Moving Day

Hippo hadn’t technically been on staff, but in the studio’s heyday he was almost always around, offering opinions and commenting on how nice your deodorant smelled. Hippo liked to dance, and he practiced his routine here--a style called hippo hop--until the aged pine boards called it quits and damn near broke his leg. That happened right here - must have been at least ten years ago. The open floor pit had disrupted the fung shui and caused minor accidents ever since. Now the studio is shuttered, the city’s populace uprooting and moving west to escape the advancing scorpion armies.

Words by Austin Fossey

Gordon Cat

Gordon Cat rented the top floor of a feline building on Ash Street. He had three rooms, but only one lightbulb. Gordon had a flare for the dramatic - he used his lightbulb room for striking sillohouettes. The darkness rooms were for prowling or sleeping. No one was allowed in without the password, which was just as well, as no one ever visited.

Words by Austin Fossey

Cat Landlords

The row house on the left is owned and operated by 6 cats, or at least, that’s how they tell it. The cats arrived late with their building in tow, and the other houses had to shove over and squeeze together to make space for them, like books on an overcrowded shelf. As the cats shouldered their building into position, they assured the neighbors that “this is just temporary” and “I’m sure you don’t mind.” That was 120 years ago.

Words by Austin Fossey

Bee Train

Spring snuck back into Apiopolis unannounced, and the honey bees woke up from a chilly winter cluster to find they had already missed a few weeks of prime blossom time. All across the city, workers strapped
on pollen sacks and crowded onto the bee trains, eager to make up the time, but reluctant to take personal responsibility for oversleeping.

Words by Austin Fossey

Big City Cinema

"One adult for Robber Ducky please!" "That'll be ten bucks, buddy." Rip! Tony Jerkins handed over the stub for ticket number 102. Cha-clang! His twin brother Toby put ten dollars in the register.

"One for Robber Ducky please!" "Ten bucks, pal." Slide. Tony handed over the other half of ticket number 102. Cram. Toby put ten dollars in his slacks. And in this way, only half the seats were sold but all the seats were filled.

Words by Austin Fossey

Casting Change

The script called for a bunny, but the director insisted on a giraffe. And wouldn’t you know it - the director’s bookie was a giraffe who had “always wanted to try acting.” Things went smoothly enough until the car chase scene, when the giraffe insisted on doing his own stunts. No, he wouldn’t calm down. And things eventually devolved into a politically incorrect diatribe about foxes. All. On. Film.

Words by Austin Fossey