150 Freshtastic Episodes   On the 15th October 1999 the first episode of a new cartoon strip dedicated to the fresh produce industry appeared in the Fresh Produce Journal. Star Fruit Wars episode 1, titled the Leak, introduced the inhabitants of a small green planet called Ratatouine and immediately became a runaway success capturing the imagination of the fresh produce industry. Three years later we celebrate the 150th episode and a cartoon strip that has achieved cult status with a fan following and website of it's own.   Notes from a small green planet SirVin aka Vincent Silcock   As I sit on this small outcrop of rock on the western slope of the Little Big Corn Mountains, it seems hard to believe that, on the floor of the valley below, such a great battle took place only a few months ago. If I concentrate, I can almost hear the buzz of the photosynthesis sabres and laser beams; the incessant chanting of the Zucchini warriors, "Boom squashy! boom squashy!" as they rush into battle against the Empire apples.   The more astute reader will, of course, have realised by now that I am quite mad, one pea short of a pod as they say on Ratatouine. This was not always so. I can trace back, almost to the day, when this slow descent into delirium first started. I was asked by my good friend, Mik Larking to work with him on a concept for a cartoon strip to promote the fresh produce industry. The result, nearly six months later, was "Star Fruit Wars", a three-year odyssey, (so far) involving a cast of hundreds of crazy characters and the start of a new cult(ivation). I never cease to be amazed at the longevity (or should that be longvegity?) of this cartoon strip because I feel sure that, if Mik had asked me at the outset to write and illustrate 150 episodes based on fruit and veg, I would have told him I couldn't do it! But, after the first few episodes, Star Fruit Wars seemed to take over and infiltrate most aspects of my life. Many times I have woken suddenly in the early hours of the morning with the name of a new character or plot idea. My family would be shaken from sleep to the blood-curdling cries of the Garlics, "Exgerminate! Exgerminate!"   They have, over time, come to accept this eccentric behaviour as normal. With the advent of the 'Webbs wonder' site, what was already becoming a popular and well-read cartoon strip became increasingly well-known. Fan mail started arriving, schools wrote to us asking questions about the characters and suggesting ideas for future (vegetable) plots. People even began to stop me in the street and ask me about the stalk that has started to sprout from the top of my head. May the juice be with you! Another pleasing aspect is that readers have many different favourite characters or 'bits'. Some love the life on Ratatouine with David Attenbanana, while others may choose the Peas series or the Jack the Pipper murders. My own favourite is the Wild West story featuring Fluke Skyrunner and Dr Haw. If you're new to the story, check it out on the 'Webbs wonder' site, episodes 54 to 66. But, beware! it will draw you in.... So, what of the future? If it keeps growing in popularity, how about 'Star Fruit Wars - the Movie'? For the time being, to commemorate the 150th episode, today sees the start of a new mini-series, 'The Unskinnables', featuring Elliot Cress, which I hope you will enjoy.