Jeff Provine

Jeff Provine is a writer and cartoonist whose creations include the "Celestial Voyages" series of historical science fiction and "The Academy" webcomic.

Celestial Voyages

At the dawn of the 20th Century, mankind made his first steps into the heavens. Mason Star, wealthy English shipping magnate, reveals a Starship dubbed "The Star's Comet" capable of traveling between planets and crewed by the best minds of Earth. The story is told through the journals of Curtis Matricks, a young Ohio farmboy who proves himself to be the most cunning astronomer in the world. The series thus far contains the "Moon" (ISBN 1592860104), "Venus" (ISBN 1413717884), and "Mars" (ISBN 1413790836).

Technology

Mason Star's expeditions make use of cutting-edge Edwardian technology as well as new ideas formed by creative minds at the behest of his money. An orbital tower known as "Star's Tower" allows for transit into the sky via an electric train. The Starship itself contains a plethora of devices such as the vacuum pump and gaseous hydrogen-oxygen rockets. Plants serve as air purification. Stability is maintained by magnetic boots.

Aliens

Through the voyages, the humans discover new worlds teeming with life, both unintelligent and sentient. The Moon is populated in air-filled underground caverns by tribalistic insectoids. Under its shrouded atmosphere, Venus contains thick jungles and cities built by intellectual plants. Mars features an advanced civilization that has surpassed its peak with beings similar to Greys.

The Academy

Taking place at a magnet school, The Academy is a webcomic that traces the lives of students as they work under extreme pressures. In addition to "nerd humor" and references to gaming, the comic takes non-realistic looks at artificial intelligence and robotics. Further references make note of experiences shared by students at magnet schools ranging from TAMS to OSSM to MASMC

Characters

The comic revolves mainly around four main characters:
#Spencer, overly imaginative and excitable about all things nerdy;
#Roger, a self-pronounced slacker;
#Ling, a stereotypically hard-working Asian girl; and
#Victorie, generally unamused and vicious toward her friends and enemies; all in their junior year of high school.

Other characters stem from classmates, members of the senior class, teachers, administration, and staff.

External Sources

* [http://www.jeffprovine.com/ "Official Website"]
* [http://theacademy.comicgenesis.com/ "The Academy" - The Online Comic]
* [http://students.ou.edu/P/Jeffrey.R.Provine-1/cv.html "Celestial Voyages Website"]