Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Rebel Forces Chapter 1: Final Script+Roughs

Just throwing up stuff for reference- this is the work I managed to produce for my Final Project.

Final Script:
http://webspace.ringling.edu/~maahorse/rfch1draft.pdf

(Um, page 1 is supposed to read "Chapter 1: Happy Birthday?" for its title, but I forgot to update the file. Will do that eventually and then delete this line of text.)

Rough Pacing nails/ Thumbnails/Random sketches:

Just a spew of my process work....of particular interest is the rough thumbnails, both the ones in a normal sketchbook that are REALLY rough (used to pace out the script, so there are thumbs for all pages of the script...although they're not necessarily meant to be readable by anybody but me and vaguely by others?), and then the tighter thumbnails for setting up the pages that are on the yellow moleskine paper (I only managed to get a few out, but compare the thumbs with pages 1 and 2 roughed out if you'd like!)

http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m27/M_Almeida/RF%20scans%20WIP/


Character Concepts

I did not finish these sheets as much as I would have liked. One of them has flat colors/a little shading, the other one at the moment has only rough pencils....oh well. Obviously for my purposes I will finish the colors/inks, as well as I'm missing concept character for a few minor characters (that I don't really need to make turnarounds of?)

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~maahorse/kbartonsheet.png

Pencilled Pages

I'm a little boring...I just decided to leap into it and chose pages 1 and 2. Page 1 starts with a bang...quite literally anyways.

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~maahorse/roughpage1.jpg
http://webspace.ringling.edu/~maahorse/roughpage2.jpg

Extras!

Just for the kick of it, I found some rough pencilled pages of things that I ultimately cut from the final script. However, they're still interesting to look at, so I'd thought I'd share.

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~maahorse/cutpage1.jpg
http://webspace.ringling.edu/~maahorse/cutpage2.jpg

Read On....

Monday, November 9, 2009

Character Sketches

Still working on the script, about 3/4ths of the rough draft I THINK is done...meanwhile....I slapped together some character sketches of the two main protagonists, Keegan and Matt Barton. These are fairly rough, I'll probably tighten them up and add color to them later.




There's one more major character I need to concept+a few minor details maybe....then again, yes, yes, I know I'm supposed to be concentrating on the script more than the visual side, but I AM an illustrator after all....I can't help myself sometimes. =)

Read On....

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Final Project Synopsis- "Rebel Forces"- Chapter 1

I had been stuck for awhile on what exactly I wanted to do my final project on, but, after alot of consideration, and a lot of unnecessary brain wracking on something "new" and "exciting"...I came to realize something important. New ideas are cool, but I guess I also need to do something that comes naturally to me, what I will feel comfortable, even perhaps happy to work on.
What I'm going to use for my final project is the beginning chapter of a webcomic I've been trying to get off the ground for a few years now. Hopefully I can use my class time to develop it some more, and I would be happy that I'm working on something that I truely see as my own "personal work" instead of "another assignment". That's good, right?

(well, so long as said idea isn't killed to pieces, but over the years I've also come to realize that you can't please everybody....lol)

Here's a rough synopsis. Some of the panel-by-panel script is done too, but I think I will wait until I reformat the script into Celtix from its original (and unorganized) TextEdit file to post, along with I need to do some character sketches.

http://webspace.ringling.edu/~maahorse/RFCH1syn.rtf

Later!

Read On....

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Character Relationship Development

So, my group had decided for last week's assignment to slightly modify the "relationship" piece we were supposed to write. We broadened the parameters to not just writing about "romantic" relationships, but the story we wrote could also just be a general character relationship.

So, I decided to write a little (but fairly important) discussion between two of my characters, Alex, AKA "Zero", and Ryusho, AKA "Rogue". These characters are from a universe I'm currently attempting to develop into a webcomic. I actually briefly outlined some more of their background in the "Story Wheel" post a few posts back. Same characters. Different situation after the events of the story wheel layout, and now shows how each character uses dialogue? Maybe? >_>

Download the PDF HERE kthxbai.

