If you accept alternate reality levels, then everything exists somewhere. Millions of possible worlds--some no different from yours as the position of a pebble on a Fuji beach--some so wildly divergent as to be nearly unrecognizable--some so blatantly different as to defy description--some possessing quite a unique set of physical laws. On and on and on...a neverending series of what ifs.

Bugtown is considered one of the stranger realities, with a strong reputation as a lethally hazardous zone. Some of Bugtown's peculiarities are:

• There are no laws here, civil or physical. Anarchy rules supreme in Bugtown.
• People and things do not stay dead for long in Bugtown. This regenerative effect is due to reverse particle decay, a local anomaly. Each native Bugtown particle is constantly adding to its own charge. If left untampered, the entire reality is a huge bomb ticking towards critical mass. Luckily, portions of Bugtown are always getting blown up, unwittingly releasing the building pressure.
• Bugtown does not stay in one place. Its streets often wander to other realities, phasing in and out, taking passers-by to the next reality or dumping them back in Bugtown.
• Bugtown is not a city on a world. It is the entire reality unto itself, an infinite urban landscape that stretches in each direction. The sky above (what little can be seen through the pollution) goes up forever; you can dig down into the ground and never find a bottom. Yet, Bugtown's sun appears to rise and set.
• Bugtown contains many jungle areas which manifest as a series of Brazils, making coffee Bugtown's second major export.
• All people born in Bugtown possess the ability to shift, or travel between reality levels.

Bugtown has many notable attractions for those foolhearty enough to search them out.

• Those Annoying Post Bros., the interdimensional criminals, hail from Bugtown. They are wanted everywhere for every crime imaginable. They hang out at the Cold Front House (1).
• The Bulldaggers, Bugtown's premiere insect rock band, also make their home in Bugtown. Their weird and electronic music has gained them wide success on many different realities. They maintain their exclusive recording studios, Narcosis Labs (2) in Bugtown.

Some other sights in Bugtown you don't want to miss:

• Club Ed (3) (as in Ed Gein)--Bugtown's hottest atrocity nightclub is under new management. In the twisted hands of the lethal Russ Post, Club Ed has outdone itself for gratuitous depravity and extreme cuisine.
• Atomic City (4)--Bugtown's triple tower nuclear facility is maintained by Hiroshima, the nuclear goddess. Don't mind the one cracked tower, it's the least of your worries in Bugtown.
• Steadman Bay (5)--Bugtown's only body of water is so polluted that you can frequently walk on its black surface. This bay harbors giant sharks, some measuring thousands of feet long, who are fond of leaping onto land. Beware of falling giant fish!
• The Main Crater (6)--With all the constant warfare going on in Bugtown, there's always a main crater somewhere.
• The Institute for Dangerous Research (7)--Which is devoted to frivolous science and the unethical applications thereof. Sitting at the head of the Board of Directors is Jeri Cale, who is not only Bugtown's leading munitions dealer, but also Ron Post's ex-wife.
• The Fallen Moon (8)--Which bad boy Ron Post shot out of the sky with a hand gun years ago. No one ever put it back, so it remains grounded a mile or so from Steadman Bay.
• Dog Tower (9)--Bugtown's tallest building, with a varying floorcount, usually around 212 (13 of which are numbered as floor 13).
• Dr. Broccoli's Music Shop (10)--Dr. Broccoli imports rare music from many alternate realities, so you can find anything at his shop in Bugtown.

• Club Static (11)--A modern rave nightclub operated by Dr. Broccoli, who imports rare performers from many alternate realities.
• Used Food Stores (12)--The least said of these, the better.
• The Party That Never Ends (13) is always just around the corner, if you can survive the fun.
• Be sure to come back in the autumn for Volcano Season!

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All images copyright © Matt Howarth. Used by permission. All rights reserved
Everything else copyright © 2003 Matt Howarth and Craig Smith unless otherwise noted.