View source for Space Moose

{{Short description|Canadian underground comic strip}}
{{italic title}}
[[File:TriumphofaWhim.gif|thumb|Cover of the collection ''Triumph of the Whim'']]
'''''Space Moose''''' is a Canadian [[Underground comix|underground comic strip]] that appeared in the [[University of Alberta]]'s student newspaper, ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]'', between October 3, 1989, and 1999.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20020122084123/http://spacemoose.com/ Space Moose's Home Page]." ([https://archive.today/20020122084123/http://spacemoose.com/ Archive]) Space Moose. January 22, 2002. Retrieved on February 5, 2011.</ref> Almost all of the strips were penned by Adam Thrasher, a student at the university.<ref name="Schoek635">Schoek, Ellen. ''I Was There: A Century of Alumni Stories about the University of Alberta, 1906-2006''. [[University of Alberta]], 2006. [https://books.google.com/books?id=-JbF6kwRZiMC&dq=%22Space+Moose%22&pg=PA635 635]. Retrieved from [[Google Books]] on February 4, 2011. {{ISBN|0-88864-464-7}}, {{ISBN|978-0-88864-464-0}}. see segment: "Fall 1997-Fall 1998: Space Moose"</ref> For career-related reasons, many archives refer to the author by his post-production [[pen name]] "Mustafa Al-Habib".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030927151106/http://www.subvulture.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=127 Space Moose] (discussion archived at the [[Internet Archive]].)</ref> ''[[Macleans Canada]]'' said that ''Space Moose'' "was deliberately provocative".<ref name="Voteforme">"[http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2008/02/06/joey-coleman-2/ Vote for me]." ''[[Macleans Canada]]''. February 6, 2008. Retrieved on February 4, 2011. "The comic strip, created by medical sciences student Adam Thrasher, now a professor at the University of Houston, was deliberately provocative."</ref> Ellen Schoek, the author of ''I Was There: A Century of Alumni Stories about the University of Alberta, 1906–2006'', said that ''Space Moose'' "left no subject unscathed, from fraternities to Christianity and obesity, from sexual proclivities to racism".<ref name="Schoek635"/> In addition to ''The Gateway'', the newspapers of the [[University of Manitoba]] (''[[The Manitoban]]'') and [[Langara College]] (''The Gleaner'') also carried ''Space Moose''.<ref name="Mandelalive">Mandel, Charles. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020809070429/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/vue.htm Space Moose alive and well on the WWW]." ([https://archive.today/20020809070429/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/vue.htm Archive]) ''[[Vue Weekly]]''. September 10–16, 1998. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref>

The strip follows the adventures of Space Moose, an [[anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]], [[nihilism|nihilistic]] moose with asymmetrical eyes and a ''[[Star Trek]]'' uniform, as he violates every behavioral norm and societal taboo he can find. His roommates Marlo Smefner, Billy the Bionic Badger, and Bald Dwarf are often the accomplices or victims of his actions. ''[[Macleans Canada]]'' said that Space Moose was "probably the most famous comic strip character in Canadian university history".<ref name="Voteforme"/>

A book collection, ''[[Triumph of the Whim]]'', was published in late 1997. It consists of 94 pages of selected existing ''Space Moose'' cartoons and 6 pages of previously unpublished ''Space Moose'' strips.<ref name="Shoppe">[https://web.archive.org/web/20001018171907/http://spacemoose.com/shoppe.htm "Space Moose Shoppe"]. ([https://archive.today/20001018171907/http://spacemoose.com/shoppe.htm Archive] Space Moose. October 18, 2000. Retrieved on February 5, 2011.</ref> Most strips were available on the ''Space Moose'' web site.