Read On....

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Slice of Life- "The Cookies"

It took me awhile to think of something I really wanted to make into a Slice of Life comic- I guess I'm not too interested in the mundane when it comes to comics.

(Or perhaps, rather, I haven't been having enough time in that "real world" to find interesting conversations...I'm one of those people who NEVER go off campus due to lack of reliable transportation).

Anyways. I also used this to try out Celtix finally- it's a fairly interesting program when my brain doesn't feel like typing out "Panel 1" "Page 2" and all the necessary formatting, but I'm not sure I'm going to be a total convert quite yet? We'll see.

Download the PDF file HERE.

Read On....

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

A Family Comic....What?

Hrrm, I know I'm missing the Dream Comic and the Slice of Life Comic- I've been having technical difficulties in various ways but they'll be up soon. Anyways...this week's assignment I managed to get something out, although I will fully admit that my family has very little in the way of anything I'd really want to memorably tell...and what I could think of wasn't very un-mundane. Oh well.

Page 1

Panel 1

Me sitting in a nondescript room (perhaps even a blank panel with just a desk and a chair, I don't know), leaning back, staring at the ceiling, balancing a pencil on my nose (yes, I can do that in real life!)

Narrative Box: There aren't many "Family" stories that I can think of. My family is split, divided, for reasons that I have never quite been totally in control of.

Panel 2

I lean over to write/draw something...

Narrative box: I suppose right about now, I can only think of one sorta fuzzy time, long long ago....

Panel 3

A shot of a New England style neighborhood, afternoonish. The houses Victorian/older in style. It's fall, so most of the leaves have fallen off the trees you can see.

Narrative Box: I was 10 years old. My family had a rare gathering where most of my family lived in New England, because my grandmother had died. I had to be there, of all places, on Halloween.

Panel 4

Two children, a girl and a boy, sillohetted by a bright/dirty window, were talking to each other. One of them is my cousin, the other is me.

Cousin: So what do you want to be for Halloween tonight?

Page 2

Panel 1

Inside, we're sitting in some sort of random kitchen. I look confused, a little bit non-interested at what my cousin had just said.

Me: I don't know....I haven't really thought about it.

Panel 2

Some cute looking picture of me dressed up in a Boston Bruins jersey (erm, here I would obviously provide me or an artist with the exact reference, but essentially it's black w/ gold and white trim and has their "B" logo in the middle of the shirt...) , with black pants, and a hockey stick and helmet that were too big for me.

Box: Last year I was a Boston Bruins player!

Panel 3

Another cute looking picture of me dressed up in a nice shirt, slacks, a top hat, and I have a wand with me.

Box: The year before that I was a magician with one of those trick wands!

Panel 4

Back to "reality". I sigh.

Me: But you know, I'm here....

Me: I don't have any of those things with me...

Panel 5

My cousin talks to me some more, although what he looks like isn't totally important. He kinda looked like me, just well, with short hair. It should be noted that we look exactly the same age.

Cousin: It's okay, we'll think of something.

Cousin: How about a Ghost?

Panel 6:

Me: That's so over done....

Cousin: Yeah...I guess.....

Page 3

Panel 1

The both of us thinking.

Narrative Box: I remember it taking us awhile, but then my cousin finally made the suggestion....

Panel 2

My cousin looks eager to suggest something. I just look more confused.

Cousin: How about a computer?

Panel 3

My cousin is dragging us off panel (someplace else in this non-descript house)

Me: How the are we going to do that?
Cousin (Off Panel): You'll see.

Panel 4

A illustration of a box with arm holes cut out of it, and a "screen" (a square) drawn in front of it like a messy marker kid's job...

Box: So, so, apparently, a "computer" comprised of a big TV box with holes cut for my arms and head! And a screen drawn on the front of it in marker!

Panel 5

An illustration of a piece of cardboard with a mouse and a keyboard on it attached to the larger box with string....again kinda looking like a messy kid's job....


