Go-Party
Here's a comic that I broke down a plot for in 2016, then set aside forever. I found the notes for it today. It's a 22-page rip on Father John Misty (ahem, "Papa Joe Foggy"). You will agree that it is better left in the vault. As a period piece tied to the old ways, its time has passed. As a cover and a 1-page Word document, however, it's peerless.
1 Claire welcomes Mimi to the back to the UK.
2 A little set up - the Jack and Mimi situation (he has not been in touch), and Mimi’s excitement at seeing Papa Joe Foggy at Tackleford Parksplosion.
3 Following a “you don’t know my life” explosion with her mother Claire takes Mimi to Desmond’s stately home. Mimi is, needless to say, repulsed by the Fishman.
4 Des’ garage of Go-Karts. “They were papa’s passion”. Is it legal to drive them around without a license, asks Mimi. Fotheringay says yes when he means no.
5 Mimi shows up for a very awkward date with Jack in her Go-Kart
6 The date falls apart. There will be no summer loving. Jack only has eyes for Mildred. Mimi is plunged into a nihilistic void.
7 Good news from Claire! Papa Joe Foggy is doing an instore and signing at Vinyl Solution. This will lift the spirits of Mimi.
8 PJF’s in-store set of lascivious jams. “It is deeply ironic” says Mimi, “a true master of ze deconstructivist’s art”
9 In line for the signing, we get the sense that there is nothing particularly ironic about this fellow as he asks Mimi & Claire back to his hotel room to Netflix and chill. “We’re fifteen”. “And spectacularly unimprethed”.
10 Twice, twice in one day Mimi’s faith in men has been fatally undermined, and Claire is full of fire too. They decide to destroy PJF at the Parksplosion.
11 Go Karting down to the coast, with Des in tow, they begin to form a plan.
12 Des’s new and weak moral compass is confused, should he be a part of this? Claire assures him that PJF needs cutting down to size.
13 Ludicrous stunts to get past queues of traffic into Parksplosion, which is on the neighbouring estate to Sunderland Manor.
14 A little in-festival colour. They are having fun, maybe they won’t go on full attack. Mimi runs into Jack again. She re-enters the deep black void of the mind. Now it is on.
15 PJF goes on stage to tumultuous applause form adoring assholes. Claire, Mimi and Des prepare for ACTION.
16 They stage a stage invasion on the go kart, destroying the musical instruments. What do you think of that, Foggy? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
17 ROCK N ROLL says Foggy, he loves it! The crowd begins to sing along. It is time to unleash DES for the final step.
18 Des goes on the attack but cannot fire more than a little of his ink. Foggy whacks him with his microphone stand, flattening the poor Fishman.
19 Des is frightened! The crowd turns on Foggy! Mimi, Des and Claire beat a hasty retreat.
20 Claire, Mimi and Des escape the festival by road, but are pulled over by the police.
21 “Do you have a license for this vehicle”? “Our friend has been very badly burned in a kiln accident, we’re taking him to hospital” (Des feigns weakness) POLICE ESCORT!!!
22 EPILOGUE: PJF dropped by label, HURRAY! “immediately re-signed for more money”. BOO!
The Go-Kart Conspiracy eventually solidified with a different line-up...
Comments (13)
Surely none of you have considered what would have happened if John had been forced to draw all of those go-karts. If you value his future stories, have some sensitivity to his present sanity.
Is FJM a creep and thusly parodied? Or does he just have a fun-pun name convenient to the story?
Five years on, I can no longer remember the FJM wrinkle, alas.
Ah how we all pine for loves never realized.
I don't know I can agree about it being best left in the vault. I mean, if you don't feel it's worth doing, that's your call; I don't want you to do anything that you think wouldn't be to your own satisfaction. But if you ever did decide to produce the actual story, I'm confident that I'd like the end result. (But, again, ultimately, it's whatever you decide you're comfortable producing; I'd rather see work you're pleased with yourself than something you churn out just for the sake of churning it out.)
I'm sure I could have made a fun little comic out of it, but I never felt enthusiastic enough about the material to want to draw it - the same rule always applies. I have many, many stories that never got further than this stage, but this was one of a few that was never broken into parts that could be used elsewhere.
There is a whole universe I never imagined.
I need little persuasion to be drawn into a tale of the fishman. I’ll trust if you say the world is better off without this, but it’s a lovely glimpse at what might have been. Boss cover, too!
I guess I can see how the time for this specific story has passed. However I was always hoping we'd see more of Mimi someday. I do appreciate kind of knowing what happened between her and Jack tho.
I'd give anything for this to exist
Love the cover. Love "And spectacularly unimprethed”. Thanks for sharing.
"You will agree that it is better left in the vault.".... I'm sorry. But actually I would very much like to read this story. See Claire driving a kart, the awkward reunion between Jack and Mimi and the chance to learn a littel more about Desmond's father. I love the design of the band. I hope Shauna and Bossom are still making music together.
Kinda freaky how I could see each page perfectly rendered in my mind as I read this.