==History==
[[File:2008-08-18 Ross Sheppard 1.jpg|thumb|Thrasher originally created ''Space Moose'' while enrolled at [[Ross Sheppard High School]] in [[Edmonton]].]]
Thrasher said that he began drawing Space Moose while enrolled at [[Ross Sheppard High School]] in Edmonton in order to make a friend laugh. The first ''Space Moose'' comic premiered in the October 3, 1989, edition of ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]''. In 1991 Thrasher left the [[University of Alberta]] and worked for Northwestern Utilities in Edmonton; during the four months he worked with the company, he did not produce any ''Space Moose'' comics, and the school newspaper replaced Space Moose's slot with ''Colby Christ'', a comic about Colby Cosh, a friend of Thrasher. When Thrasher returned to the university, ''Colby Christ'' was replaced by ''Space Moose'', which had resumed. Thrasher and Donald R. "Don" Husereau drew "Colby Christ meets Space Moose", a strip that was a [[segue]] between the series.<ref name="FAQ">Thrasher, Adam and Colby Cosh. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20030202042543/http://www.spacemoose.com/smfaq.htm Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about SPACE MOOSE]." ([https://archive.today/20030202042543/http://www.spacemoose.com/smfaq.htm Archive]) Space Moose. Retrieved on February 4, 2011.</ref>

In 1997, Space Moose ran for Students' Union President and finished a close third with 1,400 votes (only 11 votes behind the second place candidate, Hoops Harrison). This led to changes being made in students' union rules that would prevent any future "joke" candidate from actually winning an election.  Due to the increasing popularity of the cartoon, people took away Space Moose's campaign posters as collector's items.<ref name="Voteforme"/>

Around 1997, the comic received 10,000 visits per month.<ref name="archive1997">Cosh, Colby. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020808070429/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/ar.htm No Space for this Moose]". ''[[Alberta Report]]''. November 10, 1997. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> In 1997, due to a controversy involving the strip "Clobberin' Time", the comic was moved from University of Alberta biomedical department servers to private servers. Thrasher said that [[Darkcore Networks]], a web host in Edmonton and a subsidiary of [[OA Internet]], one of the largest [[internet service providers]] in Edmonton, invited Thrasher to post his comics there. Thrasher established a new website which housed over 170 ''Space Moose'' comic strips, including "Clobberin' Time". The website included an advertising banner from [[Microsoft]]. It also had a hit counter which, as of September 10, 1998, stated that the site had been accessed 17,800 times since November 1997. The website included a section called "Clobberin{{'"}}, about the controversial comic strip. The section invited readers to "fume with the feminists who banned ''Space Moose'' from the university network".<ref name="Mandelalive"/>

A cartoon that was printed in ''The Gateway'', "Antlers of the Damned", depicting an angel and featuring a dog sodomizing Space Moose.<ref>{{cite web|title=Antlers Of The Damned|url=http://lost.co.nz/main/library/spacemoose/strips/antlers.png|work=The Lost Continent|accessdate=13 July 2013|year=1996}}</ref> As a result, the University of Alberta campus chaplains published a joint letter of recrimination. Another ''Space Moose'' cartoon, that depicted [[Snow White]] facing sodomy at the hands of [[the Seven Dwarves]], was published in ''[[Slur (magazine)|Slur]]'', a [[punkzine]]. As a result, [[A&B Sound]] withdrew its advertising from ''Slur'' and banned the magazine from its stores.<ref name="Mandelalive"/>

===Author biography===
Thrasher was born on September 9, 1971, in [[London, Ontario]]. He and his family moved to Edmonton when he was 10 years old.<ref name="FAQ"/> Thrasher received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Alberta in 1994.<ref name="FAQ"/><ref name="UHHome">"[http://grants.hhp.coe.uh.edu/cnbr/people/thrasher.htm Dr. Adam Thrasher] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625115329/http://grants.hhp.coe.uh.edu/cnbr/people/thrasher.htm |date=2010-06-25 }}." [[University of Houston]]. Retrieved on February 5, 2011.</ref> Thrasher was scheduled to receive his doctorate in 2000. Cosh said "His need to complete his doctoral thesis explains the shocking paucity of strips in 1999."<ref name="FAQ"/> He received his PhD in medical sciences in 2002.<ref name="UHHome"/> As of 2011 Thrasher is now a professor at the [[University of Houston]].<ref name="Voteforme"/><ref name="UHHome"/>

