Thursday, October 18, 2012

Kill-O-Tron 5000

1 - A big ol' robot stands in the middle of a big crowd of people.  This robot is the type that looks big and powerful, with lots of guns and weapons on its body.  It's also the type that doesn't have a mouth per se, but whose eyes express a lot of its emotion.  In this case, the robot looks happy and hopefuly.  The people around it don't seem to be paying it any mind.

ROBOT: ♥

2 - Many of the people in the crowd turn in surprise and look at the robot, as if noticing it for the first time.  The robot looks inquisitively at the people around it.  A number of people have questions marks over their heads.

CROWD MEMBERS: ?

3 - The people in the crowd start to run in fear, fleeing in every direction.  It's pretty chaotic.  The robot is surprised and pretty much as scared as the people.

ROBOT: !

4 - The people are gone.  The robot is alone.  It slumps its shoulders, saddened.

ROBOT: :(

Thursday, September 27, 2012

William

1 - Senator Lowry and a small delegation are visiting a scientific research lab to check in on the progress of the "Shock Pack", a weapon that consists of a backpack battery and a rod that discharges bolts of electricity.  Dr. Johnson is leading them around the lab.  Lowry and company look dour, unimpressed, and short on patiendce.  Johnson looks nervous, but tries (poorly) to feign happiness.  William, a lab assistant stands in the background with a Shock Pack on a table in front of him.

SENATOR LOWRY: For the money we're giving you, these Shock Packs better knock our socks off.

DR. JOHNSON: Don't worry, Senator Lowry!  The project is coming along smoothly.

2 - Dr. Johnson moves close to William to speak to him quietly.  William looks concerned.  Johnson is too nervous to pay his warnings any mind.

WILLIAM (whispering): Dr. Johnson, the packs aren't clear for field testing yet.

DR. JOHNSON: Billy, there's no time to argue.  Science - and federal funding - waits for no man!

3 - William stands, wearing the Shock Pack on his back and aiming it at some dummy targets.  He looks uncertain and unconvinced.  Dr. Johnson stands behind him and reaches for the pack.

WILLIAM: I'm having second thoughts, Doc...

4 - Panel inset into panel 3.  It is a closeup of Dr. Johnson's finger pressing the "on" button of the Shock Pack.  The tailless word balloon spans panel 3 and the inset panel 4.

DR. JOHNSON: I'm glad to hear it, Billy!

SFX: touch!

5 - An arc of electricity flies from the rod as William is thrown back by the enormous force.  Have a dark background with either a big bright blue or dark yellow lightning bolt image imposed behind William as he flies away from the point of force.

NO COPY.

6 - Another shot of the lab.  The place is pretty much wrecked.  All electronics are burnt out and there's a layer of ash / burnt that covers most everything and everything (cartoony of course).  Any hair is also all stuck out due to the electricity in the air.  Senator Lowry and company look even madder than before.  Dr. Johnson looks even more embarassed and sheepish, smiling the biggest and fakest smile ever.  William's legs are visible on top of a large item that he's landed on the other side of.  His hand pops up, pointing skyward to grab people's attention.

WILLIAM (quietly and woozily in the background): I'm good!

DR. JOHNSON: As you can see, there's still a few minor kinks to work out.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Mr. Sanderson

1 - Mr. Sanderson stands at a check-in counter.  He is dressed professionally, like someone at a job interview would be.  A secretary sits on the other side.  The secretary wears a telephone headset dealie, with a hand to their ear to indicate they're using it.

SECRETARY: Thank you, Mr. Sanderson.  You may take a seat.  He should be ready for you shortly.

2 - Mr. Sanderson sits in the waiting area.  It's a single bench / couch thing.  Two other men are sitting there.  There isn't quite enough room for three people on the bench, so they're somewhat cramped.  Sanderson looks at the other two men out of the corner of his eye, trying to size them up.  Both gentlemen are also wearing suits - nicer ones than Sanderson, in point of fact.  The other two men pay Sanderson no mind.  One, Mr. Walden, reads a newspaper.

NO COPY.

3 - A call from the secretary (off-panel).  Mr. Lapierre is up and walking towards the nearby door.  Sanderson moves around on the bench to have some more space.  Walden continues to pay him no mind, reading his paper.

SECRETARY (off-panel): Mr. Lapierre?

4 - Beat as the two remaining men continue to wait.  Walden keeps on reading that paper.  Sanderson is getting nervous, fidgeting a bit while twiddling his thumbs and looking up at the ceiling.

NO COPY.

5 - There is terrible screaming coming from the door Lapierre just entered.  Walden doesn't seem to notice it, turning to the next page in his paper.  Sanderson is taken completely by surprise, freaking out pretty noticeably at that screaming.

LAPIERRE (off-panel): Oh no... please, anything but th-- owwwaaARGHHH--!

6 - Beat panel.  Silence.  Walden is still hidden behind his paper.  Sanderson starts looking around more urgently, trying to figure out what's going on.

NO COPY.

7 - A call from the secretary (off-panel).  Walden is up and walking towards the same nearby door.  Sanderson holds tightly onto the chair and his gaze follows Walden's steps.

SECRETARY (off-panel): Mr. Walden?

8 - Beat as Sanderson sits alone, waiting for what will come next.  He holds a similar pose to the last panel, but he's sweating quite profusely here.  He awaits with baited breath to see what will happen.

9 - The scream comes again.  Sanderson is up and running in the opposite direction of the door, getting the heck out of Dodge.

WALDEN (off-panel): What?  OH GOD WHY? OH, THE PAIN! THE--!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sara and Donovan

Really on a little fantasy / D&D kick over here (although this one is coming from my recently resurrected obsession with Ogre Battle 64).

1 - Two adventurers, Sara and Donovan, set out on adventure.  Sara is tall and lithe while Donovan is short and stocky.  They are on the edge of a burgeoning metropolis, heading off to whatever adventure awaits them.  Some friends and well wishers stand, waving their farewells.

NO COPY.

2 - The adventurers walk through a dense forest.  Donovan cuts away protruding branches with his large machete knife.  Sara pushes away branches in vain, getting a few to the face (as Donovan's work does little to help her at her height).

NO COPY.

3 - The two adventurers come to a clearing, looking over the edge at the beautiful valley and landscape below them.  They both look content.  The sun is on its way down.

NO COPY.

4 - Still in the forest, the men have set up camp for the night.  Sitting around their campfire, Donovan is telling a story while Sara listens on, noshing away at some food.

NO COPY.

5 - The two are fighting a gigantic and fearsome two-headed wolf monster.  It has Donovan in one of its jaws, preparing to rip him apart with his front legs.  Sara, holding Donovan's machete from earlier, leaps onto the monster's back to save her friend.  Both adventurers look determined.

NO COPY.

6 - Campfire scene again.  Same layout and setup as before, but Donovan is alone.  Where Sara was, there is only a wolf monster pelt, which Donovan is bringing back with him.  Where before Donovan was happy, he is now sad and downcast.  The fire burns lower, emphasizing Donovan's aloneness.

NO COPY.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Kerrick

Four rows of panels.  Rows one, two, and four are all the same height; row three is quite thin, laid out to emphasis distance.  Rows one, three, and four are all single panels; row two is made up of one big image as well, but it is divided into three equal-sized panels by the gutter to break up the reading experience and extend the moment slightly.

1 - A group of large and menacing robots march down a broken street of a broken neighbourhood.  The pavement is torn up from what looks to be past fights.  Many of the buildings on other side of the street show similar wear and tear - if they're still standing.  Rubble is strewn everywhere.  The robots are protecting an even larger and more imposing carriage, which the robots are all surrounding.

