Jared Axelrod

Day 9, but Story 6. At least the work count is up. Some stories just won’t let go. The American Cryptozoological and Exploration Society came out of a conversation I had with Jason Adams–he of Random Signal and Indie Squid Kid fame–where we expressed our disappointment that the International Cryptozoology Society was in fact not a bunch of globetrotting adventurers, but rather a loose collection of scientists (clearly, we are not the only ones who feel this way). It seemed like the perfect pulp conceit, and the characters pretty much wrote themselves. The original idea was to do a short comic story, like an old E.C. short, and I did some doodles of the characters with that in mind.

The ACES clearly had more to say, as this rough draft was three times as long as the previous stories, even with me skimping on the climax and saying things in a sentence that really required one or three paragraphs. There’s alot of pulp juiciness in these characters that I only barely touched on, so it’s not impossible to believe that the ACES will show up again.

On the plus side, it means that the next few stories can be much looser drafts, since the ACES devoured my word count.

On her death bed, Professor Rosalind Ozymandias, founder of the American Cryptozoological and Exploration Society, told me she regretted two, and only two things:

“One, I should have shot that cheating conglomerate of excrement and selfishness who called himself my husband instead of merely divorcing him,” she said. “I have given it extensive thought, and am now quite certain I would been better off as a widow. Secondly, I wish we had never gone in search of that blasted giant squid.”

No one knows why Professor Ozymandias founded ACES. I was the first member, and she never told even me. Her reasons unfortunately, she took with her to her grave. But ACES has left it’s mark on the world, it is the extensive catalogue of bizarre creatures ACES was able to compile in the years of its existence. Indeed, when folks speak of ACES, they usual talk about the monsters we’ve found or fought: chupacapras, mothmen, sasquatches, and the like. But few stories truly consider the humans of ACES, the men and women of knowledge and skill that time and time again heave delved into nature’s darkest mysteries. Their bodies and spirit are pushed to the utmost in the goal of acquiring knowledge. And yet, too often, those stories are overwhelmed by the end results, for stories of monsters will always outshine stories of men. Which is a shame of epic proportions.

For what motivates a person to risk life and limb in the search for something that may or my not exist? What kind of person joins ACES? What kind of person could?

Though many joined and left, I always considered a core group of four to be the heart and soul of ACES: Professor Ozymandias, naturally, who in addition to being the founder was also considered chairwoman and field leader. Wasai Ejiofor, an explorer who knew the jungles of Africa and South America like the back of his hand. Grace Lee, a former nun and expert on undersea creatures. Rounding out the four was myself, Ramon Cassanovez. I have been called a mechanical genius by some, and considering that I designed and built many of special vehicles and specimen-gathering devices used by ACES, this was not a title I think was undeserved. It was us four who chose the missions ACES would finance and undertake. And, fittingly, was this four who traveled to the depths of the ocean in search of the fabled giant squid…

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