Box: And the "keyboard" and "mouse" were also cardboard, attached with string to the box! (or it could have been duct tape...)

Panel 6

Me, dressed in this overly large box/keyboard thing, with a halloween bag.

Me: Oh boy....


Page 4

Panel 1

Me, sitting in a car. There are other various kids talking to my cousin in this car but I was looking out a window....

Box: I don't remember much about who I went with for Halloween that night, I was with my cousin's family on his mother's side I think. There were alot of them.

Panel 2

Kids coming out what was actually a mini van. I'm getting ready to get out.

Box: I guess I had fun that night, but I REALLY remember one overwhelming aspect of that night....

Panel 3

Me, in this huge box "computer" costume, got stuck in the door of this van.

Box: I kept on getting stuck on things!

Panel 4

Me getting stuck in somebody's porch steps (one of those steps that have wooden poles+bannisters inbetween the steps)

Box: Stuck in porches.

Panel 5

Me getting stuck in a random house doorway exiting somebody's house.

Box: Stuck in doorways!

Panel 6

Me getting stuck in the car doorway again but I'm trying to get inside the car this time.

Box: And every time we kept on getting in and out of the car I'd get stuck in some way!

Page 5

Panel 1

Back in the modern age, I pause, biting my eraser, intensely reading over what I had just written/drawn on the random piece of paper at a random desk in a random room.

Panel 2

Same shot, only this time my eyebrow is raised and I look confused as to what I just wrote.

Panel 3

Same shot. One of my hands is covering my paper, I'm looking off in another direction, sighing and looking a little, well, forelorn at what I had just written.

Box: I wish there was more to my tale, but frankly, alot of what I remember about "family" is all very awkward. I'd like to think I've lived a quiet life?

Panel 4

An exaggerated cute looking version of modern me, at the desk from a side angle on the left side of this panel, looking like I'm doing something over the paper.

SFX: *screech screech screech!*

Random Voice: Don't erase that!

Words on lower right: End.

Read On....

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Story Wheel Workings

1: Ryusho Takayama is a Special Forces ranked soldier from Japan, working in a top secret black ops unit in a futuristic counterpart of our world. He's part of a team which includes him, his younger brother Kamiya, his brother in arms Alexander McNeill (Green Beret USA), and Nathanial Anderson (British SAS). 


2: They're preparing to air drop into a conflicted part of the world- someplace in the Balkans is all they know- late at night, not knowing what to expect. As it always goes, but yet with each new conflict comes a new set of challenges, this they know.  


3: They drop into the area- silently, without much of a flourish. Their adventures always start quietly.


4: Meeting up with each other after dropping in, they begin to travel. They dropped in with only their weapons, gear, and a set of coordinates they're supposed to meet up with the other parts of their unit at- which is a good set of klicks away across steep mountains. For many this would be a problem. But not the men of this highly trained unit. They travel-  Ryusho talks with his brother about this and that, chit chat and talk. 


5: They meet up with the rest of their unit which has gathered here over several hours. These people are from all walks of life, all highly trained. Some members of the unit report finding weird traces of the enemy they're supposed to be engaging sooner or later...but  who or what? They're still in the dark here.


6: They hardly have time to think more, because they are suddenly ambushed, from above, from below....by the strangest of enemies. Demons. Or demonic like creatures. Monsters. Ryusho and the unit fight. But his unit- cannot fight such a force by themselves. They have never seen this sort of thing before. He watches his brother killed...so is Nathanial- Alex isn't faring much better than him...but he cannot help...his world quickly falls to darkness. 


7: He returns to the light in another place...a military hospital, far , far away from the battlefields. Germany, to be exact. 


8: He does not remember much of what happened, but apparently he has been out for two weeks. Most of his unit is dead. His friend Alex survived, although he is just as injured as he is. So did one other member of his unit. But his brother...well...he's gone. Monsters, took away his brother, and he was helpless to do anything. He wants nothing like that to happen to anybody ever again. He doesn't know how he'll do it...but...he will make sure those demons of his...will die sooner or later. 