CAPTION (1): 11:47am.

CAPTION (2): Front Street.

2 - Kerrick, a member of the human resistance, is pressed up against a wall on the street corner.  He holds a gun high, ready to leap from his hiding place at any moment.  He wears what looks like a futuristic version of what those old timey flying helmets (the caps with the big goggles on them), fingerless gloves, an old, reliable jacket, and some nondescript dark pants.  While his clothing is in relatively good condition, it's pretty dirty and a little threadbare, as is Kerrick.  Another person stands next to Kerrick on his left.  The look concerned, Kerrick looks ready.  The robots are visible beyond the wall, marching towards the men's position.  Note: Kerrick's second piece of dialogue extends across the three panels, being cut off as it crosses onto panel 4.  Have it written large to show he's shouting.

OTHER GUY: Are you sure about this?

KERRICK (1): Let's do this.

KERRICK (2): Death to the robo--!

3 - Continuing the image, this panel is in the street, in front of the robots.  Kerrick has leaped from his hiding spot and is running to the middle of the street, shouting with his gun raised.  The robots towards the right side of the panel are raising their weapons in response.

4 - Completing the image, Kerrick has almost made it to the middle of the street; however, the robots have reacted at this point and are shooting the heck out of Kerrick.  Due to all this being shot, Kerrick has stumbled and is tumbling towards the ground, pretty much dead.  He's clearly done, but the robots aren't really laying off.

SFX (robots shooting): zrt!  zrt!

5 - The nearest robot looks down at Kerrick's corpse (which is off-panel).  In the background, the robot leader has emerged from his steel carriage and is asking what's going on.  Further in the background (behind this robot force) are some figures that are too far away to make out - they're in silhouette.

ROBOT KING [robot voice]: What is the cause of this disturbance?

ROBOT GOON [robot voice]: Simply another human protestor, your majesty.  Nothing of consequence.

6 - We've switched to those two background background figures.  They look to be more human resistance members, like Kerrick.  Their clothing is similar in quality and condition, although they wear different individual items - it's not a uniform or anything.  They are behind the group of robots, looking at the carriage, which is no longer surrounded (the robots in the back having moved forward to dispatch of Kerrick).  One of the figures holds a rocket launcher on her shoulder, which she is firing.  A burst of flame comes out the back as the rocket flies off towards the Robot King's carriage.

ROCKET WOMAN: I'll give you consequence.

SFX (rocket launcher): pa-KROOM!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Crash

1 - A car race.  Nascar-esque, but that much isn't actually necessary.  The important thing is that a group of cars (say four or five) is taking a corner on the track.  The lead car is beginning to swerve slightly.  The panel is positioned ahead of the cars, looking back.

NO COPY.

2 - The lead car starts rolling, the side starting to come over the top.  The other cars in the background begin trying to take some evasive maneuvers.

NO COPY.

3 - The lead car is now flipping end over end, corkscrewing something fierce.  The other cars are in the process of crashing, and other packs are catching up too soon, also unable to stop in time.  We could maybe have a few small flames here, especially on that lead car.

NO COPY.

4 - That lead car is really going, getting some awfully serious air.  It's real banged up, and those early flames are starting to get a bit bigger.  To make matters worse, the panel perspective has been backing up so much that we're moving into the stands now.  People are running for their seats - have been running for a bit.  Nevertheless, it looks like that car might impact against the bleachers before everyone is out of the way.  In the background, that pile up is only getting worse, with people running in to help, while some drivers limp away.

CAPTION (CRASH): That was not a good day.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Bozo

1 - Outside shot of a shack in the middle of nowhere.  The shack's lights are on.  A beat up car is parked outside.

BOZO (from inside shack): Do you know what people generally think when they first see me?

2 - Inside shot.  The shack is old and messy and the light is scattered.  A huge guy stands showing off an even bigger gun on his hip.  It's some type of ridiculous machine gun, way bigger than anyone would really ever need.  It's got a big stock, an even bigger barrel, and so on and so forth.  It should be rendered just barely on the serious size of ridiculously large.  This guy is Bozo, a mercenary type character who might have a few screws loose.  He gets his name from the old school hockey mask he's wearing that's painted to look like a clown (either like the Joker's in The Dark Knight or similar to a stylized Juggalo).  Bozo looks towards the reader.

BOZO: "That maniac's gun is huge!"

3 - Bozo feigns hurt body language - he looks to the side, places a hand over his heart.  He also lowers the gun to take some of the emphasis away from it.

BOZO: It's kind of hurtful, you know?

4 - Bozo points enthusiastically at the reader's direction, where the off-panel voice is presumably coming from.

OFF-PANEL VOICE: mmrrf!

BOZO: Exactly!

5 - Bozo holds his gun tenderly.

BOZO: It's so reductive.  As if this baby is all there is to me.

6 - Bozo puts the gun down on a table beside him.  He moves closer to the reader.  While he's wearing a mask, it appears as if he's either getting happier or more serious.

BOZO: But I'm so much more than some maniac with a big gun

7 - Move the camera out a bit and switch the angle slightly to reveal that Bozo has a hostage tied up to a chair.  Bozo kneels right in front of the hostage at face level.  He holds a big knife to the hostage's neck, drawing some blood.  The hostage tries to move away.  The hostage is crying.

BOZO: I have a big knife, too.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Serena

The fifth panel obviously has to take up the biggest part of the page.  Beyond that, I ain't picky.

1 - Serena, a young woman of 18 or 19, looks towards the sky, awe on her face.

CAPTION (SERENA): I've always wondered what they are.

2 - Pull out a bit to show Serena walking through her town, still looking up.  Think medieval / fantasy small hamlet.  Lots of other townsfolk are now visible, but none of them are looking up.

CAPTION (SERENA) (1): I don't know why, but no one else has ever seemed that interested.

CAPTION (SERENA) (2): No one curious as to how they do it - how they stay up there.

3 - Serena is in her thatch house home.  It's a pretty meager little place.  Serena is grabbing some supplies, the most evident of which is a grappling hook at the end of a long rope.

CAPTION (SERENA): No one but me.

4 - Serena is walking up a steep hill.  She steps with purpose, her rope and grappling hook clearly visible at her side.

CAPTION (SERENA): Well, I'm through with wondering.

5 - Serena stands at the top of the hill, looking down into a large valley.  Above the valley (and what she's looking towards, of course) are a number of floating islands (or skylands, for short) that are just hanging in the sky through no evident means or manner.

CAPTION (SERENA): It's about time to get some answers.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Brendan

We've got a pseudo medieval / fantasy page.  Enjoy.

Three rows of panels.  A single panel for both the first and third rows; three panels for the second row.

1 - Brendan, a strong looking youth of 19, sits, holding a knight's helmet in his hands.  The helmet is dinged and worn, proof of its use.  The armour he wears, which is a hodge podge of unmatching pieces that is similarly used.  He looks hard at the helmet, as if he is considering a difficult decision in his mind.

MOTHER (off-panel): The King's men have already been dispatched to deal with it.

2 - Brendan looks up to see his mother standing before him.  She is a woman who is old beyond her years, worn down by the difficult life she's lead.  She is greatly concerned for her son, tears welling in her eyes.  Brendan looks certain of the words he says.

BRENDAN: They will fail.

MOTHER: And so it must fall to you?

3 - Brendan stands, the helmet at his side.  His mother gives it her all to convince him to say, but it's clear from his face that nothing will sway him from his choice.

BRENDAN: The realm needs me.

