Page Turn - Every Journey - Grant McLaughlin

I may be on something of a theme at the moment.

1 - Interior of a shed that's been converted into a sculptor studio space. However, we're focused on one of its windows, looking out - the day is overcast and rainy, drops hitting the window. We can also see some of the windowsill and interior wall. Little work has gone into making this place habitable - it's all exposed and worn wood, rusted nails, and the like.

NO COPY

2 - Close-up on a well used and worn work table. There are various sculpting tools - hammers, chisels, calipers, etc - spread across it, but we're at a distance where we can't see the whole table surface.

NO COPY

3 - Closer still, looking at one of the hammers. Its handle was painted, but the colour has mostly worn away from the middle due to prolonged use. It's partially covered by a shadow - Serena's (the sculptor) hand above it.

NO COPY

4 - Focused on a block of marble sitting atop a pedestal. It's untouched, rife with possibility. Like previous panels, frame at a distance so that we can't see the entire block.

NO COPY

5 - Close-up of Serena's hand holding a chisel up to the marble block (we can't see the block, or really the end of the chisel, just the handle and part of the metal portion). Have part of the mallet hovering above the chisel, ready to impact down.

SERENA (off-panel): Here we go.

Batman Beyond - Machine Learning - Grant McLaughlin

1 - Close on an in-progress marble bust. It's suppose to be Alfred, but that is not an easy thing to decipher.

BRUCE (off-panel): Terry, I said to do this without assistance.

2 - On Bruce and Terry. Both are sculpting marble busts based on the completed bust of Alfred between them. Bruce is using classic sculpting tools, including a hammer, chisel, pointing machine and calipers. Terry has the hammer and chisel, but he's wearing some big goggles with red lenses that look very tech-y. Let us say that Bruce's bust is the rough one from panel 1, while Terry's actually is looking pretty similar to the model at the moment.

TERRY: That you're asking me to do this at all is ridiculous.

3 - From Terry's point of view, looking at his Alfred bust. There's a computer readout giving various numbers and measurements, as well as a point on the bust itself that has a tag reading "SUBSEQUENT IMPACT POINT, 37.5° ANGLE".

TERRY: Technology exists specifically so we don't need to know this kind of stuff.

4 - On Terry as he hammers the back of his chisel into the point marked by the glasses. Perhaps have a small crack fracturing out from the point of impact.

SFX: whap!

5 - Terry is surprised as his bust crumbles apart, completely and utterly ruined.

NO COPY

6 - On Bruce, wearing a serious expression (does old Bruce have any others?).

BRUCE (1): Technology fails.

BRUCE (2): The only thing you can rely on is what you know.

Invader Zim - Taking Care of Itself - Grant McLaughlin

1 - Zim stands at his control station, hard at work at something - perhaps have all manner of equations, chalk boards, papers, and the like littering the area around him.  Nearby, GIR sleeps off to the side, clearly bored by whatever Zim is doing.

ZIM (quietly): Yes...

2 - Zim has a eureka! moment, shouting for joy. GIR is woken up with a start, perhaps falling over completely.

ZIM (1): I've finally done it!

ZIM (2): It required all of my focus and intellect, but I have the perfect plan to finally ensure Earth's doom!

3 - Zim looks super pleased with himself, while GIR regains his footing.

ZIM: The Tallest will be so impressed with my actions that they will have no choice but to call me up to praise my genius and guile!

SFX (communications screen turning on): bzzt

TALLEST (off-panel): Zim!

4 - Zim looks towards the communications screen, where both of the Almighty Tallest sit in the bridge of their starship.

TALLEST: We are so impressed with your actions that we had no choice but to call you up to praise your genius and guile!

5 - On Zim, who is trying to look proud, but mostly looks confused.

ZIM (1): Thank you--

ZIM (2): Wait, what?

6 - Back on the screen and the Almighty Tallest.

TALLEST 1: The events of the past year could not have left the Earth more destabilized.

