My last 2 posts showed the same comic book page in it's pencilled form, and in it's later inked and lettered form. Shawn Robare requested that I also post the first part of the process, the script. After failed attempts to figure out a way to attach a text document to a blog post, I decided just to copy and paste the text itself into this entry.
The following is the page of written script for the same comic book page in the previous two entries. You'll notice it's not pretty. With a comic book script, no one will ever read it (usually) beyond the editor, and artists involved in putting that comic book story together into its final comic book form. With this in mind, it's more important to make sure that the artist knows what you want visually put on the page. By artist I mean everyone involved; penciller, inker, letterer, colorist. I often use short cuts by sending them visual reference, or referring to a scene in a movie that evokes the same mood, or physical sense of place. The script is not meant to contain literary flourishes with its description. My scripts vary in length quite a bit. I've written scripts for a 22 page comic that were nearly 40 pages long. For this story, I think things came in at about a page and a half of script in most places to a page of finished comic book art. For this particular page, it was a page of script to a page of art.
Page 6, panel 1
THE HANGMAN STANDS ON A DOCK BY THE FERRY BUILDING. HE HOLDS A NEARLY UNCONSCIOUS TEENAGER BY THE LAPELS OF HIS JACKET. WE CAN SEE THE RED-PURPLE NOOSE BRUISE AROUND THE BOY’S NECK. FOG SWIRLS AROUND THE HANGMAN, SEEMINGLY TAKING ON SPECTRAL SHAPES OF ANGRY GHOSTS PREPARED TO BACK HIM UP.
Hangman Caption: When they do, they’ll find me waiting and know that nothing passes beneath my notice.
Hangman: This will be the only warning given by me, the only chance.
Page 6, panel 2
FROM BEHIND THE HANGMAN AS HE TURNS HIS HEAD AND LOOKS UP AT THE CLOCK ON THE TOWER ABOVE THE FERRY BUILDING. THE HANDS ARE AT 5:20.
Hangman: Change...
Hangman:...or else.
Page 6, panel 3
AGAIN, SHADOWS AND FOG SWIRL AROUND THE HANGMAN.
Hangman Caption: In minutes, dawn will be upon the city. My work this night is through.
Hangman Caption: I call the fog and the darkness to me, shape it...
Page 6, panel 4
WE ARE INSIDE THE BEDROOM OF SOMEONE WITH A LOT OF MONEY, BUT RESTRAINT IN HOW THEY SPEND IT. THE FURNISHINGS ARE ALL OF HIGH QUALITY, BUT NOT SHOWY. AMONG THE DECOR OF DICKERING’S HOME ARE PAINTINGS, SMALL BRONZE STATUES, AND A FEW ARTIFACTS OF THE AMERICAN WEST. THROUGH THE GAP OF A SLIGHTLY OPEN WINDOW, THE FOG AND DARKNESS POUR INTO THE ROOM...
Hangman Caption: ...and use it to transport me across the city, unseen, unnoticed.
Page 6, panel 5
...AND FROM IT EMERGES THE HANGMAN, AS THE FOG AND DARKNESS BEGIN TO WITHDRAW.
Hangman Caption: The night was a busy one. Twenty-six guilty individuals had to answer to me. All received their one and only warnings from me.
Hangman Caption: None required my delivering final justice upon them.
The above script page is for THE HANGMAN #1, which appears as the co-feature in THE WEB #1, which goes on sale next Wednesday.
That's super cool to see the progression from script to inks.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see how Tom left room for some of cues in the script to be added in later steps (I'm thinking the noose burn). Sienkiewicz's inks close that off a bit, but man they added this crushing ominous tone that was apparent in the original idea, so it sort of balances it.
I really dig the detail in Tom's third panel, but Sienkiewicz adds so much atmosphere to it.
I can't wait to pick up the issue and see the final page, as well as getting a better feel for what this story is about...