Okay first, I think Dobson's main problem with Alex is that he kinda wants it to be a series with its own world, characters and such, but he never really created something. In short, he sucks at world building. This becomes pretty obvious when you read his current Alex archive and see that Talus "origin" is just mentioned in one strip at being on an island for a couple of years alone, explaining his insanity, or that supposedly Altea was a thief, but it is indirectly brought up so just that Alex can be the cunt she is and troll her with the fact she kept her costume. He does not manage to give enough and the right amount of attention to shit like that, to at least create the illusion there is more to the characters than just three panels, stupid pun in his comic. So in short, world building is needed. But not in the way Dobson may intend to with a map and places on a continent that will never be much explored anyway. I say that because I believe that it is possible to do world building, without going to the lengths people like the guys behind Last Airbender and Eichiro Oda do. Just look at cartoons lik TaleSpin and (as autistic as it sounds) MLP, where the focus was on the characters and yet the things they did and experienced create the illusion of a bigger, funny world where (child friendly) adventures could happen.
And based on that and all I see in his work, the best thing Dobson could do with Alex IMO is not to make it a comic for "young adults" with an ongoing story, but more of a kids cartoon in the style of something reminescent of the Disney afternon to make it work. As in make it so his comic feels like a cartoon with 30-45 pages each telling a story that feels like an episodic plot in itself, with beginning, middle part and end. Buit at the same time include a few continuity nods in here and there and themes that will be found throughout the story.
Which now brings me to how I reimagine the "beginning" and world of it:
Make it that the world of Alex is more like a cartoonisher and fantastic Pirates of the Caribbean like universe, where Talus and Altea are actually not just some random furries, but humans AND anthro animals kind of coexist. With an easy explanation that creatures such as Talus are from some fantasy island/places that got discovered by sailors a couple of centuries ago. You could even put in subtle conflict in it, like hinting on the idea that such animals are looked down upon by quite some humans (specism instead of racism) , showcase pirates made out of beast people wanting to take revenge on humans for centuries of slavery and so on. You know, instead of making Altea and Talus a sort of anachronistic element (as it is the case currently) make their inclusion in the comic just part of the universe that is accepted. Furthermore, a few basic elements like e.g. a council of powerful pirates pretty much controlling the seven seas, hinting (but not necessarily involving in details) on a larger scale world than only what Alex and her crew experience.
Also, and that is important, a "pilot". Something that helps introduce us to Alex and her crew and makes us care for them. The idea I would have in that regard is something similiar to old disney Afternoon 5-part pilots (Such as in Ducktales) to show how Alex meets Sam and Altea (Talus is not part of it there), going on an adventure and as such building the core team. The basic introductions I have in mind would be as followed:
First "episode": Alex and "Uncle" Perry are looking for informations regarding some part of an old treasure map they are looking for, while also searching for potential members of a pirate crew. That is needed because Alex is pretty much a newbie as a pirate, at best only known as a minor thief towards the public. And a pathetic one at that (mention: Alex in that version is not an overconfident cunt. She shows a few overconfident streaks here and there, but she never bests her critics and there is in the beginning a lot to criticize about her, as aside of being a good fighter, her short temper and lack in thief skills makes her a joke in the eyes of some) with a small sailing boat and Perry as her only support. And he is pretty much the guy who has the know how in the pirate world to get informations from fellow pirates. Anyway, while Perry is out in a new town with her to get information, she looks for supplies and stumbles upon a charity event for an orphanage, where there is quite some food. That and quite a bit of money. As she doesn't know at first it is for an orphanage, she tries to steal it and in doing so comes in conflict with a helper of the event, Sam. Sam in this version is kind of the good hearted and simple minded goofball Dobson wants him to be, but at the same time not THAT much of a butt monkey. In fact, when he sees Alex trying to steal things, he is the one who chases after her, furiou at that she stole from the kids and wanting her to give it all back, pretty much chasing her all over town. Only when he encounters her, he is also flabbergasted to find out the thief is in fact a girl (before that, thanks to Alex choice of clothes and haircut that makes her in the beginning look VERY tomboyish, he thinks it is a dude) anyway, a bit of fight between the two and shenanigans and both find themselves in prison for property damage caused by the chase and some other people stealing stuff they get blamed for. While sitting in a cell both begin to talk. Alex learns that she crashed a charity event for an orphanage Sam lives in (he is 18 and could already leave the place, but stays there to help it, explaining he keeps the place neat and mentioning that it was his home ever since pirates killed his parents, which is why he has sort of issues to trust Alex at first), leading to Alex deciding to help Sam to clear his name (him and her now blamed for stealing also something else) and so they break out. Till the end of the "episode" they manage to clear Sam's name, but because breakign out of prison is also a crime in itself... well, she escapes, he end sup in prison. Again. Although he would only spend a couple of days there. But then he gets broken out by Alex and Perry against his will and they explain to him why: Turns out that treasure map thing they look for is in his hands and they want it. Sam is at first not sure if he wants to, but then is made the following offer: Help them find the treasure and get a large enough part of it that he can help the orphanage and live a good life. And so he joins the crew.
