Choco

From Plastic Tub

In the Fall of 1979, when America's spirits were in a sad lag, a hero appeared; the nation turned towards this hero with upraised arms and giddy smiles.

He was a short fellow made of chocolate. His name was Choco.

The origin is simple. A small alien probe descends upon earth, dispensing pancakes and sausages to befuddled farmers, nomads, tribesmen and campers. Eventually it falls into the hands of US government agents, who succeed in discovering the probe's mission. In addition to providing the alien race's favorite foods to the Earth-masses, it contains alien DNA and instructions on how to turn the raw material into an alien capable of sharing its wisdom. The device for making the transformation is built from material found readily in any American kitchen. But there is a problem. An Air Force Colonel attached to the project, a religious fanatic, sabotages the device which he believes to be a Satanic plot.

As the experiment begins, a scientist munching a bar of chocolate is caught in an unfortunate explosion, but instead of dying, begins a slow transformation. After 27 agonizing days, he emerges from his room as a five-foot chocolate bar. He walks, he talks. He is an anthropomorphic chocolate bar. His powers include telepathy, levitation and telekinesis, in addition to an almost inexhaustable range of knowledge and abilities. He is subjected to a barrage of tests and it is determined that Choco's DNA is a mix of human, alien and chocolate bar.

As the strip continues Choco escapes from his government handlers, doing good and spreading his undeniable charm. He sports a large diamond ring and a cane, giving him a pimpish air. Racially ambiguous, smooth with the ladies but clearly asexual, Choco appeals to all. Always a shoulder to cry on, his tender yet tough refrain, dispensed so many times it is practically his motto, is: "Love ain't sweet."

The strip has appeared in dozens of languages and continues to appear in irregular Double Stimes editions and christmas specials. The popular puppet show which appears regularly on Canadian television, DingDing, is a spinoff of the Choco strip.