==="Clobberin' Time" controversy===
''[[Macleans Canada]]'' stated that the most controversial strip in ''Space Moose''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s history was "Clobberin' Time", which satirized the [[Take Back the Night (protest)|Take Back the Night]] march, an annual event held on Jasper Avenue in Edmonton to protest violence perpetrated by men against women.<ref name="Voteforme"/><ref name="Schoek635"/> In that strip Space Moose prepares to attack demonstrators,<ref name="Voteforme"/> and opens fire on women in the rally while using a machine gun,<ref name="Sadava">Sadava, Mike. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20000301165723/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/alberta/102197ab9.html Cartoon stirs anger for showing 'moose' shooting feminists]." ([https://archive.today/20000301165723/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/alberta/102197ab9.html Archive]), ''[[The Edmonton Journal]]''. October 21, 1997. Retrieved on February 6, 2011.</ref> hitting his targets.<ref name="Schoek635"/> A large masculine-appearing woman captures Space Moose,<ref name="Sadava"/> and in the following strip he is incarcerated in a "Womyn's Studies re-education camp". There he is forced to constantly watch reruns of ''[[Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman]]''.<ref name="Voteforme"/>

In October 1997, ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]'' refused to publish the strip "Clobberin' Time". The strip was nevertheless available on the cartoonist's web site, which was hosted on university servers,<ref name="Sadava"/> and ''The Gateway'' mentioned the [[URL]] which led to the comic strip.<ref name="Fraser">Fraser, Garnet."[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607133553/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/sun.htm Digital deer tastes outer cyberia]." ([https://archive.today/20020607133553/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/sun.htm Archive]) ''[[The Edmonton Sun]]''. Saturday January 18, 1998. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> The strip's presence ignited a controversy across many campuses.<ref name="Voteforme"/>

Nine women said that they felt frightened by the strip, and asked the university administration to take action.<ref name="Fraser"/> The women, including faculty and students, wrote ten letters to the president of the University of Alberta.<ref name="Mandelfierce"/> One of the complainants, a [[University of Alberta]] political science professor named Linda Trimble,<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> said that "I was shocked. I was upset. I was amazed that someone would draw such a misogynist, hateful cartoon. This is trivialization of a hate crime."<ref name="Mandelfierce">Mandel, Charles. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607125207/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/globe1.htm Cartoon draws fierce criticism]." ([https://archive.today/20020607125207/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/globe1.htm Archive]) ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''. Wednesday October 22, 1997. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> The university governed the web servers which hosted ''Space Moose'', so it took action to remove the comic from its servers.<ref name="Ciccocioppo">Ciccocioppo, Lucianna. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607123502/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/folio.htm Cartoon controversy saunters into cyberspace]." ([https://archive.today/20020607123502/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/folio.htm Archive]) ''Folio''. [[University of Alberta]] Office of Public Affairs. Friday October 24, 1997. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> Burton Smith, the acting dean of students, said that the administration asked Thrasher to voluntarily remove the comic strip from the university servers, and that if he did so, he would continue to be able to use his university computer account.<ref name="Moosteogo">Journal staff. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20000302102925/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/alberta/102397ab10.html Campus Web site moose to go]." ([https://archive.today/20000302102925/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/alberta/102397ab10.html Archive]) ''[[Edmonton Journal]]''. October 23, 1997. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.</ref> Thrasher moved his comic to a privately hosted web server in [[Edmonton]].<ref name="Lazinfined">Lazin, Dan. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607125057/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway2.htm Thrasher fined for insensitivity]." ([https://archive.today/20020607125057/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway2.htm Archive]) ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]''. Tuesday January 13, 1998. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> The controversy garnered media attention throughout Canada. Thrasher said "I'm an underground cartoonist -- I've always tried to keep a low profile."<ref name="Moosteogo"/>