MOTHER (1): What of your family's need?  Your old father is too old to tend the shop.  Your sister are still too young to fend for themselves.

MOTHER (2) (quieter): You'll die if you go.

4 - Brendan walks towards the door, a determined look on his face.  He's made his choice.  His mother looks on, crying.

BRENDAN: I won't be able to live with myself if I stay.

5 - Outside.  A heavy rain.  Brendan rides away from the hovel that is his home.  He does not look back.

CAPTION (BRENDAN): Goodbye, Mother.


Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Neville and Faramond

Three rows of panels.  Row one is a single panel that spans the width of the page (with an inset on the right side).  Row two is three panels of equal size.  Row three is another single panel, similar to row one.

1 - Neville, a young boy, stands in the middle of a scary, dark forest.  Everything around him is exaggerated. The trees are taller and scrawnier, the dark is darker, and everything is generally scarier.  Neville looks about him, scared.

NEVILLE: Hello?

2 - Inset panel on the right side of panel 1.  Close-up of Neville as he turns to his right, startled at someone yelling at him from off-panel.

FARAMOND (off-panel): Neville!

3 - Faramond, Neville's imaginary friend, emerges from the nearby trees.  Faramond is a big, burly, fluffy monster, who looks pretty friendly - although he's mostly worried at the moment.  Neville jumps back a little in fear, but calms down when he realizes who it is.

FARAMOND: Neville!  Thank goodness I found you!

4 - Faramond hugs Neville protectively, maybe hugging a little harder than is comfortable for the young boy. Neville appreciates the gesture, but is still really confused about what's going on.

FARAMOND: Don't worry, I'll protect you.

NEVILLE: What are you talking about, Faramond?  Protect me from what?  Where are we?

5 - Faramond stops the hug.  He points at Neville's head to signify that they currently in one of his dreams.

FARAMOND: You're asleep.  We're in here.

6 - In the background, a whole bunch of scary looking eyes look towards our two protagonists (wild animal, insect, arachnid, take your pick).  Faramond places himself between Neville and the eyes.  Neville is scared, standing behind his protector, but he looks around Faramond to see what's coming.

FARAMOND: But we're not alone...


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Ted & Buckly

Prepare yourself for a glimpse into the life of a somewhat anthropomorphized bear and his bee friend.  It is a tale that is not for the weak of heart.  You have been warned.

Three rows of panels.  Two rows of three panels each, with both the rows and panels being of the same size.  At the bottom of the page, row three is long and thin, a single panel taking up the remaining space.

1 - Ted the bear sits in his bear kitchen (think super rustic), berries still sitting on his plate.  Buckley, a bee that Ted is friends with, buzzes agitatedly around Ted.  Ted looks at Buckley in concern, a tinge of confusion on his face.  Buckley's word balloons are small due to the fact that he is a bee.  His dialogue is indecipherable to show that Ted can't understand him.

BUCKLEY: [a series of indistinct scribbles with a bunch of exclamation marks]

TED: Buckley.

2 - Repeat panel.  Buckley's incessant buzzing actually takes up the entire top of the page to show how much and how quickly he's talking.  Ted reaches out and grabs Buckley by the wings.

BUCKLEY: [a series of indistinct scribbles with a bunch of exclamation marks]

3 - Close in on Ted bringing Buckley in front of his face.  Ted yells at Buckley to get his attention.  The force of the shout pushes Buckley away, although Ted holds on to him tightly, so he doesn't go far.  Air and spittle fly from Ted's mouth.

TED: BUCKLEY!

4 - Ted places Buckley on his snout.  Buckley has calmed down, but has seemingly lost all the energy he had.  He flops down.

TED: What's wrong?

BUCKLEY (weakly): It's gone, Ted.

TED: What?  What's gone?

5 - Buckley regains a bit of energy and starts pacing on Ted's nose.  While Ted can now understand Buckley's words, he's still a little lost.

BUCKLEY (1): Everything.  The bees, the hives, even the wax.  There's no evidence they were ever there at all!

BUCKLEY (2): Something's wrong, Ted.  You've gotta help me find 'em!

TED: Of course, buddy.  I just need to grab some honey first.

6 - Buckley flies closer to Ted and grabs his eyelids, shaking them in frustration they way someone would grab and shake the front of another person's shirt.

BUCKLEY!: You're not listening, Ted!

7 - Straight on shot of Ted, with Buckley in the foreground.  Ted's eyes have gone wide, taking up the entire thin row.  Now that Buckley has explained how this impacts him, Ted finally grasps the severity of the situation.

BUCKLEY: They took the honey, too!


Monday, September 10, 2012

The Time Traveling Wilburys

1 - Quasar Quinn is a skinny, lithe dude.  He wears his blond hair short, with a trendy mustache adorning his upper lip.  He wears wrap around sunglasses.  He wears a lot of steampunky type clothing, including a bowler hat, vest, and dress pants (with dangling suspenders).  His dress shirt's sleeves are rolled up.  Let's say his guitar is also steampunkish, just 'cause.  He's in the process of playing some slick tunes, firing a burst of pure musical energy from his instrument to subdue some time villains (let's say they're reprobates who are all wearing the same type of gas mask to have a unifying theme there).

CAPTION (1): Quasar Quinn

CAPTION (2): It's not his real name, but that doesn't stop it from being spot on.  Quinn is the most powerful and energetic man to ever hold a guitar.  His licks have literally stopped people dead.

2 - Krom is a hulking monster of a man.  Clearly of caveman lineage, he has adapted well to a cavalier, time traveling, music playing life style.  His hair and beard are shaggy - and died purple.  In fact, purple is pretty much his primary colour, fitting in most every fashion item he possesses.  He wears Inuit snow googles (which are also purple).  He holds his drum sticks (which are clearly dinosaur bones) high above his head.  A mob of skeletons are attacking him, but he is beating them with his dino bones.

CAPTION (1): Krom

CAPTION (2): A man out of time, Krom spent his life hitting things with other things, but always felt that he had a higher calling in life.  Now he hits things with other things professionally as the Wilburys' drummer.

3 - A sleek and futuristic looking robot.  Think Daft Punk-esque.  He even wears a suit, although he has a robot body.  His optical lenses look like sunglasses.  His amplifiers are actually part of his body in some capacity, and he turns them up to eleven to ward off his attackers (a group of plant zombies).

CAPTION (1): Beat Bot 13K

CAPTION (2): Born of the most advanced 43rd Century technologies, 13K was created to literally be the ultimate drum machine.  However, Krom refuses to play anything else.  Fortunately, 13K is also a pretty mean bassist.

4 - Claire is a clear product of her Victorian epoch, although she is not nearly as steampunky as Quasar.  Instead, mix Victorian ladies fashion with Jem and the Holograms to get an idea of what she should be wearing.  She even has those weird paint flash things around her eyes (in the shape of clocks or perhaps the infinity symbol?).  She uses her microphone as a weapon to defeat some space pirates.

CAPTION (1): Claire Wellingsworth III

CAPTION (2): The daughter of a successful textile family in Victorian-era England, she could not abide the time into which she had been born.  Her Victorian ennui and versatile voice make her the perfect lead singer.

5 - The group is all together.  They're straight up jamming, but reality seems to be shimmering around them.  Their musical cavorting is sending them off through time!

CAPTION (1): Alone, each is a talented musician in their own right.

CAPTION (2): Together, they are The Time Traveling Wilburys, a force so powerful that not even time can contain them!