Read On....

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

The Battle of the Ape and the Crab

Crab Battle? CRAB BATTLE? (post follows). 


The Battle of the Ape and the Crab

Adapted from the Japanese fairy tale

 

Page: 1 

Panel 1

An old man in traditional “Japanese” clothing (red, kinda “crab” ish looking in color/pattern/design?) is sitting on a rock , someplace outdoors, green and wet, on a bright sunny day. He is sitting with what appears to be his lunch….a rice cake.

Narrative Box: Once upon a time, long ago, there lived a “crabby” old man who lived in a marsh.

Dialogue (Off Panel): Hey, mister!

 

Panel 2

An over-the-shoulder view from the old man’s perspective (his back is to us and perhaps in silhouette.). There is a young man in front of him a short distance away. He has brown, short cut hair, bright, dark eyes, and a sort of playful look to his face. His clothing (also “Japanese”) in general should also reflect a somewhat “cool” yet “playful” side to him?

Old man (crab): Yes?

Young man (ape): Sir, please, will you trade me this seed for your rice cake?

Panel 3

CU of Crab. He appears to be thinking, stroking his chin with a spindly, wrinkled old hand of his.

Crab: Why should I?

Ape: Because I haven’t had anything to eat for a while.

 

Panel 4

A silhouetted shot of both Ape and Crab. Ape appears, although while not bowing, his posture suggests he is trying to show some degree of respect+humility towards the old man.

Ape: Please, mister, I beg of you!

Crab: Well…alright.

Panel 5

CU of Ape. He seems rather pleased with himself, grinning ear to ear rather cheekily, turning away from the old man. (who we can see over his shoulder although he is not very important in this panel).

Ape: Wow, that was WAY too easy! Heh!

Page 2

Panel 1

A wide shot of the old man walking into his garden from the back of his house, which is a little sparse, but what he does have is green and growing just fine…

Narrative box: When the crab got home, he planted the seed in his garden.

Panel 2

That old looking hand of Crab planting the seed in the ground.

Panel 3

The old man sitting on one side of the panel (perhaps on his porch or on yet another rock/stump), smoking a pipe (A Japanese pipe- called a “kiseru”), watching his garden. There is a little sproutling there.

N. Box: Time slipped by….

Panel 4

Same angle. The only difference is now there is a seedling tree in place of  the sprout. Maybe also vary the season/time of day/weather to show the passing of time.

Panel 5

 Same shot+ vary the season/time of day/weather again. The seedling has grown off panel into a great tree.

NB: And the seed grew into a big tree.

 

Page 3

Panel 1

Top down shot. The old man is looking up at his tree with great delight, at also the ripe looking orange fruit (technically, FYI- Persimmons) hanging from its branches.  The young man (Ape) is also in this shot, looking upwards with great surprise as well.

Ape (Thought Balloon): Wow, that’s a lot of fruit!

Panel 2 

CU on Ape. He appears to be thinking, looking off to the side.

Ape: Hmmmm…..

Panel 3

Full body shots of both Ape and Crab. Ape is talking to the old man, negotiating with him, while Crab looks at least receptive of what Ape has to say.

Ape: Sir, let me pick your fruit for you.

Crab: Well, I was going to do it, young man….

Ape: A man of your humble age shouldn’t be climbing trees!

Panel 4

Another shot of Ape/Crab.

Crab: Well….I suppose you may be right….

Ape: So, yes?

Crab: Okay.

Panel 5

Crab watches as Ape “anticipates his jump”

Panel 6

Same shot. Crab is there, but Ape is gone, leaving only leaves to flutter down behind him.

Page 4

Panel 1

Ape, now deep in the tree, reaches for one of the many numerous fruit.

Ape: Oh, this is great!

Panel 2

Ape eats a fruit.

