198X: The year in which the comic takes place. It's a mythical year that combines all our favorite aspects of the 1980s.
Aetherspace [ee-ther-speys]: A mysterious plane of existence that runs parallel to "normal" space, in which faster than light travel is possible. Spaceships that are equipped with an aetherdrive can use it to "jump" to Aetherspace and cover vast distances in a relatively short amount of time.
Cowabunga Ninja Gators: Eddie's favorite comic book series. A cartoon based on the series has recently come out, causing the Ninja Gators to explode in popularity. However, Eddie is annoyed that the cartoon version is watered down for kids and isn't nearly as dark and cool as the comic. Though he does admit the toys based on the cartoon are pretty rad.
Crypts & Chimeras [kripts and ki-meer-uhs]: The most popular tabletop fantasy role-playing game in the world. Often called C&C for short. Rumored to be a gateway for teens to join satanic cults and learn black magic, though most C&C players insist it's actually a harmless game of the imagination.
Demon Hammer: A metal band known for their heavy use of Satanic imagery. Despite only having one album, they've already become one of the world's most popular bands. The band's key song-writers are the nineteen-year-old frontman Jackie Chaos, and a beautiful and mysterious girl named Minxy, who appears to be a succubus. Jackie sings on most tracks while Minxy plays guitar, but they swap duties for some songs. They are said to be working on their highly anticipated follow-up to Hammer You to Hell.
Double Dudes vs. SatanNinja: A hit brawler arcade game loosely based on Dude Shinobi's latest action movie. The titular "Double Dudes" refers to it being a two-player game where players can choose to control one of two palette swapped versions of Dude Shinobi: Cool Dude or Heavy Dude. The titular "Satan Ninja" refers to both the name of the evil cult the players must defeat, and also the game's final boss. Known for its cutting edge graphics, poorly translated English, and intense difficulty (it's rumored that no one has ever beaten it).
Dude Shinobi: The world's most popular martial arts action star. Claims to have won two secret martial arts world tournaments. Has starred in such movies as Gore Force, Bionic Ninja, Shinobi USA, and the Ninja Exploder series. His most recent film is Ninja Exploder VI: Cult of the Satan Ninja, which is loosely inspired by a controversial best-selling book (see the Satan Ninja entry). The film in turn spawned a very loosely tied-in arcade game (see the Double Dudes vs. SatanNinja entry).
ElectroDark: River City's hottest dance club.
Pizza Wizard: An arcade/pizzeria franchise. Known for always having the latest arcade games and for a mascot and animatronic band that delights some children while giving others nightmares. Its founder, Lucas Moore, lives within River City, Michigan.
River City: A city in western Michigan, USA. Where most of the story takes place. It seems to attract an unusual amount of supernatural occurrences.
Satan Ninja: According to the anonymous author of the best-selling non-fiction book, The Secret Cult of the Satan Ninjas, Satan-worshipping ninja clans are secretly dwelling in the sewers of various cities around the world. The author claims that these so-called "Satan Ninjas" sneak to the surface after dark (they have an aversion to sunlight) and abduct people (usually beautiful women) to use in sacrificial rituals that bestow them with black magic. Despite the book's popularity, very few people actually believe what it claims. Its subject matter inspired the plot of Dude Shinobi's latest movie, Ninja Exploder VI: Cult of the Satan Ninja. The arcade game loosely based on the movie, Double Dudes vs. SatanNinja, features an end-game boss named Satan Ninja, who seems to have been made up for the game.
SlateCorp: A powerful corporation whose headquarters dominates the skyline of River City, Michigan. The company dabbles in various fields, including robotics, computers, and high-tech weapons research. The CEO, Michael Slater, is River City's wealthiest resident.
SN8X-verse [es-en-ey-tee-eks-vurs]: The alternate universe in which Satan Ninja 198X takes place. It's a universe inspired by the most radical 1980s movies, video games, music, and cartoons/anime. Many iconic people and things from the real universe also exist there, but in altered form. For instance, the SN8X-verse doesn't have Billy Idol or Michael Jackson, but it does have Bobby Icon and Mitchell Moongait.
Stagbunny: A "gentlemen's" magazine. Featuring rarely read articles and widely viewed nude centerfolds. Commonly found lurking under the mattresses of teenage boys.