Sunday, September 9, 2012

Robert Drake


1 - A shot of Professor Robert Drake.  He is an older man.  From his clothing, it would be a fair guess to assume he's a professor of some variety.  Thick rimmed glasses, tweed jacket, that kind of thing.  He also looks to be scared out of his mind.  He wears his hair short.  Sweating profusely, his hands are grasping at the open air in desperation.  There's no background behind him, save for open sky.

DRAKE: Can't we talk about this?!

2 - Switch to a shot of Guillaume Montagne.  He is a sophisticated looking man.  Somewhat on the portly side, he wears a finely tailored suit and expertly coifed hair and beard.  He wears his hair a little long.  Both his hair and suit seem to be whipping in an unseen wind, slightly marring his noble look.  However, he has a grave and sombre expression that commands respect, in spite of his slightly tussled appearance.  Open sky remains the background.

MONTAGNE: I believe we have already had extensive discussions at this juncture, and while an open dialogue is important in any business relationship, it hasn't brought me any closer to posessing the Sceptre of Flames, has it?

3 - Switch to a shot of both Drake and Montagne.  There's also a guard or two standing in the background on Montagne's side.  Their uniforms flap in the wind, too.  The group stands on an empty platform in front of a large structure that appears to be a mixture between a mansion and a fortress.  Various defenses and weapons are visible on the mantress.  Montagne stands close to Drake, poking his walking stick into Drake's chest.  Drake appears to be trying to maintain his balance.

MONTAGNE: I repeat myself, Mr. Drake.  Either give me what I want...

4 - Far out landscape shot.  It's a barren desertscape, filled with rocky crevaces and mountains.  Floating above it is Montagne's flying ship / manor / fortress.  It sits on a X-shaped cross that supports the entire structure.  The group is visible standing on one of the edges.  A figure (Drake) is falling from the mantress towards the ground.

CAPTION (MONTAGNE): Or get off my ship.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Agent Foxtrot

Panel 1 spans the page.  Panels 2 and 3 are of equal size on their own row.  Panel 4 should be the focus of the page, so give it as much space as feasible.

1 - Wide panel giving a good view of the industrial building where the scene takes place.  The focus of the panel is a solid box-like object, behind which Agent Foxtrot is currently taking cover.  On the walkways above her, a number of bad guy guards are firing on her position.  Bullets fly all over the place, but none of them have hit her yet.  Wearing all black, she has her hand to her ear, using her communicator to call up HQ.

AGENT FOXTROT: Command, I have the objective, but am pinned down with no egress.  Will require backup to make extraction.  Do you copy?

COMMAND (over radio): Loud and clear, Agent Foxtrot.  The cavalry is already on the way and should be there right about... now.

SFX (along bottom of panel): KRAKAKRAKAKRAKA!

2/3 - Are the same image divided by the gutter.  Two bad guys stand on one of the raised walkways seen in panel 1.  The shot is below them looking up, giving a good view of the ceiling.  Bad Guy 1 is on panel 2; Bad Guy 2 is on panel 3.  While Bad Guy 1 has his gun up, his eyebrow is cocked and his head looks up towards an unseen sound.  Bad Guy 2 doesn't even have his gun up.  Instead, he looks up towards the ceiling, where a big chunk of it is being ripped right off.  Metal claws are visible holding the piecing being ripped asunder.

SFX: (across both panels, leading towards the ripping metal - vary letter size to emphasize the wavering of the sound): RRrrRRrRRrrr!

BAD GUY 1: What's that noise?

BAD GUY 2: I'm sure it's noth--

4 - Angle the perspective so that the now ripped-off roof and Agent Foxtrot are both visible.  Looking down from where the roof used to be is, Man Mechanical, a huge and hulking robot with red glowing eyes.  Agent Foxtrot looks relived, Man Mechanical looks like it means business, and the bad guys look like they're in trouble.  Man Mechanical's word balloons are square and electric, written in computery font, as any robot's should be.

MAN MECHANICAL: Lay down your arms or prepare to be dispatched with extreme prejudice.

AGENT FOXTROT: You're a sight for sore eyes, Mechanical.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Amos

Five rows, each made up of a single panel that stretches the page.

1 - An overhead view of a dirty and crowded market street.  There's plenty of different wares on sale, from laser blasters to exotic delicacies to everything in between.  People move from stall to stall, looking at everything there is to see.

CAPTION (AMOS): I wouldn't normally come this way.

2 - Amos is running through the crowd, going from left to right.  He appears twice on the page, along with a word balloon coming from off-panel on the right to show all of his progress in a single panel.  The first instance has him sliding past some people, the second instance has him bumping into two others, and the third instance, while mostly off-panel, involves Amos knocking over a table at one of the stalls.  The owner shakes his fist angerly at the figure off-panel.  Each word balloon belongs to a different instance of Amos.

CAPTION (AMOS): But I'm desperate.

AMOS (1): Excuse me.

AMOS (2): Pardon me.

AMOS (3) (off-panel): Sorry about that.

3 - Amos is gone.  The crowd has mostly calmed down, although some still look towards the direction that he left in.  A few on the left side of the panel point worriedly at something that has yet to appear.  The stallkeeper beings picking up his knocked over product.

CAPTION (AMOS): It's easy to get lost in a crowd.

4 - A nefarious looking group appears and follows Amos' path.  It's Tork, an ugly looking three-eyed alien, and some imposing Thug-bots.  They also appear multiple times across the panel, just as Amos did.  The first instance is Tork firing off his laser gun to scare off the crowd, the second instance is him and his Thug-bots pushing through the ensuing chaos, knocking people to the ground with impunity, and the last instance is Tork shooting the stallkeeper that Amos upset.

CAPTION (AMOS): That's not the problem.

SFX: ZZRT!  ZZRT!

TORK (1): Move it!

TORK (2): Outta my way!

5 - Tork and the Thug-bots are gone, but the damage they caused remains.  A number of people lie hurt on the ground.  Some are being helped up by bystanders, others are not.  The stallkeeper lies on the ground dead.

CAPTION (AMOS): The problem is living with the repercussions of doing it.


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

The Hike

1 - Establishing shot.  A top down view looking down on the treetops of a lush forest.  It's early fall, the leaves only just starting to turn.  Through the thick canopy, an older man is visible, walking along the forest floor with a large walking stick.  The treetops blow in the wind.

NO COPY

2 - Move way closer in.  Straight on shot of the man.  He stands still, his head turned slightly to the side.  The wind dies down for the moment.

MAN: I know you're there.

3 - Lower camera to the man's feet.  He drops his stick and it falls with a loud WHMP!.  The focus, however, is on the background where a hooded assailant emerges from the treeline.

SFX: WHMP!

NO COPY

4 - 3/4 angle.  The man prepares himself for a fight.  Taking a defensive position, he is poised to attack or defend at a moment's notice.  The assailant has moved closer, but he is not alone.  Four more figures emerge from other parts of the forest, surroudning the man.  He wears a determined look, unphased.  The wind picks up and leaves fall around our characters.

MAN: Let's finish this.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Carl and Shane

First panel gets its own row.  Panels 2 and 3 shared a row, as do panels 4 and 5.

1 - Shot from above looking down.  A pigeon, Shane, files above the sprawling cityscape of a burgeoning metropolis.  Among the buildings below him, another pigeon, Carl, is visible standing on the edge of the rooftop.

SHANE (quietly) (1): Is that Carl?

SHANE (loudly) (2): Carl, is that you?!

2 - Shot from behind the pigeons, looking off the edge of the building.  Shane lands behind Carl and looks towards him; Carl continues to look out over the city.

SHANE: It's been too long!  How've you b--

CARL (interrupting): She's gone.  She left me.  And my will to live left with her.