Panel 3

Ape starts to quickly pick the others.

Panel 4

Back down on the ground, the Crab looks up (at the tree, which is off panel)

Crab: How goes it up there?

Panel 5

The crab gets hit in the head with a fruit.

Panel 6

A fruit…which is overripe and rotten.

 

Page 6

Panel 1

The old man continues to get pelted with over-ripe fruit.

Ape: Sure, sure! Eat up! There are some great fruit up here!

Panel 2

The barrage of fruit stops.

Panel 3

Top down view. Ape from his viewpoint in the tree, his pockets full of fruit, looks down at the old man down on the ground.

Crab: Are you done yet?

Panel 4

CU on Ape’s head/face. He’s still staring at the Crab (off screen), and looks a little confused.

Crab (Off-panel): Can you come down here please? Head first? I’d like to talk to you.

Panel 5

A look up the tree at Ape (who is wayyyy up in the tree)

Ape: Well…okay, sure!

Panel 6

Same angle. Ape starts to climb down the tree.

Page 7

Panel 1

CU of Ape’s pocket, where fruit is beginning to move.

Panel 2

CU of Ape’s face. He notices something.

Panel 3

Fruit starts to fall out of Ape’s pocket, and there’s nothing he can do except look in surprise.

Panel 4

Over the shoulder view from Ape (in silhouette) to the ground. The fruit falls to the ground, where the Crab is scrambling around to pick it up.

Panel 5

The old man, his hands full of fruit, runs off….

Panel 6

And jumps down into a hole.

Page 8

Panel 1

Ape, confused, and a bit angry, watches from up in the tree.

Ape (Thought Balloon): Well, fine then! He wants to make trouble of this, then…

Panel 2

Ape jumps further into the tree branches. We cannot see him, it is implied by rustling leaves.

Ape (Thought Balloon): I’ll show him!

Panel 3

A shot of this hole.

Panel 4

Same shot of the hole. It’s getting darker.

Panel 5

Same shot of the hole. It’s dark now.

Panel 6

Same shot, only this time, we see the old man pulling himself (with his fruit) out of the hole.

Crab: I’m getting too old for this….but…

Panel 7

Over the shoulder view. The old man is brushing himself off. There is a dark ominous figure above and behind him (Ape, technically)

Crab: At least I have my fruit.

Page 9

Panel 1

A dramatic shot of the Ape decking the Crab in the face with his foot, falling to the ground. Fruit flies everywhere. Speed lines. And so forth.

Panel 2

The old man is down on the ground, and Ape is foreground in the shot, his back to us. He continues to kick the old man.

Ape: That’ll teach you to play tricks!

Panel 3

Crab is a heap on the ground. Ape is walking away.

Panel 4

A shot from over the shoulder of two other blacked out figures at the scene of Ape walking away from the Crab. One is large, the other is lanky.

Lanky Guy: Now that just wasn’t fair, was it?

Large Guy: Hrmm. No.

Page 10

Panel 1

Narrative Box: Having fully drubbed up the poor Crab, Ape decided to go home….

A wide shot of a dimly lit, Japanese style house. Ape can be seen in silhouette from behind one of the sliding doors.

Panel 2

Ape slides open one of the doors.

Ape (thought): Man, that was too easy again!

Panel 3

Ape crouches down in front of a hearth, his back to the camera.

Panel 4

He starts to light it…but notice in the ashes, at least the reader can notice…there’s an egg there.

Panel 5

The egg bursts.

Panel 6

Hitting Ape in the face. He reacts in pain.

Page 11

Panel 1

Ape is howling in pain, confused, holding his head in his hands that has just gotten spattered with hot egg.

Panel 2

Ape gets decked in said face by a punch.

Off panel dialogue: Trick’s on you, bud!

Panel 3

Ape lands on the ground.

Panel 4

Ape looks up, frightened. Dark shadows are well…overshadowing him.

