The Humans (comic) explained

The Humans
Schedule:Monthly
Ongoing:y
Publisher:Image Comics
Genre:Anthropomorphic
Crime
Fantasy
Startmo:November
Startyr:2014
Endyr:present
Issues:11
Writers:Keenan Marshall Keller
Artists:Tom Neely
Colorists:Kristina Collantes
Creators:Keenan Marshall Keller
Tom Neely

The Humans is an ongoing American comic book series from Image Comics created by writer Keenan Marshall Keller (Galactic Breakdown) and artist Tom Neely (All Crime Comics, Henry & Glenn Forever, Popeye).

Plot

The series focuses on the Humans, an outlaw biker gang based in an alternate 1970s Bakersfield, California, in an alternate universe where the dominant species are anthropomorphic apes, and humans (called "Skins") are used as pets or slaves, similar and Spiritual Successor to Planet of the Apes.[1]

Humans For Life (Issues #0-4)

The Bakersfield charter of the Humans MC consists of brothers Bobby and Johnny Moore, Marra, Karns, Crispin, Mojo, Doc, Nada, and Bricks.

As the Humans MC gathers to bury Mojo, a rival club called the Skabbs shows up and a fight ensues. The Humans finish the rumble, with Bobby defeating the Skabbs' president by punching his head through Mojo's headstone. Continuing the wake, the Humans return to their clubhouse at Mighty Joe's Junkyard and party around a funeral pyre they erect for Mojo's bike. As the party continues, Johnny, recently returned from Vietnam, rejoins the crew.

The next day, Bobby wakes Johnny from his nightmares of the war to introduce him to his idea for striking it big with a newly created drug called "Spazm" - a hallucinogenic form of speed created by Doc. Bobby plans to use the profits of the drug to get out from under the thumb of their boss, Abe Simian.

After Johnny is reunited with his bike, Moonbeam, the Humans attend a "Skin fight" (human cockfighting) at Abe's business, Flex Trucking. A meeting is held in Abe's office, consisting of Abe and the presidents of three MCs: Bobby of the Humans, Marcus of the Haterz, and Reeko Santini of the Madfückers. Abe hires the Humans to deliver two truckloads of the Haterz' cannabis from their Oakland charter to the Madfückers in Los Angeles, then deliver the Madfückers' five-crate meth shipment to Bakersfield.

Wanting a bigger cut for all the risk, Bobby initially demands from Abe ten percent of the profits. When Abe asks for a wager, Bobby's best skin against his, Bobby asks for fifteen percent if he wins, or the Humans will do both runs for free. To win the fight, Bobby injects one of their fighters with Spazm.

Volume 2 (Issues #5-10)

As the Humans make the run to LA, they fight off Victor's Legion, a gang of desert bandits who attempt to hijack the convoy. After losing Moonbeam and Bobby's bike, The Governor, the Humans survive the hijack attempt and successfully deliver the drugs to LA. While in the city, the Humans party at the Madfückers MC clubhouse, while Crispin accompanies Johnny on his ride to reunite with his long-lost love, Peg, who now strips at the Forbidden Zone in Oildale.

After calling out and ditching Crispin, Johnny rides alone to the Forbidden Zone, where he gets drunk while waiting for Peg to arrive for her shift. As he waits, a few locals pick a fight with him, nearly setting him on fire before being saved by the club's staff. Later, Peg arrives for her shift, surprised to find Johnny there. Back in Bakersfield at Flex Trucking, Crispin makes a deal to help Abe finish the Humans once and for all.

Characters

Humans MC

Music

At the end of each issue is a newsletter that features two to three songs from bands contributing a soundtrack for the series, with each issue containing one volume of music. Each new track is added to the Humans Soundtrack SoundCloud page. With the release of issue #7, the creators revealed they had opened up submissions for bands to write original songs inspired by the comic for the soundtrack. With the deadline on October 25, 2015, the winning tracks were included in the SoundCloud soundtrack release for issue #10, and artist Tom Neely designed a T-shirt graphic for the winning bands.

The Humans Soundtrack

Artist/BandSongIssue/Volume
Zig ZagsHumans March (Let's Die)1
Smelly TonguesLive to Ride
Boss KongRide to Die2
Goblin CockJust Fucking Humans
Boss KongViet-Kong3
Fairlight ExpressOutside in a Cage
ColiseumMan Should Surrender4
Wizard RifleApes Bounce For Fux!/The Deuce Is Loose
Gary Wrong GroupWarlords Willing Redux5
SpeedbuggyStill Movin' On
DegreaserErase My Mind6
Witches of GodReturn of the Living Dead
Sun TrashElectric Feather Hair
Folsom KellerHumans7
Apeshit SimiansSimian Stomp
Damien BlaiseMojo's Funeral
GhoulHumans Till Deth8
Heavy LidsFight It
SavioursThe Sacrifice9
Imagine "the" Band & Die RotzzNife Fite
Boss KongApe Hanger10
The Hip Priests1For Life Till Deth
Child Leash1Monkey Eye
Cadaver Pudding2Primacy
Thee Minks2Cavegirl Love
The Sorority2Reconnaissance By Fire
Scuzz2Nihilistic Vile Punks
Dark Palms2Ghost Horse
Apex Shrine2Can't Help Myself
Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell2Mean and Filthy

1 Battle of the Bands winner
2 Battle of the Bands honorary mention

Inspiration

Below are songs said to have inspired the writing for the comic.

Artist/BandSongAlbum
The SpitsRip Up the StreetsThe Spits IV: School's Out
Davie Allan & the ArrowsBlues' ThemeThe Wild Angels (Music from the Soundtrack of the Motion Picture)
Ty Segall & White FenceEasy RyderHair
The Black AngelsBlack GreasePassover
ObliviansIndian In Me
MotörheadLive to WinAce of Spades
JerusalemHooded EagleJerusalem
George BrigmanDon't Bother MeJungle Rot
Pretty ThingsGrassParachute
BizarrosJackson's PrideFrom Akron (w/ Rubber City Rebels)
DonovanCosmic WheelsCosmic Wheels
BrainbombsAfter AcidBurning Hell
Wizzard SleeveMommy's Little BabyMake the World Go Away
MidnightI Am ViolatorComplete and Total Hell
DMZDon't Jump Me MotherDMZ LP
The MonkeesCan You Dig ItHead
The ScreamersI Wanna HurtIn a Better World
Iggy and the StoogesGimme DangerRaw Power
Bits of ShitFCut Sleeves
CuntzNever Felt BetterSolid Mates
MammothMammoth
Flower Travellin' BandSatori, Pt. 2Satori
FunkadelicMaggot BrainMaggot Brain
The SpitsKill the KoolKill the Kool

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: January 8, 2016 . Luke . Geddes . The Humans: Volume 1: Human for Life . 2023-08-29 . The Comics Journal . en-US.