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I Write Comic Book Scripts!By Raymond Wonsowski

What is it?

We (me and 8 other writers) pick one comic book character per week and we each write a one page script with that character in it.

We each take a turn at picking which character we get and the week starts on Sunday. Our script must go up within that week.

What is it?

One page of script only. That page might be a a done-in-one tale, or a splash at the start of a tale, or the end or middle.

Must convey enough to an artist to work with. Must convey enough character to hook a

reader.

What is it?

Anyone can constructively critique a writer's page.

Anyone can submit on that week's “Why?” page.

Why? Why Captain America?

If you haven't heard, a film came out this week by a little-known company called Marvel, staring one Steve Rogers. He's not a mutant. He wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider. In fact, he doesn't have any powers what-so-ever! He's just an average guy, who wanted to do his part in the war... but couldn't. He was a runt; a weakling. This didn't stop him trying, however, and his determination caught the attention of a special program the military was running. Steve was chosen to become a Super Soldier, and so was born Captain America.

So what's so special about this guy? Well, when it comes to heroes, you don't get much more heroic than Steve Rogers. A defining trait of a hero is altruism, and Steve has that in spades. He is always willing to give himself up for his country and fellow man, no matter the cost. Oh, and did I mention he has a pretty kick-ass shield?

The week starts with a “Why?” post, where we give our reasons for exploring the character.

Some Samples of My Work...

“Near Death”

Scene takes place in a corporate board room, with open plan offices outside.

Layout:1234567899999999

Panel 1 - MARKHAM hides behind the tipped-over conference table, back up against it, kind of in a seated position, head down, eyes squeezed shut, a Smith&Wesson 457 in each hand:

Unseen gunmen are somewhere on the other side (we can't see them), their bullets blasting through and tearing up the table around MARKHAM. Glass is shattering in the background.

SFX: BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

SFX: KSHHH!!

SFX: BAM!BAM!BAM!

“Near Death”

Panel 2 - Same as above, but no blasting or crashing. Quiet moment.

NO COPY

Panel 3 - Same P.O.V., but MARKHAM is now peeking around the table nervously.

NO COPY

Panel 4 - Same P.O.V. MARKHAM is sitting on the floor again, his back to the table again, and he's swearing at his shoes.

MARKHAM: (small lettering) #@$K!

“Near Death”Panel 5 - Same as above, but MARKHAM's eyes look heavenward. His face is like a chid who is admitting he

broke the lamp because he was running in the house, sorry eyes, pouty lip...

MARKHAM: God? I know you're up there laughin'yer ass off...

MARKHAM: ...'specially with the "no-kill" thing...

Panel 6 - Same as Panel 3, peeking around the table again.

MARKHAM: ...but help me out here, I swear I'll put twenty in the plate next Sunday...

Panel 7 - Same as Panel 5, but with that "oh, yeah, almost forgot" expression.

MARKHAM: ...oh, uh...Amen.

Panel 8 - MARKHAM rises from his position and swings around, pistols almost leading his body to a firing stance behind the table.

NO COPY

“Near Death”

Panel 9 - As seen from MARKHAM's eyes: foreground - MARKHAM's forearms and guns, muzzle-flash trailing in an arc, sweeping from right to left, shells ejecting from the chambers; background - from left to right: gunman shot in a kneecap and a calf, gunman shot in the foot and hip, gunman shot in the kneecap, gunman shot in

the “tenders”, gunman shot in the hand and elbow. Their faces are all distorted in agony.

SFX: BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

MARKHAM: (to the one he shot in the groin) Sorry!

SFX: BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

The Lizard (from The Amazing Spider-Man)

Layout: Page divided in thirds: top row - 3 panels, middle row - 2 panels, bottom row - 1 panel

Panel 1 - The face of NORMAN OSBORN, seen through the hole of a table headrest, like on a massage table or operating table. His eyes betray his confusion.

OSBORN: (small lettering) ...can't...move...

CONNORS: (off-panel, Lizard lettering) WaKeY-wAkeY. EgGs-aNd-bAkeY.

CONNORS: (off-panel, normal lettering) Norman, please...

Panel 2 - Same as Panel 1, but Norman's eyes show his mind working frantically.

OSBORN: Connors? 's that you?

CONNORS: (off-panel, Lizard lettering) Can'T dO tHiS wIThOut yOu Wi-i-iDe aWakE.

CONNORS: (off-panel, Lizard lettering) DoN't mAkE mE sLaP yOu.

CONNORS: (off-panel, normal lettering) Norman, you have to keep still...