Panel 5

Over the shoulder shot from Ape. There are the two guys we had seen earlier, looking down at Ape, angry. One large, one lanky, both tough looking and looking rather angry and ready to beat Ape up.

Narrative Box: Needless to say, what goes around, comes around.

Panel 6

A dark panel.

Dialogue (no balloon, only italic white text scattered about the panel): Ow!

I’m sorry!

You’d better be sorry, beating up on an old man like that!

Narrative Text: Don’t beat up or trick your elders. Respect them and everyone will look fairly upon you. 

Read On....

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Short Story Adaptation

Don't see anything here?

For convenience I have hidden this post until the "Read On...." link is clicked. This should open the full text post in a new window. Enjoy the short story adaptation of "A Baby Tramp" by Ambrose Bierce!

“A Baby Tramp"

Adapted from the Short Story by Ambrose Bierce

Note: It should probably be noted that I tend to use film/camera angle terms loosely, it’s just what I tend to do when I’m writing a script (blame film/animation classes I previously took?). It helps frame in my head the general size of panels/what I’m drawing if I really need it. For reference, just in case:

MS= midshot (Head+shoulders shot, or head to torso, generally…)

CU= close up shot (Something well, close up….like perhaps only a shot of a person’s head.)

Wide/Establishing shot= a general shot meant to describe a scene (in particular establishing shot means just that…setting up a scene or a place…)

Page 1

Panel 1

A shot of rain falling in a dark sky.

Panel 2

This rain is black, and apparently, falling on a young boy’s head, who is forelornly looking up at it.

Panel 3

A wide shot of a boy, standing in a foggy area on a street corner, nothing in particular interesting abou the shot except for this boy standing there. This boy, barely dressed in clothes (one would wonder how those rags stay on him), barefoot, looking in general to be some sort of roughed up orphan, standing on a street corner in the middle of the night.

Panel 4

Back to the rain.

Page 2

Panel 1

Another day, it is lighter this time, not nighttime, but it is raining…..frogs?

Panel 2

A street scene of “Blackburg” (although obviously its name has not been said yet in comic). People walking the street. Some men are scattered about this scene, confusingly staring at the sky of raining frogs, some taking off their hats. Yet there are other people, just calmly walking the streets as if this were nothing, with an umbrella.

Panel 3

Somebody is calmly reading a newspaper, not paying attention to the frogs.

Panel 4

CU on the newspaper- an illustration is on the front of the paper of falling frogs (photography not being wide spread in the late 19th century still), with the headline: “Good Growing-Weather for Frenchmen”.

Page 3

Panel 1

A shot of a window of some sort of tavern/bar (from the inside) Outside, it is snowing. But not just any snow- crimson colored snow.

Man 1 (Off Panel): By gods, frogs falling a few years back, now crimson snow? What could there be next?

Panel 2

An establishing shot of a busy bar. Any dialogue in this scene is just floating there with no arrows to point to who exactly was saying it- indicating it was probably just well, random floating conversations going between the men of the bar at the moment?

Dialogue 1: Snow as deep and as dark of a red as the hell it came from.

Dialogue 2: Perhaps it is a sign from God, even though it is not wine that turns into blood here…

Dialogue 3: Whatever it is, the supposed “scientists” who have come to temporarily observe this phenomenon know nothing of what to say. Nothing about it.

Panel 3

One of these supposed men in the bar…obviously dressed in the period clothing of the late 19th century (fitting the rest of the story, duh), hair style, etc,etc. He looks unimpressed with this…and shaking his head. There is another window in the shot, and the snow is still falling outside.

Man: Something will come of this. For better. Or worse.

Panel 4

Back to a shot of the sky with snow falling.

Dialogue 1: Only Lord knows what that will be.

Panel 5

Another shot of the sky. It is a hazy summer in this town (a Virginia colonial/plantation town).

Dialogue 1: Only the Lord knows what’s killed all these people here in our town of Blackburg.

