The Heterodyne Boys have been knocking around
Phil's brain for over a decade. Their first big
appearance was in a Grimjack (#40) Munden's Bar side story.
(This was published at Studio Foglio for a while but
it's down now.)<br><br>There, they looked like
somewhat Edwardian or late-1920s adventurers. Barry in a
cap and a t-shirt with a large 3.14 on it, Bill in a
striped suit and straw boater. They were zapped to the
Grimjack world by Dr. Mongfish as they raced to Miss
Lucy's rescue.<br><br>As I recall the tale, Phil was
going on about all those book series of the
early-to-mid 1900s, with names like "The Radio Boys" and such,
and started coming up with titles like "The
Heterodyne Boys and the Anvil Cloud." Heterodyne as I
understand it was a direct reference to the radio
effect.<br><br>The prototypes are Bill Higgins and Barry Gehm, both
Chicago scientists, SF fans, techies, GTers, and friends
of Phil's. The Grimjack Bill & Barry are
recognizably Messers Higgins & Gehm.<br><br>Later, they made a
one-panel appearance in Phil's Stanley and His Monster #1,
in which _The Heterodyne Boys' Big Book of Fun_
figures prominently.<br><br>Fred