Panel 3 - Same as above, but now Norman's getting angry.

OSBORN: Connors, I swear to God, you better -

CONNORS: (off-panel, Lizard lettering) AmYGdaLa. CrOcoDiLe bRaiN.

CONNORS: (off-panel, Lizard lettering) WheRE feAr aNd pLeAsuRe aRe sAMe.

CONNORS: (off-panel, normal lettering) ...you're anemic. If you tear the incisions, I may not stop you from bleeding out.


Panel 4 - Same as above, but Norman now shows shock. To his right (our left side of the panel), we see the right-side profile of CURT CONNORS.

OSBORN: (small lettering) ...my...

CONNORS: (Lizard lettering) i cAn sMeLL yOuR sWeaT.

CONNORS: (Lizard lettering) TaSte oF coPPeR. TerrOr-seX-pAniC.

Panel 5 - Same as above, except Norman's face now betrays his fear, a drop of blood has started to run from the edge of his cheek toward his eye. CONNORS is gone, but to Norman's left, (our right side of the panel), we

see the LIZARD's left-side profile.

OSBORN: Connors. I can help you...

LIZARD: (normal lettering) You are helping.

LIZARD: (normal lettering) You're my faithful assistant, on a journey of discovery, to the inner workings of our mutually abnormal brains..


Panel 6 - From slightly above, Norman Osborn face-down on an operating table. He is strapped down. The back of his head has been surgically opened, a portion of skull removed, and some pinkish-grey brain is exposed.

Wires extend from somewhere off panel into two probes inserted into the brain. We see that he is also connected to an IV drip and a medical monitor. Two surgeons and two nurses are dead on the floor, lying in

pools of their own blood. We also see now that CONNORS and the LIZARD share the same body. His face/head is split so his left (our right) side is the LIZARD half, and his grin is monstrous. His left arm

however, is human; his regrown right one is reptilian. He is naked except for an open lab coat, and we see his body is mottled between human and reptile skin. He is looking down at the open skull, his lizard hand holding

a scalpel, gleaming from the overhead light, ready to dig in.

CONNORS/LIZARD: (normal lettering) Trust me.

CONNORS/LIZARD: (Lizard lettering) i'M a dOcToR...

...to be cont'd...

Godzilla - “Arizona Bay”Layout:

111234567

Panel 1: Wide shot. Monument Valley, Arizona. Looking West. Between the monolithic rocks, we can see the Pacific Ocean beyond. Thanks to Godzilla's rampage fighting magma giants along the San Andreas fault, all

of California and Baja California is gone. The sky is clear and blue.

CAPTION: ONE YEAR LATER...

CAPTION: You would think after something like this, we'd be a little smarter. A little wiser.

Panel 2: On a city street, Westboro Church protesters are holding picket signs, mouths open in some chant. Some picket signs read: "Godzilla Hates Fags", "You Can't Spell GODZILLA Without GOD", "'Zilla 1, L.A. 0".

CAPTION: Instead, we just crank up the stupid, blind to what history tries to teach us.

Panel 3: In a boardroom, Japanese businessmen are bowing and shaking hands over contracts with three American lawyers, who look a lot like Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty, and Valerie Perrine from Richard Donner's

Superman movie. Everyone is smiling billion-dollar smiles.

CAPTION: We're blind, even if we're not looking in the right direction. And we never suspect who the one-eyed kings are.

Godzilla - “Arizona Bay”Panel 4: On the new Arizona beach, Monument Valley in the distant background, mourners of all ages and races

stand on red rocks, tossing roses, orchids, and lilies into the ocean in rememberance. The sky is orange from sunset.

CAPTION: And we choose to be blind. Blinded by grief, by confusion and anger. By remembered smoke and ash.

Panel 5: Starry night, long shot. A campfire reflects off a cliff-face wall. People are sitting and standing around it.

CAPTION: We never see the warning signs. Abused child becomes abusive parent. Tiger turns on the tamer.

Panel 6: Zoom in. We see the Hopi natives around the campfire, listening intently to their chief, who wears a wide-brimmed black hat, and holds his arms wide. Behind the chief, an old man paints figures on the cliff wall

with a slender brush.

CAPTION: We create our own monsters, and we're surprised when they turn on us, hungry for our bones.

Panel 7: Zoom in. We see that the old man has crudely painted Godzilla stomping through fire and rubble on the cliff wall. He is just finishing the tail.

CAPTION: We have only ourselves to blame if we refuse to read the writing on the wall.

FIN

See you in the funny pages!

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