Panel 6

A wide shot of a serene, bright cemetery (Oak Hill Cemetary)

Dialogue 1: Half of our town gone to gastly plague that even the doctors couldn’t figure a reason for.

Page 4

Panel 1

Another, but closer shot of the cemetery.

Dialogue: 1: Those who didn’t die left, but luckily were quick to come back, and life in Blackburg continues as ever.

Panel 2

CU on Hetty Parlow’s gravestone.

Dialogue 2: Except for those Brownons. The once proud leaders of our town, all either dead or deserted.

Dialogue 1: Poor, poor Hetty Parlow…..you heard about the other night, right?

Panel 3

A shot of a wagon going on the road running next to the cemetery, coming towards the camera. It’s dark and hazy once again.

Narrative Box: About the dozen coming back from Greenton? The May Day festival?

Panel 4

A shot of a group of joyful people in the wagon- men and women- laughing and looking like they’re having a good time.

Narrative Box: I wouldn’t have believed it, but they all knew her…..

Panel 5

A shot of a driver looking a bit surprised as he pulls the reigns in.

Narrative Box: And as they passed the cemetery well….it would make sense that one might see something strange…..

Panel 6

Spooked horses are grinding to a halt.

Page 5

Panel 1

The previously said party of friends silently look forward (at us, but in reality straight ahead of them)….

Panel 2

A close shot of well, a woman ghost (the ghost of Hetty Parlow), with all the customary signs, the shroud, long undone hair, a far away expression, and in general rather gastly looking, is screaming out, her hands stretched out towards the west (Left side of the panel obviously…).

SFX (No dialogue balloon, but use a font which assumes that this is coming from the incredibly creepy woman ghost): JOEEEEY!!!!!

Panel 3

A completely different scene. A wide shot of a desert, a tumbleweed blowing past, the sun shining down on the pale desert earth of Nevada.

SFX: JOEY!!!

Panel 4

A young boy, hot, tired looking, is wandering through this desert.

Note to Artist: This is the same boy from the first page, although he is younger, perhaps only a toddler, in this shot. However, he should physically look similar to whatever look is established for “Jo” (Joey/Joseph?) in the first page.

Panel 5

The young Jo stops, falling on the desert ground. A large shadow is above him.

Panel 6

A top down shot of the boy. Jo looks up.

Page 6

Panel 1

A worm’s eye view as if from the boy’s persepective. We are looking up a horse’s head…and a stern looking Native American man looking back at the young boy.

Panel 2

Pulling back, a wider and different angle shot of the group of Indians, including previously shown man on horseback, who had stumbled upon the young boy. Boy on left. Indians on right.

Panel 3

Same shot.

Man on horseback: [Unintelligible symbols/language- another “language”].

Panel 4

The group turns to leave to the right. Keep same angle/ shot perspective.

Panel 5

Same angle/shot. The boy is left alone for a moment.

Panel 6

Same angle/shot. But, he follows them off panel.

Page 7

Panel 1

A wide shot of a train station.

Panel 2

Same shot angle/perspective. The Indians and the young boy enter the panel.

Panel 3

A CU shot of money being exchanged between hands. One set of hands are rough and manly (the Indian), the other are delicate and certainly feminine looking…..

Panel 4

A shot of the young Jo, sitting on a train, next to a woman. The focus of this panel should really be on Jo, not the woman.

Panel 5

A shot of a window, going past what looks to be a busy city.

Panel 6

A city street, with residential houses. Specifically, although not necessary for more than the artist’s purposes, this town is Cleveland Ohio. Showing signs of what city this exactly is not necessary, merely the fact that it is some sort of residential area.

Page 8

Panel 1

A similarly laid out panel to the last one, except this time Jo is in the shot. He doesn’t really seem to be doing anything in particular….whatever seems appropriate/interesting to the artist.

Panel 2

Jo looks someplace, as if he is checking to see if maybe, perhaps, if he is being “watched”.

Panel 3

Jo begins to wander off.

Panel 4

A wider shot of him wandering down the street, but on one side of the shot should also be…a railcar going past.

