Appetite

As the process moves forward, many may wonder what a "script" for a comic book/graphic novel might look like. Below I've included the first few pages of a story I had started awhile ago called "Appetite". Things like "Caption" refer to little boxes of text within a comic book page panel that help to establish information pertaining to setting or tone in the "scene". "Panels" are basically snap shots of moments in time within the story. These are the stills of how the story play out. Within them we have action and dialog play out. I thought I'd put these up so you could get a sense of how it all looks at this stage of things and to see a little of my style. Enjoy:

Mark Turner/Apocalypse Tomes #1/ ”Appetite”

Script page 1

Splash Page: Long shot/Day. Scenic view of Louisiana Bayou. It is a strange blend of forest and swamp, weeping willows and pines. A large body of water (swampy river) dominates the foreground. The sun brightly shines overhead while shadows in the forest seem to menace and conceal something sinister. On the woods edge, a lone deer drinks at the waters bank, not far from a dilapidated shack over run with growth (this is the only hint that man has touched nature here).
(note: this is a splash page because we really want to create tone. The setting should suggest the beauty and slow laconic way of the south while hinting at something not so pleasant lurking beneath the beauty. This gives the penciler a chance to really work the detail here)

Caption: Hunger...

Panel A (lower right corner): Close up of deer. It’s head snaps to attention, eyes wide with fear as it is startled by the sound of something snapping off panel.

SFX: SNAP!

Script Page 2

Panel A: Close on a booted foot stepping on a twig.

Panel B: Tight shot of a man’s forehead peppered with beads of sweat and eyes wide with anxious anticipation.

Caption 1: The one word that captures the essence of...

Panel C: Tight shot of man lips being bitten in nervous anticipation.

Caption 2: Greed...

Panel D: Tight shot on finger as it squeezes trigger.

Caption 3: Covetousness

Panel E: Mid shot of hunter decked out in camo gear as he fires from behind a tree with a scope mounted rifle. Fire leaps from the mouth of the barrel.

SFX: CRACK!

Script Page 3

Panel A: Mid shot. The deer bolts as the bullet strikes a tree mere inches from it’s head.

Caption 1: Gluttony...

Panel B: The hunter stands with a look of disbelief on his face. We can now see that this is no seasoned hunter, but a relatively young man (early 20’s). He is flanked by two men both dressed in similar fashion, one an older gentleman (50’s) with the square jaw and buzz cut that screams “jar-head”. He scowls with disgust at our “hawkeye”. The second, close in age to our shooter and slightly pudgy in physical stature, carries what looks like an AK-47 laughs uncontrollably.

Laughing Boy 1: What a loser! You are such a turd!

Panel C: Mid shot. Jar-Head slaps Laughing Boy in the back of the head, while Hawkeye looks at the ground crestfallen.

JarHead 2: Cut it out. It’s late. Time to head back to camp.

Panel D: Mid shot. As they leave the woods, Hawkeye looks back over his shoulder. He stands in the foreground, the opposite shore of the river where the deer just narrowly escaped death strangely silent and still.

Panel E: mid-shot. From the shadows, not far from where the deer stood, we can see a man, dressed in buck skins, stands in the darkness and seems to look out at us (as he watches the opposite shore and the hunters leaving). His face is scarred and grim and seems to suggest that he is not happy at all.

Script Page 4

Panel A: Close up. A hand holds a snap shot photo of Hawkeye with his arm around the waist of a beautiful girl. Both smile out at us, his seems to suggest a fatal over eagerness while hers seems to be slightly forced.

Caption 1: Lust.

Panel B: Medium wide shot of camp. An RV sits parked close to the woods edge , while numerous animals hang gutted from trees. It looks like our hunting party has been busy, and obviously bagged more than they could ever carry. In the background Jar-Head is stringing up a deer. Hawkeye sits by a campfire that cooks what looks like a rabbit, looking at his photo. Laughing boy stands behind him, looking over his shoulder.

Laughing Boy 1: So is that her? Is that the one that shot you down?

Hawkeye 2: (MEEKLY) Yeah.

Panel C: Laughing Boy snatches the photo, a look of brutish glee painted across his chubby features. Hawkeye looks shocked as the photo is swiped.

Laughing Boy 3: Jeez.

Panel D: Tight Shot. Laughing boy crumples the photo.Laughing Boy 4: You seriously better grow a pair, before this trip is over.

Panel E: tight shot of Hawkeye’s face. His mouth is a grim line and the look in his eyes seems to say that he may just do that.

Caption 2: All are states of being that seek to fill that gnawing emptiness...to sate the appetite that exists within because of our own inadequacies.