The Accidental Centaurs

The Accidental Centaurs is a webcomic created and drawn by John Lotshaw. It debuted on January 15th, 2002.

The strip follows the ongoing adventures of Alex and Sam, two scientists from Earth who had been working on a teleportation system. During testing, the system explodes, opening a wormhole to an alternate universe. There, they find themselves transformed into centaurs (or, more accurately, transformed into something so strange that their minds perceive them as centaurs to protect their sanity). Their arrival is noted by the W!rxn, (The "!" is pronounced as a click of the tongue) a race of omniscient beings that watch over the parallel universe, who believe them to be fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. They are given a ring which contains Lenny, a djinn who is supposed to be their guide and protector (but usually ends up insulting them more often than not).

The story has undergone several re-imaginings since it's original launch. The most recent launch has rendered the original stories non-canon.

Sam and Alex's relationship is contentious, with each blaming the other for being stuck in this new world. They appear to have no romantic interest in each other at first and are quite hostile and sarcastic around each other. Lenny has shown a darker side as well on some occasions, and it's clear that his part of the prophecy is against his will as well.

Book I: Accidents Happen
The intro story begins in an ancient temple, which has lain dormant and forgotten for millenia. Suddenly, as per an ancient prophecy, two figures magically arrive in a ceremonial chamber in the temple, emerging from a pool of water. Human scientists Sam and Alex have arrived in a strange new world, and what's more, they're now centaurs. They're introduced to their guide Lenny and are told why they were brought to this world.

Book II: The Accidental Unicorn
Sam and Alex are swept up in a Reality Storm, leading to Sam being transformed into a unicorn-centaur. Alex and Lenny have to team up to capture her after the transformation changes Sam into an irrational beast on the run.

Book III: Pointing Hooves
The main characters stumbled onto an ancient magic battlefield that is still armed with magical landmines. When transformed into a plant, Alex and Sam throw accusations back and forth at each other as to who's to blame for their company's teleportation machine malfunction bringing them to this new world.

Classic Accidental Centaurs The following stories have been rendered non-canon by the latest story revision.

Lair of the Insectaurs
In Book I, Sam is kidnapped by a hive of half-human/half-insect creatures. She is fed royal jelly and is transformed into a queen. Lenny and Alex attempt to rescue her, and are drawn into a web of intrigue between the insectaurs and spider-like beings that live in the catacombs under the insectaur hive.

A print edition of Book I, annotated by John Lotshaw, was originally scheduled for publication by Moonbase Press in February 2004 but was finally published in April.

Duty Now for the Future!
In Book II, Sam and Alex learn more about the prophecy they are intended to fulfill. We get our first look at otherSpace centaur society and are shown the neighboring countries of Tauria (home of the centaur race) and Tyria (home of satyr like creatures). Sam and Alex get dragged into a war between the two countries and the machinations of Malevolence, an evil outcast from the W!rxn.

New characters introduced are Glo (a sprite and an advisor to the royal family of Tauria), the Magistrate (leader of the Order, a pseudo-religious order responsible for overthrowing the royal family of Tauria), Major Dorim, Zort (a former general of the Taurian army who now leads a rebellion against the Order), and Bix (a young centaur boy in the resistance who is, unbeknownst to him, the long lost surviving member of the Royal family).

In several strips, however, Lenny takes a short side trip to his home dimension (dubbed "GenieWorld" and introduced in The Wotch). The details of that trip are just now being revealed as a bonus feature running on Sundays at the Wotch website.

Accidental Wotch
On March 21, 2005, Accidental Centaurs and another webcomic, The Wotch started a two week crossover. Although the storyline was lighthearted in tone, it was to have lasting repercussions in both webcomics. The story was plotted by Thomas "Thom Khatt" Revor and scripted by Revor, "The Wotch" author Anne Onymous and AC author John Lotshaw. Both comics have referenced the encounter since then, and the crossover has had lasting consequences for both of them (Sam's magical powers and Anne's newfound, if limited, knowledge of Xaos). Even though the storyline ran concurrently with "Duty Now For the Future", it actually takes place after it.

In addition, Lenny comes from GenieWorld, a dimension first introduced in The Wotch, and apparently was Angelique's teacher. The ties between the two comics become more intertwined with the start of the "Sunday Specials", a storyline taking place in the GenieWorld dimension and involving characters from both comics and shown on the Wotch website on Sundays.

You Can't Go Home Again
Drawing from Alan Moore's award winning Superman story, "For The Man Who Has Everything", Alex falls under the spell of a mysterious plant that is mentally granting him his every desire. It is up to Sam and Lenny to rescue him from himself.

Bride and Prejudice
A guest comic written by Thomas "Thom Khatt" Revor and drawn by Darin "Naga" Brown, the story was a light-hearted romp involving a miscast spell from Sam (whose powers debuted in the Accidental Wotch storyline). The story introduced several new elements, including one of the bands of the nomadic centaurs.

The White Flash
A short story introducing major changes into the Accidental Centaurs storyline -- including some physical ones for our heroes!

Hello To Arms
Another guest comic written by Thomas "Thom Khatt" Revor and Darin "Naga" Brown and drawn by Brown, it focuses on the main character of Alex Tischenko and his quest to supplement his own abilities (as Sam is learning to control her new magical powers).

Supplemental features

 * Encyclopedia Accidentica - Background information on the characters, environment, and world that the Accidental Centaurs takes place in.
 * One-Shots & Guest Comics - Featuring various fillers and other comics that doesn't necessarily fit into normal continuity.