The Intergalactic Nemesis Review

Do you believe in aliens? Or time travel? How about the healing power of laughter? If you had the pleasure of attending The Intergalactic Nemesis (written, directed, and produced by Jason Neulander) at the Long Center this past weekend, you were convinced of one thing; the people behind this production believe fervently in all three.

It's hard to describe to the uninformed what The Intergalactic Nemesis is. First and foremost, it's the 1930s adventures of prize-winning reporter Molly Sloan and her wide-eyed sidekick, newsboy Timmy Mendez. The duo fight evil geniuses and sludge monsters from the planet Zygon with a little help from a dashing and mysterious librarian, Ben Wilcott. It's a story that spans first the globe and then the universe with plenty of twists, turns, and laughs to keep you entertained.

But that's just the plot of The Intergalactic Nemesis. It's harder to describe what it actually is. It started out in 1996 right here in Austin at the Little City Espresso Bar and Café on Congress as a retro radio drama á la Orson Welles' The War of The Worlds ... only funnier. From there the performance, not unlike a Zygonian egg-sack, has continued to grow and evolve. It's been broadcast on the radio, performed in local theaters, and toured the country as a live show.

Its recent incarnation is so much more than a radio drama. In addition to a trio of actors (Shana Merlin as Sloan, Mical Trejo as Mendez, and Chris Gibson as Wilcott), a Foley artist (sound-effects virtuoso, Buzz Moran), and a keyboardist (Graham Reynolds), the radio drama is accompanied by images from the Intergalactic Nemesis comic book (with impressive art by Tim Doyle and colorists Paul Hanley and Lee Duhig) projected onto a huge screen. That's right. A radio drama and a comic book combined! It's what creator Jason Neulander calls a "live-action graphic novel."

Seeing the show in the Long Center's magnificent Dell Hall was a media-mashing treat. Panels from the comic book towered over the audience on the huge screen and the acoustics of the performance hall also helped them enjoy every wisecrack, rocket blast, and sinister gurgle of sludge. It was great to see the hall filled with a mixed crowd of friends, couples, and families as The Intergalactic Nemesis appeals to all ages and the sci-fi/adventure junkie in all of us. The only problem I had with the performance was that it was confined to two nights only. But if you still need to get your Intergalactic Nemesis fix, you'll have to pick up the comic book which is on sale at local comic shops.