Issue 10: Hologram Headliners
Issue 10 · Ages 6–11

Hologram Headliners

Tech: Holograms + spatial audioJob: Stage tech + lighting designer Authors: E. H. Ackerman & J. D. AckermanARQS Press
Reading band: Ages 6–11Headline tech: Holograms + spatial audioThe job: Stage Tech + Lighting DesignerLocation: Harbourlight Amphitheatre, an open-air stage beside the sparkling evening marina
The Hook

Harbourlight Amphitheatre’s “Voices of Tomorrow” concert has hologram performers beside live musicians. Director Asha Beam hires the crew for lights and sound, but a mixed-up cue makes the grand opening a very fancy chicken dance.

Cast in this issue
Comic Pages
PAGE 1
PANEL 1Harbourlight Amphitheatre curves round the evening marina; lamps hang above the stage. ASHA: "Stage techs: hologram singers must hit marks and sound must come from the right spot." JAY: "I am low-key the main character." RAE: "You are cable-watching assistant character. Important, less buttony."
PANEL 2Asha shows taped cables and cue board. ASHA: "Tape cables, never stare into lights, headphones for checks, press only listed cues. Twenty-two coins plus six-coin smooth-show tip." RAE: "Pay us properly." TRAY: "Cue order is in the app." JAY: "Bet. Calmer than a potato." GAG: His backward headset makes him nod at his elbow.
PAGE 2
PANEL 3Rae points to projector and clear film. RAE: "This hologram is a clever light picture that looks like it stands in space; you cannot high-five it." TRAY: "Spatial audio uses several speakers so sound seems to come from left, right, or above." JAY: "Respectful air-five, then."
PANEL 4Test: a luminous drummer appears over a riser, with drums from that spot. GLITCH floats into the beam and becomes a glittery silhouette. GAG: Glitch announces, “I have become dramatic weather.” RAE: "Dramatic weather, two feet left."
PAGE 3
PANEL 5A breeze flips Jay’s “OPENING” card to “CHICKEN DANCE: ENCORE.” He presses orange. A hologram singer gets giant glowing chicken feet and bouncy sound. GAG: Asha, Tray, and two musicians do three tiny chicken steps, then freeze. JAY: "My button did a side quest!"
PANEL 6ASHA: "Two minutes. Fix?" TRAY: "Cards need big colors and shapes." Rae lifts her new belt tool, the Pocket Prism Light Meter. RAE: "I’ll check brightness and relight the mark. Jay, repeat cues before pressing." JAY: "Promoted from Button Gremlin to Cue Captain."
PAGE 4
PANEL 7Rae measures the blue wash; the singer returns crisp. Tray’s board has a sun icon for OPENING and chicken icon under a flap. JAY: "Opening sun. Confirmed." ASHA: "Go." He presses; music blooms stage-left and hologram waves. JAY: "No cap, glow up."
PANEL 8Real musicians and holograms bow as marina lights shimmer. ASHA: "Twenty-two coins plus six-coin tip. Professional reset." JAY: "My chicken has range." RAE: "It has a locked flap." TRAY writes: "Ledger line: 10, Stage-tech wages and smooth-show tip, plus 28 coins. Total: 222 coins." Flyer: “Smart Sorting Day—recycling technicians wanted.”

Tech Talk with Rae

RAE’S TOOL-BELT BOX: A hologram-style stage image uses projectors, light, and a clear surface to look three-dimensional. Spatial audio uses several speakers to place sound. Lights, picture, and sound must be timed together—otherwise singers get chicken feet. TRY IT: Close your eyes while a friend taps around a room. Can you point to the sound?

The Job Board
  • Job title: Stage Tech + Lighting Designer
  • Who hired us: Asha Beam, Harbourlight Amphitheatre director
  • Rules of the job: Tape cables; do not stare into lights; wear headphones; follow cues exactly.
  • What went wrong: A breeze flipped Jay’s card; he launched chicken-dance encore at opening.
  • How we fixed it: Tray made color-and-shape cues, Rae checked levels with the new Pocket Prism Light Meter, Jay repeated cues.
  • What we got paid: 22 coins shift pay + 6-coin tip = 28 coins. Crew Bank ledger total: 222 coins.
Slang Decoder
Low-key** — quietly or a little bit.Main character** — someone acting as if the spotlight is on them.Side quest** — an unexpected extra activity.Bet** — yes; I’m ready.Glow up** — a big improvement.

At Harbourlight, light makes performers appear and sound travels round the stage. Tray has the cue list, Rae has a light meter, and Jay has one dangerous chicken-dance button. Can the crew reset the show before the marina crowd loses its rhythm? Smart bins wait in the wings!

Full-colour modern children’s graphic-novel cartoon with thick clean ink and saturated warm colour: at Harbourlight Amphitheatre, Tray is a warm-brown-skinned 10-year-old with short curly black hair and a lightning-bolt shaved part on the LEFT, chunky blue-framed smart glasses with a camera dot on the right lens, mustard-yellow gear-patch hoodie, teal cargo shorts, bright orange sneakers, and slim drone-zipper-pull backpack, holding a sun-icon cue board. Jay is a lighter-brown-skinned freckled 8-year-old with wild messy black hair, one missing front tooth, lime rocket-print T-shirt, red gadget-pocket shorts, mismatched striped and polka-dot socks, and chunky glowing-lace purple sneakers, reaching for the correct cue. Rae is a dark-brown-skinned 12-year-old with two long black braids with gold bead cuffs, purple rolled-sleeve utility jumpsuit, safety goggles on her forehead, smartwatch on her right wrist, silver-and-pink high-tops, and a tool belt holding a wrench, Propeller Gauge, Dough Scraper, Fold-Out Safety Whistle, Pocket Tripod Clamp, and Sunlight Meter, Nutrient Nudge Pipette, Spoke-Saver Wrench, Quiet-Click Label Maker, Dough-Dot Caliper, and Pocket Prism Light Meter, adjusting lights. Include hologram singer, sound waves, Glitch silhouette, and marina boats.

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This issue in print

Issue 10 appears in the collection Tray & Jay: World Explorers with its full-colour comic illustration, Tech Talk page, Job Board card and Slang Decoder.