3 - Still shot from behind.  Shane has moved over to Carl and has placed a reassuring wing on his shoulder.  Carl pulls away, angry and frustrated.  This surprises Shane.

SHANE: Carl, you say that every tim--

CARL (interrupting): Well, maybe this time I'm serious!  I'm done with this.  I'm going to jump.

4 - Switch angles to look head-on at the birds.  Shane has lowered his wing.  He looks away uncomfortably.  Carl continues to fume.

SHANE: Carl...

5 - Shane looks back at Carl and says what he has to say.  Carl looks at his feet, pouting.

SHANE: You know we can fly, right?

CARL: ...Yes.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Boxy!

1 - Full page splash.  It's a cardboard box sitting on the floor of a house.  It's the kitchen, but there's no furnishings or hints of people living there to speak of.  It's literally just a cardboard box on the floor, the upper flaps open.  First caption is towards the top of the page; the second is nearer to the middle.

CAPTION (1): Behold Boxy the Box!

CAPTION (2): He is admittedly not terribly interesting.

2 - Inset panel.  Towards the bottom right of the page.  Pretty much the same image of the box, but the shadowing looks pretty

CAPTION: Or is he?!?!


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Frbll

1 - Frbll is a small alien who looks surprisingly like a a cute and cuddly ball of fur.  He's got some eyes, a hilarious-looking nose appendage (possibly a trumpet-esque prtoducence), as well as some cute little arms and legs.  Let's say he also has some antenna on top of his head, but it's nothing terribly obtrusive.  Anyways.  He is in a city park.  His small ship is off to the side.  He has disembarked to perform some exploration.  He's currently exploring some garbage that has fallen out of a nearby trash receptacle.

CAPTION (FRBLL) (1): Mission log: Stranded on this laughingly-designated as "Earth", I have commenced explorations of my immediate environs.

CAPTION (FRBLL) (2): Progress is agonizingly slow.  The local technologies are primitive to the point where it is difficult to ascertain the meanings / functions of my various discoveries.

2 - Ffbll's eyes bulge as someone off panel yells.  He drops the piece of garbage he was examining.

CAPTION (FRBLL): I've reached but one conclusion thus far --

WOMAN (off-panel): Omigawd!  What is that?!

3 - Frbll turns to see a woman jogger standing off to his side.  She looks surprised and confused.  Frbll pulls out a futuristic-looking raygun and points it at her menacingly, which still looks pretty darn cute.

FRBLL: Stay back!  My explod-o-canon can disintegrex you in less than three zeptoseconds!  You probably wouldn't like that very much!

4 - The woman jogger has picked up Frbll and hugs him in a vice-like grip to her chest.  He's undergoing asphyxiating type pressure here.  His eyes bulge even more than in the second panel.

WOMAN: You are sooo cute!

FRBLL: Unhand me, vile creature!

CAPTION (FRBLL): The planet's inhabitants appear to be quite hostile.

A bit of a break between posts due to traveling, but I won't let that perturb me.  Today we have Frbll, whose name is admittedly a bit lacking in the excitement department, but I like him anyways.  I'm not entirely certain of his physical appearance, but I do know his ship is along the same designs as Skottie Young's Bernard.


I've always been a fan of the tiny, fishbowl spaceship design, so that's definitely what Frbll would be rocking.  It's only a scout ship, which both explains its tiny size and how he is stranded.  I imagine that his continued adventures would involve some highjinx as he learns more about Earth, some misunderstandings between he and his people once they arrive, and everyone learning some valuable lessons by story's end.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Lanny and Lonny Lundmark

1 - Lanny and Lonny Lundmark, twin brothers, have been walking through the untame wilderness of the Old West for longer than they would care to remember.  They're tired and hungry.  Their clothing is dirty and torn.  They've seen better days.  Behind them, the hot dessert spans out farther than the eye can see.  There is a sign in front of the brothers.  Whatever it says it not yet visible to the reader.  The panel is positioned so it is looking out from just below said sign; its posts on the panel's right and left borders and its bottom just visible from the panel's top border.  Lanny looks towards the sign with a mischievous grin on his face.  Lonny is lying face down on the ground, clearly out of gas.

LANNY: We're here, Lonny.

LONNY: I didn't think we had a destination, Lanny.

2 - Same panel layout.  Lanny has moved to his brother's side.  He grabs Lonny's head with one arm and angles his face to see the sign.  He points at the sign with his other hand.  Lonny wears a mischievous grin that matches his brother's.

LANNY: We didn't.  Until just now.

LONNY: How do you think they'll feel about our regular customs and habitudes?

3 - Switch angles.  The brothers are in the same position.  The sign takes up the majority of the panel.  It reads: "Faith" with "Welcoming all, because all are welcome" written underneath.  A little, idyllic western town is visible in the background.

LANNY: Lonny, I do believe that our unique talents shall serve us quite well among these fine folk.

Lanny and Lonny have been kicking around for a good long while up in the ol' noggin.  I don't have much beyond "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern-esque con men living in the Old West", but I feel like that could take a man places.  We'll just have to find out what those places are some day.

Please note that the main difference between Lanny and Lonny is their choice of facial hair.  Lanny is mustachioed while Lonny wears a fuller beard.  Important facts, these.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

A bear

1 - A crowded bar.  People are talking to each other loudly.  To demonstrate that, you could have lots of tail-less word balloons representing parts of conversations.

2 - The same bar, but a bear is now walking across the room towards the bar itself (note: the bear is walking on his hind legs, like a person).  All the conversations have stopped.  People stare in terror at this woodland creature as it crosses the room.  No dialogue.

3 - The bear is up at the bar.  The barkeep is paralyzed with fear.  The bear puts up a paw to indicate that he would like one drink.  No one else has moved.  No dialogue.

4 - The bear turns and leans up against the bar.  His arms out, he lounges lazily, a content expression on his face.  No dialogue.

5 - The bear holds the same position, but his expression changes to one of annoyance and confusion.

BEAR: What?

Today's character: a bear who wants a beer.

I believe this is what they call genius.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Larry Leapman

Panel layout isn't super important here.  Let's say the first 2 panels are on the first row, with panel 1 taking up 1/3 of the row and panel 2 taking up the remaining 2/3s.  Row two is made up of panels 3 and 4, which can be more or less of equal size.  Row three is made up solely of panel 5, which spans the page.

1 - A female figure closes a door behind her.  She wears a heavy hood and cloak to conceal her identity, but brightly coloured clothing is visible below it.  In fact, even though the hood is made of dark material, it's oddly bright..  The whole room / world seems to be that way.  She looks up in fright at the voice addressing her.

LARRY (off-panel): Who goes there?!

2 - The figure removes the hood and cloak to reveal that she is Princess Pamela!  She wears a blank expression.  Larry Leapman sits on the ground nearby, looking up with a mixture of relief, surprise, and happiness.  Both Larry and Pamela are as brightly coloured as the nondescript room around them, like the whole world is being seen through a filter of nostalgia.

PAMELA: It's me, my love.

LARRY: Princess!  How did you escape from Oswald's clutches?!

3 - Princess Pamela walks towards Larry.  She now wears a sad face, tears welling in her eyes.  Larry looks concerned, but does not move.

LARRY: What's wrong, Pam?

4 - Larry continues to sit, unmoving.  Pamela has gone over to him and kneels next to him, hugging his head to her body in a manner meant to soothe him.

LARRY: Did that horrible brute harm you?

PAMELA (1): Shh.  You know he didn't.

PAMELA (2): You saved me long ago, honey.

