Glenhope Elementary · 5th-grade field trip comic

TheSky Ranch Squad

Issue #1 · 3 days · 2 nights · zero chill

Comic cover: Spike the orange cat-owl leaps in front of a giant starburst between Grin in his plaid cap and Bun-Bun the purple bunny, with pine trees, bluebonnets, a red biplane and a "20 Safety Strats inside" sticker.

No. 1

OCT

THE

SKY RANCH

SQUAD!

3 DAYS · 2 NIGHTS · ZERO CHILL!

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS BY MARK

5TH GRADE
FIELD TRIP
SPECIAL!

Cover
Page 1: Spike skids up to Glenhope Elementary, calls out at the empty front-office counter, spams the bell, and gets his permission slip stamped by Mrs. Pickett the tortoise.

CHAPTER 1: DING! DING! DING!

Glenhope Elementary. North Texas. 7:42 A.M.

Some kids walk into school. Spike arrives.

SKRRRT!

HELLO!!

No one's there.

STRAT: Spamming the bell.

Hellooo…?

DING!

DING!

DING!

I'm… coming… dear…

My Sky Ranch slip! Signed! Triple-checked!

creeeak…

KA-CHUNK!

WOOHOOO!

— 1 —

Page 1: Ding! Ding! Ding!
Page 2: Mr. Dillo announces the Sky Ranch trip, the class cheers, Bun-Bun cries at her desk, Grin gives her a lucky arrowhead, Spike snaps a photo, and Bun-Bun holds up her signed slip.

Alright, y'all! Three days, two nights, sleepin' in the East Texas woods!

CHAPTER 2: THE BIG NEWS

ZIP LINE!!

LIZARDS!!

YAAAY!

Not everybody was cheering.

…the woods? At night?

My lucky arrowhead. It's never been scared once.

…thanks, Grin.

NOOO! I blinked!

KLIK!

Friendship evidence! Bye!

I'm actually going too! HAH!

— 2 —

Page 2: The Big News
Page 3: in Spike's bedroom, with Mark's framed airplane drawing on the wall, Spike over-packs a suitcase, Bun-Bun points out banned items, Spike swaps his fancy camera for a disposable one, Grin labels everything with duct tape, and Spike shows off his three labeled bags.Mark's drawing of a green airplane dropping bombs on tanks, signed Mark 10/3/2026

CHAPTER 3: PACK LIKE A PRO

One week before Sky Ranch…

Packing strat: bring EVERYTHING!

Spike… did you READ the packet?

CREEEAK!

The packet says: NO phones. NO video games. NO jewelry. NO valuables!

Goodbye, Mr. Snappy… hello, Mr. Disposable!

TA-DAA!

Duct tape + your NAME + your CABIN number. On EVERYTHING!

…I feel very organized.

The 3-bag rule: backpack, luggage, and a trash bag with bedding.

RRRIIIP!

Packing strat 2.0: actually READ the packet.

Three bags. Zero phones. One VERY organized forehead.

So proud!

— 3 —

Page 3: Pack Like a Pro
Page 4: Spike packs nut snacks until Bun-Bun and Grin stop him, they read the nurse's note about severe nut allergies, a squirrel cries over his acorn, Bun-Bun reads a snack label, and everyone enjoys a nut-free picnic.

CHAPTER 4: THE GREAT NUT BAN

Snack-packing time…

Snack strat: peanut butter cookies, trail mix, and a WHOLE jar of nut butter!

WAAAAIT!!

From the school nurse

Some students at Sky Ranch have SEVERE nut allergies. Please send NO peanuts, NO tree nuts, NO nut products!

Even a TINY bit can make them really sick.

Not even my ACORNS?!

Label detective!

“May contain tree nuts”?

NOPE!

My tummy has questions.

Snacks ride in your LUGGAGE. Not on the bus!

GRRRUMBLE…

Nut-free snack party!

Snack strat: pretzels, crackers, and fruit!

Fine. APPLES are pretty great.

— 4 —

Page 4: The Great Nut Ban
Page 5: Nurse Hoot the owl meets the squad, stops Spike from hiding medicine in a sock, shows the first-aid kit, the kids put on sunscreen and bug spray, and Nurse Hoot waves them off.

CHAPTER 5: NURSE HOOT'S ORDERS

Meet Nurse Hoot. She's coming to Sky Ranch too!

MEEE!

HOO's ready for camp?!

What if I hide my medicine in my SOCK?

Hoo-hoo-NO! Your grown-up brings it to me BEFORE the trip.

What's in the camp first-aid kit?

I just LOVE bandages.

Sunscreen strat: ALL. OF. IT.

Just a little! And put more on later.

Bug spray: CHECK. Water bottle: CHECK!

PSSHHT!

Health check: DONE!

Flashlight batteries: CHECK!

Hoo-RAY! You're all set!

— 5 —

Page 5: Nurse Hoot's Orders
Page 6: the school bus heads east, Spike sings on the bus, the kids reach the Sky Ranch gate and signpost, Spike dives onto the top bunk in Cabin 12, and Bun-Bun and Grin look at the tall pines.