TALLEST 2: The armada is already en route. We will strike while the time is ripe!

7 - Back on Zim, who now looks straight up confused. He looks to GIR for guidance, but GIR only shrugs, unsure.

SFX (communication screen turning off): bzzt

ZIM: What are they talking about?

CAPTION: January 1st, 2017

Discovery - A Little Knowledge - Grant McLaughlin

Set this up as a tablet page, long and short. I don't generally like to be too prescriptive in my panelling, but I think two rows of four panels each (1-3 and 4-6) would be the the way to go. Maybe all equal-sized panels, maybe not.

1 - Close on a man on the rooftop of a tall building - maybe an apartment or hotel? The man leans over the edge of the rooftop (there's something of a short wall at the edge for safety). He reaches over the short wall and down towards - and beyond - the bottom of the panel. Indeed, he's taking a rifle offered to himself by the version of him in panel 4, which we'll get to in due course.

MAN: Over the course of human history, our understanding of the basic rules governing reality have continued to change and evolve.

2 - The man goes about setting up the rifle on the roof's edge to give it a proper base for shooting.

MAN: What was once undeniably true ultimately turning out to be anything but.

3 - The man takes aim and pulls the trigger, with a large muzzle-flash (and perhaps bullet flying out and trailing away). Important to note that he is aiming down and to the left, shooting the version of himself in panel 5.

MAN: Are we truly governed by the these "rules"? Or are we simply limited by our unwavering faith in their current rightness?

4 - The man stands up on his tiptoes and passes the gun up to his iteration in panel 1 (across the panel border and gutter, as described earlier). He remains in the same position on the roof.

MAN: This is a dangerous thought process.

5 - The man is shot the back of the head by the bullet fired from panel 3 (he's looking to the left). Perhaps show the bullet's trail through the air on the page (although not strictly necessary).

MAN: It not only risks being self-indulgent--

6 - The man lies dead on the rooftop, blood pooling around his corpse. Frame from further back, with the body and blood as the only feature in the empty rooftop, to better emphasize the violence against the stark background.

CAPTION (MAN): "But also self-destructive."

Sidekicks - On the Nose - Grant McLaughlin

1 - Jimmy Olsen sits in his apartment living room, moping.  He holds a handwritten note in his hands and seems to be looking at it (although he could also be staring off into space, unfocused).  His apartment and person are both kind of a mess - it's clear he's been in this funk for a bit of a while and hasn't been taking care of much.  A coffeetable sits in front of him, a pot of food with a fork in it and a phone on its surface.  Maybe have some Superman decorations around, or a picture of Superman and Jimmy together, with Supes kind of looming over Jimmy (due to size, more than anything).

CAPTION (JIMMY): Do you ever get the feeling that the universe is trying to tell you something?

2 - From Jimmy's perspective.  The note is in his hands, although only the last bit is really visible.  It reads:
"need to think about what you want to be. Call me when you know.
XO
Chloe"
That said, the focus of the panel is the pot of noodles that Jimmy is eating from, with a rumpled and empty Sidekicks flavour pack next to it.  Off-panel, Jimmy's phone starts to vibrate with an incoming call.

SFX (phone): bzzt! bzzt!

3 - On Jimmy's phone as he reaches for it.  It vibrates and lights up with the incoming call.  It is a T-Mobile Sidekick (because of course it is).

SFX (phone): bzzt! bzzt!

4 - On Jimmy, talking on his phone.  He looks about as down and dour as he did in panel 1.

JIMMY: Hey, now's not really a great time, Dick.

CAPTION (JIMMY): Yeah, me neither.

The Ancient One - Lessons Learned - Grant McLaughlin

1 - An image of Dr. Strange's original pilgrimage to the Ancient One's temple to learn the ways of magic.  Dr. Strange is haughty and overconfident; the Ancient One is calm and serene.

CAPTION (THE ANCIENT ONE): "It is not a simple matter to take on an apprentice."