5 - Same positioning, but pull back to get a better look at the surrounding room.  Have Pamela and Larry be placed towards the right side of the panel.  That nostalgic filter is gone, the colour drained of its brightness, leaving a darker, bleaker world (think a lot of blues and the like).  Both Princess Pamela and Larry look older than previously.  Larry in particular looks quite gaunt and bedraggled. His hair is unkempt, his eyes lack focus, and he wears a straight-jacket.  Pamela cries openly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

PAMELA: You saved me long ago.

Did that make sense?

I watched Indie Game: The Movie yesterday with a friend of mine, and go my brain going about potential video game / video game character ideas.  Larry Leapman and Princess Pamela are the fruits of that labour.  You may recognize them as loose Mario / Peach clones, but the main difference for our erstwhile hero is that his fight ended long ago.  As I tried to imply through Pamela's dialogue, Oswald hasn't given the kingdom trouble in years, but Larry can't seem to process that fact.  He literally can't get past the past, stuck in the time when he jumped all over the kingdom to save the Princess from Oswald's vile hand.  He's unable to recognize that that is no longer the status quo and hasn't been for some time.  Instead, Pamela has him locked up in a tower, hoping that he will one day snap out of it.  Things don't look good.

While their story would definitely build quite strongly on Mario's mythos, I think the tale of a hero who can't process that the time for heroism is past would make for both a great comic or a great video game.  Or at least interesting ones.

Maybe I'll get to explore the idea in more depth on day.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Le Boxeur casqué

One row of four panels across the top of the page, followed by a single panel that takes up the rest of the page.

1 - Two guys sit across from each other in a dinner-type restaurant.  From the lack of light outside, it's clear that it's late night (or early morning).  Also, it's raining.  The guys both look pretty rundown.  They're tired and worn, but it feels like they've been this way for a long time.  One guy is tall and lean.  The other is short and stocky.  Tall is smoking, and judging by the ashtray, has been going at it for a while.  They nurse drinks, but there's no sign of food at the moment.

TALL: I still don't see what' so impressive about it.

2 - Focus in on Tall as he takes a drag and continues on his oral contemplations.

TALL: I mean, doesn't running around wearing a helmet take most of the risk out of it?

3 - Switch back out to the two.  Short takes a hard look at Tall (who continues that drag).  No dialogue.

4 - Focus in on Short.  He leans in a bit to emphasize his words.

SHORT: Does it?

5 - Switch locations completely.  We're now in a shady back alley.  Still night time.  This alley is even more run down than Tall and Short.  Windows are mostly boarded, broken, or missing.  Few, if any, are whole.  Doors are barred or likewise missing.  The rain falls hard against the pavement.  Puddles pool everywhere.  There's plenty of garbage cans, a number of them overturned, spilling their contents across the sidewalk and street.  In the centre of all this is a lone figure.  His back to the reader, he walks up the street.  It is Le Boxeur casqué.  It looks like he's wearing a trench coat, but it's actually one of those boxing robe / coat things that boxers wear on their way up to the ring.  He also has boxing boots and gloves on.  And, of course, true to his name, he wears a helmet on his head.  It's a round, open face helmet (kind of like this, but without the visor and with two stripes going from across the top from the back of the neck to the forehead).  He is the only figure on the page.

CAPTION (SHORT): Then how come you aren't out there every night like he is?

This is based off of a sketch that I came across by chance.  A boxing-type who was wearing a helmet (with Le Boxeur casqué written across the top because it was a French sketch).  I really like the idea of a dude dressed up as a boxer with a motorcycle helmet running around the streets of a city at night trying to right wrongs.  It sounds super fun in my books.

I also like this page, because I think it could act as a solid first or last page in a book about LBC.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Oo, Wuul, and Frinxil

Five rows of panels, each row made up of a single panel.

1 - Mars.  An endless marscape near the Gale Crater spans off into the distance (let's say something like this).  There's nothing going on.  No dialogue.

2 - Repeat panel.  The difference is that the the Curiosity Rover is driving along in the distance, going from left to right.  It's maybe a third of the way across the panel.  Its tracks are visible behind it.  No dialogue.

3 - Repeat panel.  Curiosity is about two thirds of the way across.  No dialogue.

4 - Repeat panel.  Curiosity has gone off-panel.  Only its tracks remains.  No dialogue.

5 - This panel is actually the continuation of the above image, simply divided by the gutter.  Two Martians, Oo and Wuul, stand looking towards the tracks in the distance.  They're tall and spindly.  They have redsih skin, wearing simple clothing that does little to offset them from the marscape around them.

OO: <The Earthlings are back again.  I guess they just couldn't get enough of looking at our rocks the first three times.>

Oo is a very sarcastic Martian who is kind of sick of Earthlings periodically sending robots to his planet to ultimately break down and do nothing.  Wuul isn't quite as upset about the whole thing, but he knows when to stay quiet.

And while I like this script and character, I recognize that it isn't a lot to go on, so I came up with a companion piece to it.

Five rows of panels, each row made up of a single panel.

1 - Venus.  An endless venuscape spans off into the distance (let's say something like this).  There's nothing going on.  No dialogue.

2 - Repeat panel.  Also nothing.  No dialogue.

3 - Repeat panel.  Still nothing.  No dialogue.

4 - You know the drill.

5 - This panel is actually a continuation of the above image, simply divided by the gutter.  A single Venusian, Frinxil, stands looking towards the emptiness in the distance.  He holds a futuristic holographic-tablet-type thing that reads "Curiosity Successfully Lands on Mars!", maybe with an accompanying picture.  Frinxil looks kind of sad.

FRINXIL: <Why don't they ever come here?>

The first script is very much inspired by the Curiosity Rover (no kidding!), and O and Wuul are perhaps a bit lackluster or light in detail, but I actually really like Frinxil.  I see her as a pretty smart and capable Venusian, but she's also the only one, which makes her a little lonely, to say the least.  However, she seems to have some pretty advanced technology, so maybe she won't always have to be alone?

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Soid

Five rows of panels.  Each row is made up of a single panel that spans the page's width.  Rows one and five are quite thin, together taking up less than a quarter of the page.  The remaining three rows are all of equal height, taking up the space in between.

1 - Black panel, but there's a couple of tail-less word balloons.  The first word balloon is in the top left area; the second is towards the bottom right.

SOID (wavy writing to imply he's regaining consciousness) (1): Oooooh.

SOID (2): What happened?

2 - From Soid's perspective, looking skyward.  A blurry figure looks down on Soid.  They stand above him, so they look upside-down on the page.  Due to said blurriness, no substantive details are visible, although it seems like the figure is wearing a mask.

SOID (1): Lanno?

SOID (2): Is that you?

3 - Still from Soid's perspective.  The blurry figure has solidified.  They are wearing a tribal-like mask that looks rather nefarious.  Still upside-down, dark, empty eyes loom over Soid, with hungry-looking teeth carved in around where the creature's mouth would presumably be.

SOID: ...

4 - Switch to a 3/4esque angle.  Soid lies on the ground, propped up a little by his elbows.  He is surrounded by four or five of these creatures, all wearing tribal-like masks that, while thematically similar, are all different from one another.  The creatures are also all different sizes.  They all hold weapons at the ready.  One standing towards Soid's feet hits him with the butt of his spear.  Soid's head slams backwards.

SOID: You're not Lan--

SFX (interrupting): THWOK!

5 - A black panel.  No dialogue.


Poor Soid.  They weren't Lanno at all.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Lord Dogberry & Lane

1 - Lord Dogberry is dressed in full Boer War-era British uniform (say, something like this).  He is lying on the top of a hill, aiming down his rifle's sights at something off-panel.  No dialogue.