Panel 5

Railcar going past another random town…..specifically, Whiteville. (Note: Apparently Whiteville, historically/realistically- is in North Carolina. Change the atmosphere of this “town” to reflect that change in the location? North Carolina is NOT Ohio?)

Dialogue 1 (No “speaker” in panel): What are you doin’ here, son??

Dialogue 2 (also no “speaker” in panel) Imma a doin’ home.

Page 9

Panel 1

A wide shot of a policeman leading Jo, their backs to us, to a large building. In the shot should be a sign someplace- “Infants’ Sheltering Home- Whiteville”. To further reenforce the idea that this was the police taking Jo away to this place….perhaps put a police car in the panel? No specifics as to what time of day or night it was, just experiment with what feels right….

Also note that Jo seems to be well, as the author put it “sinfully dirty”…..

Panel 2

Another wide shot, of the back of said building. Children are playing, it is a sunny day, all except for near one edge of the panel where there are dark woods there.

Panel 3

A closer shot of the entrance to said dark woods. Jo is there, once again making sure nobody is “watching” him.

Panel 4

Jo runs off into the woods.

Page 10

Panel 1

A full body shot of Jo as we had seen him in the first page of the story- horribly dirty, rags of clothing that were barely hanging on him, no shoes on his red, dirty, and swollen feet.

Panel 2

MS. Jo looks off into the distance, his gaze blank, (to quote the text) “From the way he stared about him one could have seen that he had not the faintest notion of where (nor why) he was.”

Panel 3

Jo walks towards the edge of this panel, going someplace yet again.

Panel 4

Jo walks into town. It is dark, and nobody is outside. Just him, and the rain.

Panel 5

He stops outside of…a house. Much larger than himself, it also seems to be lit inside, a warm red/yellow glow of candlelight emitting from the windows in contrast to the cool and dark night of rain. The house should not look “frightening” even though it is larger than Jo, but rather, “warm and inviting.” .

Panel 6

CU. Jo looks pleased with what he sees here.

Panel 7

Similar angle perhaps to Panel 5? Jo begins to walk towards the house.

Page 11

Panel 1

A CU of a rather mean, ‘burly’ looking dog, snarling and barking out.

Panel 2

Pulling back, we see this dog is barking right at Jo, in his way between himself and this house.

Panel 3

CU. Jo looks frightened (obviously) at the dog.

Panel 4

Jo runs away from the house back into the misty rain…..

Panel 5

Jo running past fields, although they are as wet and grey as the misty rain and the rest of the dark night…nothing too noticible….

Panel 6

In the background there should be a figure (Jo) running into some field, but it should be somewhat blurred out as backgrounds can be. In the sharper foreground, although it does share similar tones with the rest of the grey-ish scenery so as not to be be TOO blindingly evident- is a sign- ‘Oak Hill Cemetary’.

Page 12

Panel 1

It is morning, another wide shot on “Oak Hill Cemetary”. This particular shot should reflect the general idea that it has just rained (wet grass, still a bit misty, etc,etc.).

Panel 2

A shot of Jo’s feet- bare, dirty, cold and wet looking.

Panel 3

A shot of his torso. One of his dirty hands has been tucked under him, suggesting he had tucked it under there to try and keep himself warm.

Panel 4

A shot of his head + other arm. His hand is resting right by a grave stone- “Hetty Parlow”. He is cold, dirty, wet, and he looks like he is well, either sleeping or dead (it is up to one to figure that out…..). The only thing not dirty on him is his cheek- it is clean and white….again to quote the text: “As for a kiss from one of God’s great angels”.

Read On....

4コマ




4Koma (4 Panel Manga/comics) notes+the examples from last class.

Semi-related-ness: I found it hilarious that these were mentioned because I was working on some prior/doodling while in class. LOL- they are such fun little snippits of narrative. Breaking down a scenario into only 4 panels always has hilarious results. =)

Read On....