#D.I Spiker

[captainmactaggart]

It’s July 12th, and you know what that means...?

Thought not, but let me explain anyway. As far as I can remember, July 12th 2015 was the date on which I first started working on Space Pirate Captain MacTaggart. This is just one of the more notable mistakes I’ve made in my life, and it occurred hot on the tail of a truly bizzare chain of events involving an actress, a DJ, and a former Justice of the Peace. I won’t mention any names or go into any details, but in short, this is all their damned fault!

Anyway, I did nothing to commemorate this dubious anniversary in either 2016 or 2017. By the time the 2018 anniversary rolled around, I’d already stopped work on SPCM, and figured I’d actually have to do something that year, as my way of compensating for the lack of new content. In view of the aforementioned bizarre chain of events, I decided that the best way to celebrate the creation of SPCM was to draw some characters from a totally different series. And what better series to draw from than The Space Gypsy Adventures - the radio drama which set me down this dark path to begin with?

In short, then, I give you my rendering of the cast of Space Gypsy, to commemorate the creation of SPCM. Don’t ask. I thought it was a good idea at the time...

- Craig Black, co-Creator of Space Pirate Captain MacTaggart

GEMMA MILDURY - The titular space gypsy, and the undisputed hero of the series. A vixen in every sense of the word, she uses her wit, craft and sex appeal to ensure she always gets the upper hand. Red Vixen.

DAMIEN MILDURY - The little brother of Gemma. Will melt your heart with a smile, and then pinch the chocolate bar from your back pocket. Caution is advised when dealing with this kid. A pair of sunglasses wouldn’t go amiss either - he has a thing for loud shirts. Red Fox.

FLUFF CATT - A close friend and business partner of Gemma. Has a thing for motorbikes and glam rock, and if she’s not tearing around on the former, she’s getting her fix of the latter as the leader of her own band, the Rock Kittens. Cat (obviously).

LEAH DINI (NÉE ROSENLY) - Another close friend of Gemma’s, who runs the café at Drakester Spaceport, on the planet Zenophon. If truth be told, she’s the real brains of the whole operation, and probably the only sensible member of the entire cast. Is married to Rekki G Dini (see below). Border Collie.

DUKE ROSENLY - The younger brother of Leah, the fiancé of Gemma, and pretty much the Arthur Dent of the series. All he wants is to lead a quiet life as the chief mechanic at Drakester Spaceport. With someone like Gemma at his side, though, a quiet life’s the last thing he's gonna get...! Border Collie.

JEHLISE MOSSUS - Damien’s friend-who-just-happens-to-be-a-girl. Do not call her his girlfriend if you want a quiet life. Whatever you want to call her, she’s usually to be found at his side, either joining in with his latest harebrained scheme, or standing aside like a sensible person. Cat.

REKKI G DINI - The Simon Mayo of the Galaxy (for want of a better comparison), he hosts the evening flytime show on Stellar One, the galaxy’s top radio station. He’s alright at his job, but a bit of a dunce when it comes to anything else. Nonetheless, he did somehow manage to convince Leah Rosenly (see above) to marry him, and they’ve since had a daughter, Leandra. Raccoon.

JIMMY DAWEASEL - Yet another of Gemma’s business associates, though not as close a friend as many of the others. If Gemma’s has some illicit goods she wants to sell, you can be certain it’s Jimmy who’s been able to get them for her. At least, that’s as much as we know about him, for he’s only had one significant speaking role so far. Weasel (obviously).

D.I JACK SPIKER - An inspector with the Federal Alliance Police, and therefore one of the series’ two major villains. He thinks himself the top dog (so to speak), and there’s nothing he likes better than to ensure that criminals get what’s coming to them. Problem is, the Mildury siblings are just that little bit cleverer than Spiker is used to, which always spells trouble for him and his motley crew of Constables. Alsatian.

D.C MEIC BONES - The ever-unfortunate subortinate to D.I Spiker (or at least the most prominent), and consequently the other major villain in the series. However, he also has some tenuous link with the Mildurys’ clan of space gypsies, and this usually lands him in a tough moral tangle whenever he goes up against them. He also happens to be dating Fluff Catt, which doesn’t help his case (or his nerves) one bit. Red Fox.