opera focuses on the misadventures of captain Mandy Cheng and her dysfunctional spaceshipmates. At the bidding of two mad scientists, the ship sails in search of a species they haven't yet identified. The captain has a split personality, the pilot is a "reformed" space pirate, the engineer is a cultist who always tries to recruit other for ritual orgies, the copilot is an overly affectionate squid (tentacle rope, anyone?) and the security officer is a unicorn with a virgin detector. Their mad scientist client turns into a monster when he gets hungry, and his daughter hates everyone. Together, this misfit crew can hardly handle their interpersonal issues. What happens when the dangers of space close in?!
The comic went through a reboot in July 2013 as the author wasn't happy with the direction it was taking. The previous version considered a canon alternate universe. In March 2016 this new version was canceled as well and was replaced with a different comic called Debunkers
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Anthronauts was previously found on The Katbox, which hosted this comic along with Las Lindas, The Eye of Ramalach, Caribbean Blue, and Draconia Chronicles.
Anthronauts provides examples of:
- Aliens Steal Cattle: The 2010 Halloween Special featured cows from the other Katbox comics being abducted by our alien protagonists.
- Asshole Victim: Mandy's coma-induced flashback reveals that Meilin wasn't as innocent as we thought she was.
- Benevolent Alien Invasion: Inverted, Pelzar's core became de-magnetized, then humans came in and terraformed the planet, saving the Pelzarian race. But according to Boris the humans also left 95% of the population to die and treated the survivors like pets for 60 years, eradicating their original culture too, hence the Victorian/Steampunk aesthetic they have.
- Bishie Sparkle: The reboot!anthronauts security officer, Johan Kissefello "radiates" glitter and Cherry Blossoms. Then again, he is a unicorn.
- Bittersweet Ending: During the lead up to the reboot, Nixie admitted that the original story would have ended with Mandy, Rexly and Boris killing Mary and the rest of the Alpha Draconi and saving the galaxy from their hunger, but would then have to spend the rest of their lives living with the fact that they committed genocide in order to save the galaxy.
- Boarding Party: Vom Korat and his cronies board the S.S. Bullet via the airlock.
- Brain Bleach is lampshaded and also refferenced as an Applied Phlebotinum here.
- Captain Crash: Perrin Rexley's piloting skills leave much to be desired. It's not completely his fault; the ship lacks landing gear.
- Carnivore Confusion: Mr. Rexley contemplates how to cook Sir Boris.
- Cerebus Syndrome: It started off as a wacky Slice of Life comic IN SPACE!. Now, though? Mary's betrayed the crew and turned into a monster, Boris is dead (at Mary's hands), Rexley is dying, Pelzar Tigges (the cast's homeworld) has apparently been marked for destruction by an unknown entity, and Cheng is clearly slowly going insane from the mounting tension.
- The Drunken Sailor: Rexley, especially in the reboot, where he hardly ever seems sober.
- Expressive Ears: Sir Boris and Mr. Rexley's ears droop when they're sad and perk up when they're cheery.
- Face–Heel Turn: Mary. To be fair, she's no more happy about it than we are.
- Flashback Effects: Rexley's flashback nightmare is sephia-toned.
- Fourth-Wall Mail Slot: There's a section on the forum specifically for the characters answer fan queries. Of course, the characters don't know everything and some are inclined to lie.
- Green-Eyed Epiphany:A non-sympathetic example. Meilin would brush off Rexley's advances when they were younger. The only reason she started actively pursuing him is Mandy tried to start a relationship with him
- Green-Skinned Space Babe: Sir Boris warns Mr. Rexley of their dangers.
- Humans Are Special/Humans Are Warriors: Humans are the only race targeted by the Alpha Draconi to survive. We mistook their feeding cycle for a Zombie Apocalypse and glassed earth.
- In the reboot, humanity terraformed Pelezar from the Death World it was turning into from it's core demagnetizing, saving the natives from extinction. then comes 60-plus years of treating the natives as vermin, but that's another trope.
- Hunter of His Own Kind: Pages from Boris' journal on deviantArt state that after discovering his species are a Horde of Alien Locusts he dedicated his life to their extinction
- Insectoid Aliens: The friendly folks of Xenophobix 4.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Retroactively, Meilin's Death
- Interspecies Romance: Rexley and Meilin (fox/panda), and Calimary ( shapeshifting squid alien) has a crush on him too.
- Mad Scientist: Sir Boris tries to hide it, but it's true. So true.
- Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: Caroline Wimble, although she's also a mad scientist.
- Masquerade: The Alpha Draconis are supposed to kill anyone who discovers them, excepting mates. Sir Boris prefers lobotomies.
- My Instincts Are Showing: Sir Boris, being a chinchilla, bathes in dust.
- Non-Mammal Mammaries: Averted, Calimary has no mammaries.
- "Not If They Enjoyed It" Rationalization: Referenced in this strip.
- Only Mostly Dead: Despite getting diced up by Mary Boris survives and regenerates.
- Only You Can Repopulate My Race: Mary's plans for Rexley
- Pimped-Out Dress: Anything Cheng wears is bound to be frilly.
- Red Shirt: Mr. Rexley is aware of this trope but refuses to die or switch shirt colors.
- Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies: Played for Laughs. In order to prepare for the reboot, it's revealed that the original Anthronaughts story was a tabletop RPG session hosted by Nixie who, in frustration over "real life" Mandy, Rexly and Boris calling her out on making the story so much Darker and Edgier, has their characters killed by a bar of soap.
- Schizo Tech: Pelzarians have space travel but use telegraphs for communication.
- Shiny-Looking Spaceships: Every ship we've seen so far.
- Space Pirates: Vom Korat and his crew, which Rexley was forced to join.
- Steampunk: The Pelzarian electromagnetic field is a lot stronger than earth's, so the never developed fancy electronics (ie; nothing more powerful than the above-mentioned telegraph). The ship is fuelled by water.
- Tentacle Rope: Calimary just wants to give you a hug! What? What's so naughty about that?
- We Come in Peace — Shoot to Kill: Cheng's friendly greeting to the Xenophobes didn't have the desired result.
- Zombie Apocalypse: Earth apparently experienced one 300 years ago that resulted in the whole planet getting nuked and was actually an Alpha Draconis feeding cycle
