Editing 578: The Race: Part 2

{{comic
| number    = 578
| date      = May 5, 2009
| title     = The Race: Part 2
| image     = the_race_part_2.png
| titletext = The Hammer + Captain Tightpants == Captain Hammerpants?
}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}'' was a television series aired by {{w|Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox}} in 2002. The star of the show was {{w|Malcolm Reynolds|Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds}}, played by {{w|Nathan Fillion}}. Megan tries to play the rational card, and insist that the characters of major TV shows must get tired of fans' never-ending need to see them playing that character, and never being themselves. Nathan Fillion, however, appears to miss the days of ''Firefly'' so much that he spends his time reenacting his role as Malcolm at home. In the fourth panel Cueball suggests they race for charities, which would mean the winner gets to donate the prize money to their charity of choice. In the fifth panel Fillion, takes the phrase and twists it to mean that the winner gets the charity. This is why Cueball says the confused line "Come again?"

Electric skateboards have been the subject of several other comics like [[139: I Have Owned Two Electric Skateboards]], [[409: Electric Skateboard (Double Comic)]] and a panel in [[442: xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel]].

The title text refers both to Mal being referred to by Kaylee as "Captain Tightpants" in the episode {{w|Shindig (Firefly)|"Shindig"}}, and to Captain Hammer, a superhero played by Nathan Fillion in ''{{w|Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog}}'', another series created by {{w|Joss Whedon}}. "Hammerpants" may also be a reference to the odd, puffy parachute pants worn by 1990s rapper MC Hammer.

This series was released on five consecutive days (Monday to Friday) and not over the usual schedule of three comics a week. These are all the comics in [[:Category:The Race|The Race series]]:
* [[577: The Race: Part 1]]
* [[578: The Race: Part 2]]
* [[579: The Race: Part 3]]
* [[580: The Race: Part 4]]
* [[581: The Race: Part 5]]

==Transcript==
:[Man with skateboard and gear and woman are talking]
:Man: "Why race him?" He's ''Captain Reynolds!''
:Woman: Mr. Fillion is an actor. Firefly was years ago.

:[They go over to a computer; the man is using a phone and presumably looking up a phone number]
:Woman: He has his own life to live, and I'm sure the last thing he wants to do is indulge a fan by playing Mal for him.

:Meanwhile...
:[Nathan Fillion is standing in front of a mirror in a trenchcoat]
:Nathan: (into the mirror) Name's Captain Reynolds, ma'am. *ahem* Name's Captain Reynolds, ma'am.
:Someone offpanel: Nathan? Telephone!
:Nathan: That's ''Captain!''
:Someone offpanel: Fine, Captain Nathan.
:Nathan: No, use my '''space''' name!
:Someone offpanel: *sigh*

:[Nathan and the skateboarder talk on the phone]
:Skateboarder: So, how about we race for charities?

:Nathan: Sure. Always did want a charity of my own.

:Skateboarder (between panels): Come again?

:Nathan: You know, boxes in supermarkets collecting food. 'Course, ought to tack up a list sayin' which wines I like best...

:Skateboarder: Uh, that's not quite—
:Nathan (over the phone): Listen, I'm the captain here.
:Skateboarder: ...I just got goosebumps when you said that.

:Nathan: Yeah, happens to me too whenever I get captainy. I cut such a strapping figure. Buckle! Swash! All right, let's do this race.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:The Race]]
[[Category:Comics sharing name|The Race]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Nathan Fillion]]
[[Category:Firefly]]
[[Category:Electric skateboard]]