Some members of the University of Alberta community complained about the activities of ''The Gateway'' in relation to the controversy to the university administration. The University of Alberta had no editorial control over ''The Gateway'', and by law the publisher, the [[University of Alberta Students' Union]], was responsible for the production. The Universities Act of the Province of Alberta dictated that the student union was a corporate body separate from the university. Therefore, Burton Smith asked that complaints about the newspaper's activities be directed to the union, rather than to the university administration.<ref name="Ciccocioppo"/>

====Disciplinary proceeding and appeal====
The administration started disciplinary proceedings against Thrasher.<ref name="Fraser"/> In December 1997 the administration charged Thrasher with discrimination against women as per the university's code of student conduct.<ref name="Lazinbeats">Lazin, Dan. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607124711/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway4.htm Space Moose beats the rap]." ([https://archive.today/20020607124711/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway4.htm Archive]) ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]''. Thursday November 5, 1998. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> The author was sent to a university disciplinary hearing.<ref name="Voteforme"/> On December 15, 1997, Gretchen C. Hess,<ref name="Appealtext">"[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607121847/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/UABdecision.htm IN THE MATTER OF THE CODE OF STUDENT BEHAVIOUR, and IN THE MATTER OF AN APPEAL FROM THE DECISION DATED DECEMBER 15, 1997 OF THE STUDENT DISCIPLINE OFFICER BETWEEN: MR. ADAM THRASHER (APPELLANT) -and- CAMPUS SECURITY SERVICES (RESPONDENT) DECISION OF THE UNIVERSITY APPEAL BOARD]." ([https://archive.today/20020607121847/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/UABdecision.htm Archive]) [[University of Alberta]]. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> the university's discipline officer, reviewed the university's charges.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> Hess declared Thrasher guilty of violating s. 30A.3.2 of the Code of Student Behaviour,<ref name="Appealtext"/><ref name="Lazinbeats"/> and the university punished Thrasher by issuing him a written reprimand that said "We reprimand Mr. Thrasher for failing to treat women with dignity and respect. In future, Mr. Thrasher should be more sensitive to some members of his reading audience in his depiction of issues" and that he would be fined $200 (${{inflation|CA|200|1998|r=2}} when adjusted for inflation) by making a contribution of that amount to the Graduate Students' Association Food Bank. After the fine was announced, Thrasher said that he had no intention of immediately paying the fine and that he would seek legal advice from Student Legal Services. He also stated that he had no intention of withdrawing from the university.<ref name="Lazinfined"/>

On January 23, 1998, Thrasher filed an appeal against the university's decision.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> The appeal hearing began on Monday September 28, 1998. It was supposed to conclude that afternoon, but the meeting ran too long and had to be adjourned. The meeting was scheduled to conclude on Thursday October 8, 1998.<ref name="Lazinhearing">Lazin, Dan. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607124634/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway3.htm Space Moose in appeal hearing]." ([https://archive.today/20020607124634/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/gateway3.htm Archive]) ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]''. Tuesday September 29, 1998. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> Five of the women who had initially sent complaints against Thrasher testified during the appeal hearing. The appeal process was completed on Monday November 2, 1998, with the university overturning the charges against Thrasher.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> The front page of the November 5, 1998 ''The Gateway'' stated "''Space Moose'' Beats the Rap".<ref name="Schoek635"/> According to Thrasher, he spent around $300 (${{inflation|CA|300|1998|r=2}} when adjusted for inflation), which was more than the fine, even though his lawyer had worked ''[[pro bono]]''. Thrasher said that he spent the money on the appeals because he was attacking censorship and that he, as an artist, had a responsibility to do so.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> The University Appeal Board announced that it reversed the punishment decision on November 20, 1998.<ref name="Appealtext"/>