2 - Repeat panel.

LANE (off-panel): Sir?

3 - The same panel, but it is slightly wider, revealing that Lane, Lord Dogberry's batman / valet, has been standing behind him, arms folded behind his back and looking dapper, the entire time.  Lord Dogberry's expression changes slightly to one of annoyance.

LANE: *ahem* Sir?

LORD DOGBERRY: What is it, Lane?

4 - Lane holds the same position.  Lord Dogberry looks back at Lane, diverting his attention from his rifle for the first time.

LANE: Do you ever wonder if perhaps your prodigious talents could be put to better use?

LORD DOGBERRY: What?

5 - Lord Dogberry is on his feet.  Angry, he jabs an accusing finger into Lane's chest.  Lane holds the same position, unphased.

LORD DOGBERRY (1): What is this nonsense you're talking about!

LORD DOGBERRY (2): Society must be protected at all costs, Lane!

6 - Lord Dogberry holds his arms up in indignation.  He still holds his rifle, which is also up in the air.  In the background, we see a festival of some type, with a number of helium balloons evident.  They're attached to signs, for sale, and held by a number of young children.

LORD DOGBERRY: I ask you, if we don't hunt down those villainous bags of air, who will?

Sometimes you just want to do something silly.  Here we have Lord Dogberry who is on the hunt of the world's most dangerous game - balloons - and his loyal batman / valet, Lane.  I hope this translated from my head to the page properly.

With apologies to Kate Beaten and Brendan Leach.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Richard Costly

Three rows of panels.  The first row is three panels of equal size.  The second row is two panels (4 and 5), and panel 4 is two-thirds of the page's width.  The third row is a single panel.

1 - Two football teams line up against each other for the next down.  The offensive team is lined up in the shotgun formation, with their quarterback standing a few steps back from the centre.  He has his hands out to receive the ball, which has been snapped.

CAPTION (RICHARD): There was no time left on the clock.

QB: Hike!

2 - The quarterback is throwing the ball just as he is getting tackled by two opposing players.  The ball is released, but the throw is not clean.

CAPTION (RICHARD): In a game where we'd been trying to catch up from the start.

3 - A shot from the end zone looking up field.  Richard Costly, a receiver, stands in the end zone looking towards the ball.  He sees that the ball is headed towards the opposite side of the field and is running in that direction at full speed.  The defense is trying to keep pace with him, but while they are providing good coverage, it really is the distance between him and the ball that represents his biggest obstacle at this point.

CAPTION (RICHARD): Our frenzied efforts came down to one last play.

4 - Richard is diving, and while he's heavily covered, he manages to make the catch - just barely.  It's pretty much all fingertips, and he is completely splayed out.

CAPTION (RICHARD): An impossible catch to cap an impossible comeback.

5 - Richard celebrates with all of his teammates.  The home crowd is going wild.  The scoreboard shows that the score is now 58 - 57 for the home team.

CAPTION (RICHARD): No one expected us to win.

6 - Richard sits alone in the locker room.  He is still in full gear, with only his helmet removed.  The room is dark.  Richard holds his head with both hands, a look of fear in his eyes.  Caption at the bottom of the panel.

CAPTION (RICHARD): Least of all the people who told me to throw the game.

So yeah.  Mr. Costly has apparently made some poor decisions, something that doesn't appear to be changing.  At least not yet.  I really built this script and the character from that last visual, but I feel like it doesn't have quite the resonance I was hoping for.  Especially that last line.  But it'll do for the nonce.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Frobisher / F.R.O.B.

Two scripts that approach the same concept from slightly different angles.  I've had an idea of a puppet who's lost his master in my mind for a while, and it's something I'd like to develop a bit more at some point, but I found myself wondering how the concept would look in a slightly updated milieu, thus the robot version at the bottom.

I'll admit that neither script is perfect at the moment, but I think I prefer the former over the latter.  I just feel like there aren't enough stories involving puppets anymore.  Clearly I'll have to get on that.

Script the First

Two rows of panels.  The first row takes up about a third of the page, comprised of four equal-size panels.  The second row takes up the remainder of the page, made up of two panels.  One panel is relatively thin (perhaps similar in width to one of the first row panels) and the other takes up the remainder of the page.

1 - A rectangular box sits atop a round end table.  There is nothing else of note in the panel.  No dialogue.

2 - Repeat panel.  The box has moved slightly to the right.

SFX: NOCK!

3 - Repeat panel.  The box is even further to the right, balancing precariously on the edge of the table.

SFX: NOCK!  NOCK!  NOCK!

4 - Repeat panel.  The box has fallen over the side, now off-panel.  Have some lines to denote that it's smacked into the ground.

SFX: THUD!

5 - Move the shot over and down slightly, with the table mostly off-panel.  Focus on the box, which is now overturned on the ground.  Its contents are not yet visible.

6 - Pull out slightly for a wider shot.  The box remains the centre of attention, but you can now see that there isn't much else in the room beyond the box and the end table.  The box has been pushed over, now on its side.  From within, a puppet has emerged.  He is trying to stand, but the disorientation is causing him to stumble a bit.  He holds a hand to his head and grimaces.  You could even potentially put in one of those squiggly lines that denote confusion / disorientation.

FROBISHER: Master?

Script the Second

Two rows of panels.  The first row takes up about a third of the page, comprised of three equal-size panels.  The second row is a single panel that takes up the remainder of the page.

1 - Close-up of a robot's head.  The robot is off, its head angled down slightly, its eyes dark.  The room the robot in is dark.  It has some cobwebs attached to it.  No dialogue.

2 - Similar panel.  The robot's head is still angled down, but a slight glow seems to be coming from its eyes.  It's activating.

SFX: brzzzt!

3 - Simlar panel.  The robot is now on, its eyes bright in the gloom.  It looks up, taking in its surroundings.  No dialogue.

4 - Pull the shot waaaay back.  The robot is in a huge, empty warehouse, devoid of pretty much anything else.  The place is covered in dust and grime.  The robot looks quite small and alone.

ROBOT: Hello?

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Marv

Five rows of panels, each made up of a single panel that extends the entirety of the page.  All equal size.

1 - A child's bedroom.  The child is tucked into their bed (on the left side of the panel), their parent has turned off the light and is closing the bedroom door (towards the middle / background of the panel), and a closet door is visible on the right side of the panel.  Three eyes look out from the darkness of the closet.

SFX (lightswitch): click!

PARENT: Sleep tight!

2 - A big fury monster, Marv, has creeped out of the closet.  He is currently crawling along the floor towards the bed.  The child has closed their eyes to sleep.  No dialogue.

3 - Marv stands at the edge of the bed, hands in the air, preparing for a big scare.  The young child opens one eye and looks at Marv.  No dialogue.

4 - The young child is at the foot of their bed, giving Marv a big ol' hug.  Marv holds the same position, but his eyes have gone wide in surprise and shock.

CHILD: ♥

5 - Marv is back in his home, looking pretty devastated.  His girlfriend Sheila, an octopus-like monster, holds him reassuringly with her multiple arms.

MARV: It happened again.


A little Monsters, Inc.-esque, but it's not like Pixar invented the concept of monsters living in closets.

Right?

Marv is a big fuzzy monster with three eyes, claws, and all that good stuff.  He doesn't have a head in the way that humans would.  Instead, his eyes, nose, and mouth are all placed at what would be considered the upper-part of a human torso.  Except, you know, he's a monster.

