So another year comes and goes
for the MillarWorld Talent search. For the last two years MillarWorld has been
holding a contest looking for writers and artists to collaborate on stories for
the follow years annual. I posted comic book art samples from Flash Trotter #4
both years and never heard back. I also entered as a writer. For the next few
posts (five) I will be showing those pages. In the past, my imagination gets
the better of me and I desperately hang all of my hopes and dreams and future
happiness on what would happen if I win. Thankfully I’m in a good place in life
and things are always busy enough to not think about winning or losing. Part of that is the wisdom that comes from
experience knowing that the results of the contest are not a huge part of life
and that art is subjective. I’m just not what they were looking for. Oh well. I
still have “Top Five Teacher of the Year.”
Running on Empty
Written by Billy Penn
This is basically a five page story on a kid how loses his
prized comic book. The secretive way it is returned to him is mirrored by the
cover of this cherished book.
Notes to penciler/colorist:
*This is only a five page story and
we have a lot of room to cover with limited real estate on the page. I’m
thinking this will take about 30 panels in all.
*Feel free to
expand/delete/consolidate any panels as you see fit. Use these sketches as a
springboard. See what works and improve things that could work better. However,
DO NOT break the page turns. These tend to be important.
*Feel free to design the characters
any way you see fit. Ethnicity doesn’t matter. Clothing and what type of cars
the characters drive is not a big deal either. Just make sure the bad guys have
a more imposing vehicle than the mom.
On to the story…
Running on Empty
Billy Penn / and you
PAGE ONE (8 panels)_____________________
Panel 1: Interior
of a gas station convenience store. A little boys stands in front of a comic
book spinner rack. He’s excited that he found an issue he had a hard time finding.
1. LITTLE BOY: Yus!
Panel 2: Little Boy
holds his comic while we see the store clerk holding his cash. The boy is
talking excitedly while we hear the Ding-a-ling of the door as new customer
enters.
1. LITTLE BOY: I’ve
been lookin’ all over for this one!
1. SFX: DING!
DING!
Panel 3: Wide
shot of the entire convenience store. Mom has come in panicked! She grabs the
boy by the arm.
1. MOM: Breaks
over! We’ve got to go…NOW!
2. LITTLE BOY: But
Mom…
Panel 4: Gas
station exterior shot. Mom hurries her son to the car. The boy drops his new
comic book on the asphalt.
1. MOM: No
buts! I don’t know how they found us, but they found us!
Panel 5: Mom sits
in the front seat while the boy hops in the back. Outside the window, we see a
nondescript attendant (HUCK!) holding the gasoline nozzle.
1. MOM: A
LOT quicker this time! I didn’t give them enough credit. Stupid!
Panel 6 7,&8: Small
identical panels. Huck on the left, stands half in shadows. We still can’t see
his face.
Panel 6: Huck
stands with the pump in his hand. The mom’s car speeds away. The comic lays on
the ground next to Huck.
1. HUCK: Wait
ma’am! I didn’t fill up…your…
Panel 7: Huck
continues to stand in a cloud of dust.
1. HUCK: …gas…tank.
Panel 8: Huck
bends over to pick up the comic book off the ground next to him. In the
background, a big black SUV zooms past.
1. SFX: VROOOM!
