Twelve years ago, my family and I experienced one of the most unique stage shows that we had ever seen, or that we’ve seen since. It was called The Intergalactic Nemesis.
In The Intergalactic Nemesis, comic book images are shown on the screen while actors on stage speak the lines you’d normally read in the comic panels; meanwhile, sound effects are played by someone else on stage. Think of a 1930s radio drama, along with still images, played out in front of you.
It is quite an engaging storytelling experience.
Originally performed and recorded as a radio drama in 1996 in an Austin coffeehouse, the show eventually grew to broadcast quality, and they ended up going on the road as a live stage play. They were even on Conan O’Brien’s show and NPR’s All Things Considered. Kansas State even put together a study guide for the show, providing background on the creator and the genre. We saw the show in 2014—almost 20 years later—as they toured the country. We loved the show.
To me, this is another story of something that started small, then grew after continued work and time, into something people might think happened overnight. Sadly, though the show is no longer being performed in person, you can watch episodes here. And, you can get their graphic novels (comic books) here.
But wait, there’s more!
In a surprise twist, while researching the creator, Jason Neulander, I found out that he’s put together a new show, this one based on Treasure Island, called Jane Hawkins and the Pirate’s Gold! It looks like they’ll be touring this fall and it’s a family-friendly show.
The Austin Chronicle describes it as, “The live version of Treasure Island Reimagined will do something very similar [to The Intergalactic Nemesis], bringing to…life the exploits of young Jane Hawkins, a 12-year-old working in a sleepy seaside inn on the coast of Scotland in 1754. Her world is turned upside down when a mysterious stranger washes up at the inn, sending her on a journey of peril and plunder.”