CHAPTER 6: ROAD TRIP!

Trip day! Wednesday. I-20 East!

VROOOM!

♪ 99 cans of bug spray on the wall… ♪

Spike. Inside voice.

This IS my inside voice!

Sky Ranch. Van, Texas.

Whoooa…

Top bunk strat!

FWUMP!

The trees are SO tall…

Tall trees = owls. Owls are cool.

— 6 —

Page 6: Road Trip!
Page 7: Mr. Dillo explains the rules with a megaphone, Bun-Bun and Grin buddy up, Spike trades flip-flops for sneakers, the kids wear ponchos in light rain and run inside during lightning, and Spike gets caught reading by flashlight after lights out.

CHAPTER 7: CAMP RULES 101

Wednesday, 10 A.M. Welcome to Sky Ranch!

Listen up, y'all! Sky Ranch rules keep the fun FUN!

Is there a rule about TOO much fun?

Buddies stick together. ALWAYS!

But… butterfly…

My toes wanted to see the view!

Sneakers, Spike. NOW.

Light rain? Class goes on!

Poncho POWER!

Thunder or lightning? Go INSIDE!

Indoor strat: ACTIVATED!

KRAKA-BOOM!

10:00 P.M. Lights out.

Zzz…

Lights out means lights OUT, Spike.

This is a FLASHLIGHT. Totally different.

— 7 —

Page 7: Camp Rules 101
Page 8: Spike rides the zip line in a helmet and harness, Bun-Bun crosses the ropes course and rings the bell, and the squad watches a toad at the pond.

CHAPTER 8: ADVENTURE DAY

Day 2. Forces of Nature: gravity + friction = ZOOM!

ZZZZIIIP!

WHOOOOOO!

Don't look down — look at ME!

That's somehow WORSE!

I DID IT!!

DING!

She learned the bell strat!

Later: pond study.

A toad! Toads drink water through their SKIN! (We look, we don't touch.)

ribbit.

Cool AND gross!

KLIK!

— 8 —

Page 8: Adventure Day
Page 9: compass class, a wild armadillo, a collapsing tent, the fire triangle with a water bucket, and Spike hugging a tree long after anyone needed him to.

CHAPTER 9: FOREST SMARTS

Day 2. Orienteering class!

The needle points to MAGNETIC North!

The North Pole on the globe is TRUE North!

My compass says… LUNCH.

Mr. Dillo?! Is that YOU?

Nope, a WILD one. Look, don't touch!

Next: build an A-frame tent!

Teamwork makes the tent WORK!

Is it supposed to be this DARK in here?

FLOMP!

Safe-fire class: grown-ups ONLY.

Water bucket? ALWAYS ready!

Lost strat: STAY PUT, hug a tree, and call out!

And pack out ALL your trash!

Ten minutes later…

Spike, you're not lost. You can let go now.

Just… practicing!

— 9 —

Page 9: Forest Smarts
Page 10: s'mores at the campfire, an owl hoot on the night hike, Bun-Bun spots a barred owl with her flashlight, the bus ride home, and a polaroid of the squad beside The End.

CHAPTER 10: CAMPFIRE NIGHT

That night…

Who wants s'mores?

MEEEE!

crackle

The night hike…

HOO-HOO!

WHAT WAS THAT?!

It's just a barred owl. Hi, owl!

Look who's not scared anymore!

Day 3. Heading home.

Can we go back tomorrow?

Best. Trip. EVER.

Already got a strat for next year.

Sky Ranch Squad!

THE END

Friends forever.

Next issue: Middle school?! (Spike has a strat.)

— 10 —

Page 10: Campfire Night

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From Lily's & Mark's sketchbooks

Every hero in this comic started on notebook paper. Here are the originals.

Lily's pencil comic page: a cat-owl rings a counter bell, a bunny and a kid in a checkered cap, and a sign that says I'm actually… HAH
By Lily: the very first Spike, Bun-Bun and Grin comic, in pencil.
Mark's drawing of a green airplane dropping bombs on tanks, signed Mark 10/3/2026
By Mark: airplane vs. tanks, 10/3/2026. It now hangs on the wall in Spike's room on page 3.

Meet the squad

Who's who in Issue #1.

Spike, drawn in comic style

Spike

A cat-owl with a camera and a "strat" for everything. Most of his strats are terrible. Some are genius.

Bun-Bun, drawn in comic style

Bun-Bun

Was scared of the woods. Became the bravest kid on the ropes course and the best label detective in Texas.

Grin, drawn in comic style

Grin

Looks spooky. Is the kindest kid at Glenhope. Knows every owl, toad and lizard by name.

Mr. Dillo, drawn in comic style

Mr. Dillo

The 5th-grade teacher. An armadillo with a mustache who says "y'all" a lot.

Nurse Hoot, drawn in comic style

Nurse Hoot

The school nurse. Holds the medicine, runs the first-aid kit, and asks "Hoo's ready?"

Cover

100%

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