====Interpretation and reception====
Adam Thrasher argued that the "Take Back the Night" marches cause polarization in gender relations, since women discourage men from participating. Thrasher said, as paraphrased by Dan Lazin of ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]'', that "unthinking men may be incited to further hatred towards women."<ref name="Lazinfined"/> Thrasher argued that while the strips criticize "the ideas of some hard-core feminists", they are not against all women.<ref name="Mandelfierce"/> Thrasher added that "The reason I did it is because it's such a taboo to make fun of violence against women, against Take Back the Night."<ref name="Mandelfierce"/> Thrasher also stated that "When I drew up the cartoon, I wasn't thinking about [[Marc Le<!--No accent, as printed!-->pine]] [and the [[École Polytechnique massacre|Montreal massacre]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> which was a [[crimes against humanity|crime against humanity]], I think, more than a crime against women."<ref name="Ciccocioppo"/>

A Saturday October 25, 1997, editorial of ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' argued that the actions against Thrasher were censorship and that "the instinct to block the juvenile humour was more disturbing than the juvenalia itself."<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20020607130201/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/globe2.htm Muzzled Speech]." ([https://archive.today/20020607130201/http://www.spacemoose.com/clobber/globe2.htm Archive]) ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''. Saturday October 25, 1997. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> The ''[[Alberta Report]]'' said in 1997 that "''Space Moose'' is a festival of caricatured scatology, violence, perversion, irreligion and even pedophilia. It has stimulated outrage before, but in five years the university had never suppressed the strip, despite lampoons of University institutions, Trekkies, the mentally retarded, and Christians. Only one group, it seems, has the clout to make the university turn censor."<ref name="archive1997"/>

In response to Thrasher's argument that the marches could polarize gender relations and that the comic had a different message than perceived, Gretchen Hess said that the intent of the strip was not easily discernible and that the effect of the strip should be considered in addition to the intent.<ref name="Lazinfined"/> Linda Trimble argued that "[t]he pretty direct message of the cartoon [was] 'It's open season on feminists. Kill all the women.{{'"}}<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> Joyce Green, a [[University of Regina]] political science professor who was another complainant, argued that "I don't see any difference between <nowiki>[</nowiki>the Montreal Massacre<nowiki>]</nowiki> and the cartoon."<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> Green added that the group had complained about the strips "not because we're paranoid but because we're terrified."<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> Shannon Sampert, a political science student who was another one of the complainants,<ref name="Mandelfierce"/> said that she was not surprised that the appeal went in favor of Thrasher. She believed that additional students would try to take the course of action that Thrasher took, and she believed that feminists would cause an outcry against the appeals.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/>

Brice Smith, a graduate student in the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] Department of Physics, said in ''[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]]'' in 2001 that "[t]he first strip, taken alone, would have been a brilliant use of sarcasm that very sharply points out the need for such events", but that the second strip "mocks the women’s demands to feel safe and to be free from rape, and then follows this up with the men brutally attacking the women, killing many quite graphically[...]"<ref name="SmithBrice">Smith, Brice. (guest column) ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120808210146/http://tech.mit.edu/V121/N26/col27smith.26c.html Archive]) "[http://tech.mit.edu/V121/N26/col27smith.26c.html Take Back the Night]." ''[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]]''. Volume 121, Issue 26. Tuesday May 15, 2001. Retrieved on January 30, 2012.</ref> Brice Smith argued that "One almost does not even know where to begin addressing this kind of hate-filled message. For me, the most horrifying aspect is its total disregard for the very real extent of violence by men against women."<ref name="SmithBrice"/>

In regards to the university code of conduct, Green and Trimble argued that it needed to be amended so that it would prohibit future strips like "Clobberin' Time".<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> Thrasher said that the code was unclear, even though it does not remove rights from the university community or members of the university. Thrasher argued that the code needed to be amended to make it clearer.<ref name="Lazinbeats"/> In regards to the inclusion of the URL in ''The Gateway'', Sampert argued that the editors "did a really scabby way of censoring but promoting at the same time."<ref name="Mandelfierce"/> Rose Yewchuk, the editor of ''The Gateway'', argued that the ''Space Moose'' comic that was published in that issue would not have made sense to the reader unless the reader saw the previous comic, therefore the newspaper published the address.<ref name="Mandelfierce"/>