Episode 2: The one introducing Altea. Overall satrting with Perry and Alex trying to teach Sam a bit about the pirate way (how to steal from others as street burglar e.g. and break into places), at which Sam is obviously not as good and really doesn't want to be. Mostly because he wants to be a good guy, thinks stealing is wrong etc. You know, show his good heart and set up a starting point for character development. Anyway, over the course of the episode not only will they be robbed of something important (including Sam's map piece) but they come in conflict with some government commander. Said commander offers them a "pardon" for the time being, if they help him get his hand on some catburglar who goes around some towns recently and was reported to head for this town. The three decide to go with it, mostly for the pardon and because based on some clues they connect the thief being the one who also now has their map part. The thief of course is Altea (in the zorro like redesign from whatsoeverDobson had once) and there is a bit of conflict with her and the pirates, that supposedly ends with her being chased down in her hideout and "taken in". But here is where the final part of the episode would be: As it turns out, during finding her hideout, the pirates also learnt from her that the reason she steals form certain government agents currently is, because she has stumbled upon a conspiracy that includes the guy who hired Alex. Said guy and his associates are in some sort of illegal slave trade business that includes Altea's rat people and she only stole from these guys to find hard evidence against them AND to give money back to her kind. after learning that, Alex decides to help her and they all manage a la Ocean's 11 to screw the guy over and expose him to hsi higher ups. Also in the end Altea destroys the map part she had stolen. Why? She has a sort of photographic memory and this way now has the map in her head. She offers Alex (who is close to kill her for that stunt) to join the crew and help them find the treasure, in exchange for her own part of it. Seeing no other choice, they let her join the crew.
Also, here an idea how to include the lesbian stick without it being obnoxious or overly SJ:
Earlier the episode while in a bar to gather info, Alex (in her tomboy look) got hit on by Altea who was in cognito. But Alex gender was not revealed. At the end Alex tries to tease her about that she hit on a girl and didn't know it, only for Altea to put on a slick smile and say "actually, I did know." and just let it be at that.
In fact, that would be my idea with altea in general: She is a competent fighter and good friend to her crewmates, but she is also flirtuous. Not towards Alex (although they develop a genuine friendship over time), but for example towards Sam in early parts. But that is not meant as in she is a sex deviant, she is just someone who likes to fuck with others, although gender doesn't really play a big role for her. She also doesn't make a big deal over the fact she likes both genders, if someone brought it u she would just say "What? Am I not allowed to enjoy beauty in general?"
As for the other eisodes in the pilot "episodes", no "detailed" idea, but the basic would still be them trying to find at least a key for the place the treasure is hidden and eventually the reveal of a legitimate antagonist who is also after the treasure and wants to stop Alex. Finally at the end they find it and after a battle with the villain, while most of the treasure is lost, there is enough for the rest to supposedly live their dreams. But the adventure made them closer together and so Altea and Sam decide to join Alex and Perry on their "adventures" (after Sam also made good use of his part of the treasure to help the orphanage and say hi goodbyes therE), buying a ship and sailign off in the sunset.
After that, I imagine episodic plots with a few hints of some bigger narrative once in a while. Often basic like from old 90s cartoons, such as characters stumbling upon magic artifacts in their treasure hunt and hijinx, trying to avoid the marine/navy and facing off some villains.
