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Axe Cop Volume Three and the Truth About Box Turtles

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Lepus Marj

Part One: Axe Cop Volume Three
I just got my copy of Axe Cop Volume Three and it is the best Axe Cop book yet.

Axe Cop, as I’m sure you recall, is the story of a hardcore, super-powered police officer. The stories are written / play-acted by a seven-year-old boy (Malachai Nicolle), then distilled and drawn by his adult brother (Ethan Nicolle.)

Volume Three includes some of my favorite stories, including the Dr. McNinja crossover, The Power of Christmas, tons of extras, and an introduction that is worth the price of admission. Also included is a wide variety of short comics and pin-ups from amazing artists like Doug TenNaple, Kris Straub, Jason Brubaker, and Rob Schrab.

And if that wasn’t enough I GOT TO DRAW A PAGE OF IT! The guest comic, “Does Axe Cop Play Video Games,” was made by me. It’s based on various childhood stories that my brother, two sisters and I used to invent and act out. (This is actually the first time I gave credit to my siblings as part of the inspiration for that comic. It’s probably one more credit than they would have wanted.)


I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to appear in a book like this. It feels like a greater honor than my silly comics and I deserve.

Part Two: The Truth About Box Turtles
In a very popular Axe Cop interview, Malachai launches into a discussion about how turtles would join in a fight:

” I don’t know how the turtles would help but I think they would get in their shell then tell a guy with a golf club to bang them into the grizzly bears. Wait… how come they call a box turtle a box turtle?  My dad thinks it’s because they are good boxers.  The sea turtles couldn’t really help, but the snapping turtles could snap at them like weapons. (trails off into talking about every kind of turtle…)”

(From MTV’s Geek News: http://geek-news.mtv.com/2012/03/22/axe-cop-malachai-and-ethan-nicolle-interview/)

Usually, when someone famous asks a question like this, their inbox instantly becomes crammed with hundreds of answers from self-proclaimed experts. The trouble with this (aside from a bursting inbox) is that only one person gets to hear these answers and the rest of us readers are left scratching our heads or doing our own dang research. So, as a thank-you to Malachai for liking my comic, I am going to answer the Box Turtle Question right here for all to see. I will be aided by my lovely assistant and box turtle expert, Noko Noko.

(Here’s Noko!)
Box Turtles get their name from the hinge on their plastron (their belly shell.)
(There’s that hinge)
That hinge allows part of the shell to fold up over the turtle’s head when he withdraws – like the flaps on a box.
(See, he’s closing up the opening to protect himself)
Bonus Trivia: Box turtles make great pets, but many of them are endangered animals. Don’t collect them from wild. Adopt them from breeders or pet shops instead. But don’t release pet turtles either. They can carry diseases that are harmless to pet turtles, but deadly to wild turtles.
Also, box turtles are known for being highly intelligent by reptile standards. (See Figure A.)
(Figure A)
I hope this has answered all of your questions. Now go read Axe Cop.