As the page suggests, Marv is having difficulties scaring children, which is hurting his self-confidence, which exacerbates his difficulties scaring children.  A vicious cycle.

In case you're curious, Sheila is an octopus monster with so many arms because I like the image of her using a plethora of them to try to reassure Marv.

WRITING, EVERYONE!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Shining Armor

Hello, readers!  Hello, reader!  It's been a while, hasn't it?

People generally like to start new initiatives at the beginning of the month and things like that, but sometimes you don't have an idea until a few days in and it's not worth waiting to get started on it.  That might be this.

30 Characters in 30 Days isn't exactly something new, but I'm going to give such an endeavour a shot nonetheless.  At the very worst, it means I'm working my creative muscles on new ideas every single day, which strikes me as a positive.

Three rows of panels.  Each row is of equal size.  Rows one and three are single panels, taking up the width of the page.  Row two is made up of 3 panels of equal size.

1 - An establishing shot.  It's night time and it's raining.  A Ghost stands alone outside an entrance to a building.  He's trying to be under the awning, but he's still getting soaked.  On top of said awning, Shining Armor lies flat, listening.  No dialogue.

2 - Switch angle to look more directly at the entrance.  A second Ghost is coming out of the entrance.  The first Ghost looks up.  Move in closer so that Shining ARmor isn't on-panel.

GHOST 2: Orders are in.  We strike at midnight.

GHOST 1: Midnight?  That's less than three hours from now.

3 - The first Ghost is frustrated.  The second Ghost is more resigned to their fate.

GHOST 1: They know we need more time than that to mount a proper raid!

GHOST 2: Well, we're mounting one anyways.  We should tell the others.

4 - Ghost 2 stars walking down the stairs.  Ghost 1 continues to complain after him.

GHOST 1: I understand their fear of the rebels, but this degree of secrecy does more harm than good!

5 - Repeat the angle from panel 1.  Ghost 1 follows down the steps hurriedly after Ghost 2.  Shining Armor is gone, no longer on the awning.

GHOST 1: I mean, who do they think we're going to tell?


I'm not sure what shape this effort will take day in and day out, but today, as you can see, it's a one page script, as so often is my wont.  As my post title indicates, today's character is Shining Armor, who is one of the lead fighters among the Soldiers of Light in an ongoing fight against the much larger and more entrenched Spectre Syndicate.  The Syndicate is a huge organization that runs pretty much anything and everything in the city.  The organization has many different levels in its hierarchy, the lowest of which are the Ghosts.  As the names imply, most everything related to the Spectre Syndicate has that phantom-theme to it, thus the light-theme from the rebels.

Anyways, Shining Armor's just the man's name.  He isn't all that shiny and he definitely doesn't have any armor.  At the moment, he wears ruined boots, baggy and worn military pants, and a plethora of tattoos covering his upper body.  He's recently stolen one of the trenchcoats belonging to the Ghosts (although he hasn't bothered taking one of their helmets to match).  To complete his ensemble, he wears a bucket hat low over his face to partially conceal his identity (and because why not?).

So yeah, let's see where this takes us.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Uh, Raccoons, Everybody!

And for the heck of it, two unrelated(?) short comics about raccoons.  If you're wondering what that feeling you're getting while reading these are, it's probably confusion.  Maybe acid reflux.

Comic the First

1 - A man and a woman (stereotypical older couple) standing looking at an overturned garbage can on their front lawn.

MAN: Oh, Martha, the raccoons got into the trash again!

WOMAN: *tsk* I just can't understand what they must be thinking when they do that.

2 - Same scene, but the night before.  It's dark to reflect this fact.  In place of the couple are two or three raccoons going hog wild on the garbage can (which is in the same position as in panel 1).  Their mouths are filled with garbage and they wear crazy smiles on their raccoon faces.

RACCOON 1: GARBAGE!

RACCOON 2: garbagegarbagegarbage!

3 - Repeat panel 2.  The only difference is that the raccoons are now all looking towards the reader, smiling their same crazy smile.  No dialogue.

Comic the Second


1 - Night time.  Two raccoons around a garbage can.  One is leaning up against it, preparing to knock it over.  The other is to the side, watching.

2 - Similar panel, but the raccoons have paused, looking towards something off-panel.

CAPTION: What is it?

3 - Similar panel, but there's a spotlight shining on the garbage can (from an off-panel flashlight).  The raccoons are nowhere to be seen.

CAPTION: Nothing.

4 - Pull back a bit.  The scene is now inside a kitchen.  A man is coming in the back door and a woman is looking towards him from the kitchen table.  Through the kitchen window, the same garbage can is visible, with the raccoons making progress in knocking it over.

MAN: ...I thought I heard something.

(Nothing to blame for this one.  I heard some raccoons a few nights ago and wanted to write a comic about what they might have been getting up to.)

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Because I Can

I would imagine that my readership is in the negatives at this point, but I felt like doing some writing this evening, so if you do happen to be perusing this, I hope you enjoy.  Unfortunately, unless you follow Canadian politics, it might be a bit hard to follow (and even then, no guarantees).  Anyways, enough apologizing on my part.

Three rows of panels.  Two panels in the top row, three in the middle row, and two in the bottom row.

Page 1

1 - Peter Milliken is standing on the sidewalk, wearing a full suit.  He is talking to another gentleman, who is also wearing a full suit.  Towards the bottom right of the page, Grant walks his bicycle.  He notices Peter Milliken and is surprised - to demonstrate this, please place an exclamation mark above his head.

CAPTION (GRANT): I saw Peter Milliken on the street today.

2 - Almost identical panel.  Peter Milliken and his interlocutor continue chatting.  Grant continues to walk his bicycle, surreptitiously looking towards the two.  First caption at the top of the page; second caption at the bottom.

CAPTION (GRANT) (1): I momentarily wondered if he'd recognize me.

CAPTION (GRANT) (2): We don't really know each other, but I've met him on a number of occasions.

3 - Similar layout as the previous panel (both Peter Milliken and Grant remain in the same spots, relative to each other), but now in the House of Commons.  Peter Milliken sits in the Speaker's Chair, wearing the traditional garments of the Speaker of the House of Commons.  Sitting in the chairs on either side of the aisle are forty or so Parliamentary Tour Guides.  Grant (wearing a guide uniform) is standing, nervously looking towards Peter Milliken.

CAPTION (GRANT): Like when I thanked him for meeting with the Parliamentary Tour Guides during training.

4 - Similar layout as the previous panel (both Peter Milliken and Grant remain in the same spots, relative to each other), but now in Kingsmere (the official residence of the House of Commons).  Peter Milliken is standing with a group of people and engaging in small talk.  Grant is standing before a small group of visitors, wearing that same guide uniform and giving a tour.

CAPTION (GRANT): Or the many times I gave tours of his residence during special events.

5 - Similar layout as the previous panel  (both Peter Milliken and Grant remain in the same spots, relative to each other), but now in the Parliamentary Restaurant.  Mr. Milliken, Grant, and nine other people sit around a table (not all nine of them need to be visible, but they fill in the space between Milliken and Grant).

CAPTION (GRANT): Or even when he had lunch with me and my colleagues for a few hours earlier this year.

6 - Back to the present.  Peter Milliken looks up from his interlocutor and spots Grant.  The two lock eyes (feel free to use a dotted line to represent this occurrence).

CAPTION (GRANT): Suddenly, our eyes met.

7 - Peter Milliken returns to his interlocutor, no recognition in his face.  Grant walks on.

CAPTION (GRANT): Guess not.

(Blame thought balloons' autobiographical week for this one.  Was really in the mood after my entry.)