==Development==
''Space Moose'' was originally created for the entertainment of Paul Diedrich, a friend of Thrasher. Diedrich coined the name "Space Moose". Thrasher said "I drew this thing with all the stereotypes of a goofy character--lopsided googly eyes, buck teeth that hang out, and antlers."<ref name="FAQ"/> At first, ''Space Moose'' was a collaboration between Thrasher, Thrasher's friend Jason Kapalka, and Donald R. "Don" Husereau, a pharmacy student. After drawing one ''Space Moose'' cartoon, Husereau left the strip's production but continued to be an advisor. For the first year, Thrasher collaborated with friend Jason Kapalka. After the first year, Thrasher did the strip alone.<ref name="FAQ"/>

Originally Thrasher used materials from his mother's office to create the comics. As the comic progressed, he began using a black [[Sanford (company)|Sanford]] uniball to ink. The creator pencilled lightly with a very hard lead, such as a [[pencil|5H]]. The paper used was ordinary {{convert|20|lb|kg|adj=on}} sets of bleached paper. In addition Thrasher used a portable drawing board with a [[T-square]].<ref name="FAQ"/>

Thrasher said "My cartoons, more often than not, challenge the reader to think about things that are horrible, reprehensible and irredeemable. If I have achieved that, there seems to be only two possible reactions: anger or laughter. I aim for the latter and put up with the former."<ref name="FAQ"/>

Thrasher said that his influences include [[Scott Adams]], author of ''[[Dilbert]]''; [[Matt Groening]], author of ''[[The Simpsons]]''; and [[Gary Larson]], author of ''[[The Far Side]]''.<ref name="FAQ"/> Colby Cosh said "[h]e's glad they pushed the envelope to allow biting cartoonists such as him to thrive."<ref name="FAQ"/> Thrasher said "When I grew up, newspaper comics were sickly sweet."<ref name="FAQ"/> Thrasher believed that ''[[Family Circus]]'', ''[[Marmaduke]]'', and ''[[Ziggy (comic strip)|Ziggy]]'' were "offensively lame".<ref name="FAQ"/>

The first year of ''Space Moose'' had obscure references to many [[Edmonton]]-based [[bulletin board system]] participants. Cosh said "That's why those strips mostly make no sense. They're in-jokes that got into the campus paper for some reason. Quality control was a real problem then, as now."<ref name="FAQ"/> Cosh added "Adam would prefer that you just ignore the 1989–90 episodes of Space Moose. With respect to Jason Kapalka's gag writing, the real jumping-off point for "Space Moose" is the ingenious "[[Calvin and Hobbes|Calvin and Slobbes]]", the first strip of 1990–91."<ref name="FAQ"/>

Originally ''Space Moose'' had a head of hair. In 1993 Thrasher dropped the hair, because he felt the character looked better with a bald head. Thrasher added "Sometimes, the hair is useful--for example, in the "Summertime tips" strip, where he slicked it back to look suave, or in "Extreme Space Moose," where the mane looks like fire and adds intensity to the drawing."<ref name="FAQ"/>

The word "bee" often occurs in the strip, and sometimes a developmentally disabled man appears. This is based on Thrasher's experience while riding on a [[school bus]] with a boy with [[Down syndrome]]. The boy often sung softly; Thrasher later learned that the boy was trying to say the word "[[bee]]" using different pitches and tones. After the discovery, Thrasher decided to introduce the word in his vocabulary, with different tones leading to different meanings.<ref name="FAQ"/>

