This comic was from a concept I did back in 1986 - well before Baby Face. It was probably, the best Story Idea I've ever done. We sold it to a toy company called Schaper who introduced a line of vehicles based on it and planned to do a TV series etc. Marvel comics took a liking to the story and licensed a comic book. But Schaper was in trouble at the time and went out of business.

What was left of the company was picked up by Tyco, who wanted Schaper's line of track racing cars and dropped everything else. Marvel continued the comic for 4 issues, but without support from a toy line and a TV show, had to drop it!

Before anybody starts feeling sorry for me again, I hasten to point out that most of these "dropped" items resulted in handsome compensation and a good living. Like Baby Face, I contrived them in an attempt to gain the funds I needed to live and continue to follow my true Bliss, collecting toys! They had the desired effect and I'm not sad about it, even though, little remains of the "Animax" today but this painting, a few toys, and 4 issues of a comic book, that might turn up from time to time on E-Bay.

The painting depicts A Battle on the "Bridge of Doom" , Between the "Animax" led by "Max Action", aboard his trusty vehicle and companion "Jungle Max", and the "Car-nivores", led by "X-tinctor" [yes, we used that name twice] riding the "Obliterator", a living fossil released from the bowels of the earth, by the great fissure that divides the planet. Beginning in the mid twentieth century, men began to name their vehicles after animals: Mustang, Cougar etc. because they hoped they would embody the speed and traits of those animals, now in the distant future, on an Earth, ravaged by wars and pollution, the only animals remaining have been kept alive by bionically combining them with vehicles.

And the Earth itself has ceased to rotate, Leaving it half in darkness and half in light, Between the halves a great Crack has opened , "the Crack of Doom". On the "Light Side" the "Animax" protect Mankind from the evil "Motor Mutants" and their "Carnivores". From a secret base in "Monstro City" the "Motor Mutants" conspire to leave the "Dark Side" and cross the "Bridge of Doom" to invade and devour all Mankind.

Isn't That CUTE!
Best Regards from the Dark Side of, Mel

Here is "Max Action" who was the main character from Animax.
This vehicle was never produced. The photo is one
I took of the model, right after I had painted it. --Mel

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Copyright Acknowledgment: All images of Baby Face and other Products and Images,
created by Mel Birnkrant, are Copyright (c) Kiscom, Birnkrant