Also, here a few ideas for the characters and their personality/development within the story
Uncle Perry: In this version he would at least have one normal hand and is not some fucking pervert wo steals Altea's underwear. He enjoys the company of barwoman at land and supposedly has had an interesting live as a pirate (being on it for over 35 years, being 55 years old in the story) as he will have weird tales to tell. He is also a rather competent fighter and in some way Alex's mentor. Why? Because he is more or less her godfather. In this version of the comic it is revealed that Alex is the daughter of a well respected governor AND a rather famous and well respected, but good hearted renegade pirate known as Alexandria the Great. Alexandria was one of the most powerful pirates (holding also position on a pirate council) whose dead around 18 months prior to Alex meeting Sam created a power vacuum other pirates are currently trying to fill. Perry (who was part of her crew) was asked by her to look out for her daughter, she hadn't seen for years. This is because Alexandria (who herself was once captain of a governal trade ship) went renegade facing some severe injustice towards animal people and left her family partly for their protection. While she supposedly went on to see Alex behind her father's back once in a while, she evntually vanished completely out of their lives around the time Alex was 7. Perry saw it also as his duty to inform Alex of her mom's demise and when Alex decided to become a pirate herself he himself decided to stay at her side, help her become one and teach her the basic traits. So he is a sort of mentor figure, while also being a bloody cliched pirate who is stuck in doing stuff the old fashioned pirate way, when in reality times (and styles) have changed. One idea I have also for how he lost his legs and one hand I have would be connected to an antagonist I have in mind that would eventually serve as the big bad of the entire story in the end.
Alex: In this version she is more likable and more of a rookie who starts of as a pirate and adventurer. As mentioned, she is the daughter of a great pirate empress. After her mom left her and her dad, she spend years under the impression her mom was killed by pirates. Although her dad wanted her to become a lady and would also send her to boarding school, she herself (being quite tomboyish) was always more of an adventure type and thrill seeker. When Perry found her one day at the boarding school and learnt of her mom's death, it affected her quite a bit. The woman she hasn't known for most of her life having loved her while being a great pirate who actually did not just steal, but also did quite some good in the world? After much consideration she decided to follow in her footsteps instead of being some society lady and her deal throughout Alex the Pirate is to become from a nobody one of the greatest adventurers out there. Which of coure leads to quite soem conflict and problems. First, while she has the heart of a fighter and some basic talent, her skills need training. Being one reason why part of the story would be Alex -over the cours eof the adventures- growing as a fighter and once in a while also being faced with harsher aspects of the pirate life (slavery and injustice, murder, even the threat of losing the members of the crew you care about). Second, of course her own dad is now after her, wanting her to get captured and come home again before she becomes a spot on the governments radar to the point they may want to execute her. Alex dad by the way would be more or less an anti-villain. Obviously wanting his daughter to be stopped, but not wanting her dead and trying to look out for her and (when later learning more about her friends) even developing a liking for them.
Also, as a sideplot, is turns out that there are certain pirates on the big council who want Alex to actually follow in her mom's footstep to fix the power vacuum created, even going so far as to use Perry as a doubleagent for them to overlook her progress (emotional drama? *gasp*)
Altea: As mentioned further above. Not really much thought put into her. But AVOID under any circumstances the lesbian kick thing
And now, last but not least, Talus.
Talus would be involved with what I would consider an episodes plot. Mostly that following a previous episode focused on the crew trying to find a legit hideout for themselves (with some shenanigans about finding an island to claim that is not monster riddled and falling victim to some pirate who screws them over in saying they could buy his old place from him) , they are now on an island stranded to repair the ship. Said island supposedly having an active volcano. While stuck there, it seems as if something is watching them and late at night Sam vanishes. The others try to find him and we get a predator like parody where in the end the "thing" watching the crew and supposedly taking them out is revealed to be Talus. We learn that Talus is a stranded beast person that got stuck here 4 years ago, as punishment for failing his old pirate crew. He managed to survive on the island and build his own place, but over time also got a bit weirder in the head. He thought Alex and Co would be a danger for him -partly because he recognized Perry as a pirate that back then was involved in the event that got Talus banished in the first place) - and therefore was observing and supposedly stalking them. But after talking things out and realizing that Alex is actually good, he becomes friends with them. It also turns out that Talus is actually quite a handyman, having built his traps, quite a lair within the inactive volcano of the island (the smoke coming from the top is actually from his cooking place/heather) and is willing to help repair the ship of the others. This way by the end of the episode Alex not only gets a new crew member but also the hideout from the comics.
As for his personality, I thought Talus could be a bit like Ben from Treasure Planet. A guy who spend years on an island and who got a bit weird in the head of it, but still has a certain method to his madness. Shit like the pineapple gags made by Dobson would be even beneath him and he actually realizes when he puts someone in real danger/hrms them and can feel remorse about it. He is also best bud with Sam over time and he would be helpful to introduce interaction between humans and beast people as time goes on, including an eventual reunion with his old crew.
So, yeah. That is it. And I did not even mention the fantasy element idea considering magic stones some pirates are after to get magical powers inspired by greek mythology, the steampunk mad scientist and the big bad who I imagine with the voice of Robert Englund.
