TITLE The Bastich By Hart: Summer "Vacation" Part 1
PANEL 1 (BASTICH holds a phone handset to his ear at the Helpdesk.) CAPTION: "It all started with an ending. My last day at the Helpdesk was thankfully uneventful..." BASTICH: No, sir, I don't think bullet-holes are covered in your PC's extended warranty...
PANEL 2 (BASTICH walks confidently wearing a backpack.) CAPTION: "I took my last final of the semester and exited the classroom feeling quite positive about the outcome." BASTICH: I have almost definitely flunked out! Of that I can be certain.
PANEL 3 (BASTICH packs his suitcase, holding a vintage TRANSFORMERS toy.) CAPTION: "I went home an packed only the essentials of survival for my long-awaited trip to the Silicon Valley..." BASTICH: Well, if I only pack one shirt, I'll have enough room to bring Ol' Optimus, here.
PANEL 4 (FAITH and HACKER-LAD look on as BASTICH zooms away in his Camaro.) CAPTION: "I loaded up the 'Maro and bid my loyal roommates a melancholy farewell..." BASTICH: See Ya! Ha-Ha! VROOM! FAITH: Do we KNOW that guy..?
PANEL 5 (BASTICH smiles serenely as he drives.) CAPTION: "For four long hours I drove, searching for some sign that I at last reached my destination... Finally, that sign appeared."
PANEL 6 (BASTICH stands before a giant sign that reads "FRY'S ELECTRONICS".) BASTICH: At last, I am home. CAPTION: "They call me The Bastich, and this is the story of my summer vacation in NerdLand."
CREDITS Bastich (c) 1997 Joshua Adam Hart
Commentary
Now Bastich's Summer "Vacation" begins in earnest. Bastich's "'Maro" is based on my first car, a red 1985 Camaro. It was a fun car and had enough legroom for me (at the expense of whoever sits in the passenger seat behind me). Four hours was the average drive time from Chico to the Silicon Valley. I made this trip many, many times and ran that poor old car into the ground.
It's hard to overstate just how much I loved Fry's Electronics, the once-ubiquitous electronics duper-duper-store. There were several Fry's to choose from, each with its own crazy theme (e.g. Old West, Aztec temple, inside a giant computer, etc.). Needless to say, Bastich will be revisiting this place again before this storyline is done.