Wasted Space comic strip 11/30/1984

I recently unearthed the first comic strip I ever wrote and drew, which was published in my high school newspaper The Lance on November 30, 1984.  I was around 17 years old, and was taking Mr. Williamson’s Journalism class with some friends, most of which were also artists.  Mr. Williamson and our editors used to drill home the notion that when printing a newspaper there was never to be any “wasted space.”  Which I considered a perfect name for my strip, working on multiple levels! And at 17, we’re usually the only ones who think we’re being clever.  

I’m guessing anyone seeing this might think I actually saw Spaceballs first, but the movie didn’t come out until June 1987.  So, I came with receipts and a pic of the November 1984 published paper.  Later, when the movie came out and John Hurt reenacted his chestburster scene from Alien, a buddy from that class turned to me and said, “Hey, that’s your joke!”

Art from 1984 - image area 9x4.

WASTED SPACE™ is Trademarked and Copyright © 2026 Joe Murray, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.  Unauthorized reproduction is uncool! ;)