==Characters==
* '''Space Moose''' - Space Moose is an [[anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]], [[nihilism|nihilistic]] moose with asymmetrical eyes and a [[Star Trek]] uniform who violates every behavioral norm and societal taboo he can find. A native of the planet Olmak, he was sent to earth and raised by the Moose family in Canada. Moose chose to attend the [[University of Alberta]]. Thrasher said "Four years later, with a zoology degree in hand, Space Moose made his boyhood dreams come true and became the [[Generation X]] version of [[Marlin Perkins|Merlin Perkins]]."<ref name="FAQ"/> In the ''Space Moose'' FAQ, when asked about Space Moose's sexuality, Thrasher said "My personal opinion is that Space Moose simply likes illicit sex. Since gay coitus is so taboo (and since most of his friends happen to be male), that is the brand he most often indulges in. Still, he is not exclusively gay, because he hits on Miranda [...] and he fantasizes about screwing women [...]." Thrasher explained that Space Moose believes that "[...] the best sex is sex that is perceived as wrong or inappropriate. Missexual?"<ref name="FAQ"/> Colby Cosh, a friend of Thrasher, said that in his view, "Space Moose was basically heterosexual but would do ANYTHING to create chaos." Cosh explained, "Chicks are what gives him spontaneous erections in shopping malls [cf. "Saved by the fat fuck"], but he'll drill glory holes in his own walls to piss people off [cf. "Glory holes"]. Obviously he does have a thing about anuses (ani?), but so do a lot of heterosexuals. Of course, there's also the fact that he is neither human nor even of Earthly origin. "Missexual" is definitely the best formulation I have seen."<ref name="FAQ"/> In 1997, Thrasher conducted a [[World Wide Web]] poll on Space Moose's sexuality. 42% of respondents said that it was "undefinable". 24% said "bisexual". 3% each said that Space Moose was "homosexual" and "asexual".<ref name="FAQ"/> Space Moose's Star Trek shirt had been coloured differently in different strips. Thrasher said "Since the colourizers can't even agree on Space Moose's own exact hue, and since Space Moose has never been given a formal Starfleet rank, speculation may proceed freely."<ref name="FAQ"/>
* '''Marlo Smefner''' - Thrasher said "Of Space Moose's cohorts, Marlo is probably the most normal" and "Having had somewhat of a moral upbringing, Marlo does not agree with Space's seek-and-destroy philosophy of life, and tries to curb the antlered one's nihilistic ventures whenever possible. Despite the animosity between them, Space Moose cannot help but see a little of himself in Marlo."<ref name="FAQ"/> Thrasher introduced Marlo in 1994. At first Thrasher intended for Marlo to be a one-time character, but then he realized that he could act as the comic's [[Double act|straight man]]. Several commentators asked Thrasher whether Marlo is supposed to represent him. Cosh explained "This may be because Adam often disavows Space Moose's own outlook on life."<ref name="FAQ"/> Thrasher responded that Marlo is not an avatar of himself.<ref name="FAQ"/>
* '''Billy the Bionic Badger''' - Billy, a [[honey badger]], met Space Moose at the University of Alberta while participating in the university's engineering program. Thrasher said that Billy "underwent a series of surgeries which eventually replaced all his skeletal muscles with advanced silicon polymer servo-actuators, rendering him the world's strongest rodent."<ref name="FAQ"/> Cosh noted on the ''Space Moose'' FAQ that Thrasher was aware that badgers are not actually rodents.<ref name="FAQ"/>
* '''Bald Dwarf''' - A small man who attended the University of Alberta, Bald Dwarf often organizes equal rights parades for various socioeconomic groups.<ref name="FAQ"/>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Canada|Comics}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.spacemoose.com/ Official ''Space Moose'' website] (archives, available from 1996 to 2003)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120127044427/http://www.spacemoosearchive.com/ http://www.spacemoosearchive.com/] (official spacemoose mirror)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/*/www.su.ualberta.ca/gateway/ Issues of] ''[[The Gateway (newspaper)|The Gateway]]'' (archives)
{{Canadian comics}}

[[Category:Canadian comic strips]]
[[Category:Canadian webcomics]]
[[Category:1989 comics debuts]]
[[Category:Fictional badgers]]
[[Category:Male characters in comics]]
[[Category:Gag-a-day comics]]
[[Category:Science fiction comics]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1989]]
[[Category:Fictional deer and moose]]
[[Category:Anthropomorphic deer and moose]]
[[Category:Comics about anthropomorphic deer and moose]]
[[Category:Comics about anthropomorphic badgers]]
[[Category:University of Alberta]]