2 - Jump forward in time in Dr. Strange's training.  Dr. Strange lies on the ground, having been overwhelmed in an attempt to cast a light spell.  He looks disheartened and defeated.  The Ancient One stands nearby, having successfully cast the same light spell, which burns brightly above their hands.

CAPTION (THE ANCIENT ONE): "It's not that a good student should never make mistakes."

3 - Jump forward in time to Dr. Strange being his own hero.  He is in a similar position on the ground, but he has a small shield of light above his head, which blocks some negative energy being cast at him by Baron Mordo.  Dr. Strange grits his teeth in determination.

CAPTION (THE ANCIENT ONE): "But that they have the strength to recover and learn from them."

4 - Jump forward in time again.  Dr. Strange stands tall, casting a cascading wall of light towards Dormammu, who floats ahead in the darkness.  This should be outside, at a distance where it's still clear who both characters are but also at a remove where the scale of what Dr. Strange is doing is also clear.

CAPTION (THE ANCIENT ONE): "Ideally, they will not only surpass the master."

5 - Shot of planet Earth from space.  A huge halo of light surrounds the planet.  Whether or not this is a leap forward in time is immaterial.  To the side, an enormous, ghostly version of the Ancient One watches on, satisfaction on their face as they fade away.

CAPTION (THE ANCIENT ONE): "They'll also light the world long after we've faded away."

Hope - Seeds - Grant McLaughlin

1 - Inside a cozy home.  A little girl stands at the window, looking outside.  Her mother comes up behind her, wondering what's up.

DAUGHTER: Where are they?

MOTHER: Where are what?

DAUGHTER: The flowers!

2 - Outside the home, looking at the same window, the daughter and mother both visible in the window.  The mother looks at her daughter with a warm smile; the daughter looks up, curious.  Below the window is a nascent garden before them, by which I mean a patch of dirt with a little border around it.

MOTHER (1): Honey, we planted them yesterday.  Some things take time.

MOTHER (2): Putting them in the ground was only the first step.

3 - Flashforward to a day or two later.  The daughter holds a watering can and waters the dirt.  The mother looks on approvingly.

CAPTION (MOTHER): "We'll need to take care of them."

4 - Flashforward to a bit further down the line.  The daughter and mother are weeding together, but it's also clear the flowers are starting to grow as little stalks of green are rising up towards the sky.

CAPTION (MOTHER): "Nurture them."

5 - Flashforward a little bit further.  The mother chases after a cat that was snacking on some budding flowers (just this side of blooming).  The mother holds a broom and the daughter chases after her as well.  Maybe there's some damage to the garden border where the cat came in.

CAPTION (MOTHER): "Maybe even protect them."

6 - Flashforward to an honest to goodness garden.  It's pretty modest, with a smattering of flowers here and there, but the daughter is over the moon with it.  She skips about, absolutely thrilled.  The mother looks on, beaming.

CAPTION (MOTHER): "It'll take work."

DAUGHTER: Look, Mom!  The flowers!  You did it!

MOTHER: Oh, no, honey.

7 - Close up on one of the flowers.  It's maybe a bit smaller than a platonic flower, but it has a clear beauty to it.

MOTHER (off-panel): ...We did it.

CAPTION (MOTHER): "But it will be worth it."

Thanksgiving - Canadiana - Grant McLaughlin

I couldn't help but use this as an opportunity to educate on Canadian Thanksgiving.  I imagine this would be in a very cartoony / exaggerated style, leaning into corniness.  My apologies for the wordiness.

1 - We've got a pseudo-title screen here, with a big logo at the top of the panel reading "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Canada (But Didn't Know to Ask About)!".  Beneath is our "host", Mountie Mike (who is a cartoony mountie with a hilarious moustache), greeting the "audience" filled with cheer.  Beneath Mike is an unfurled scroll which reads "Canadian Thanksgiving".

MOUNTIE MIKE (1): Welcome to another edition of everyone's favourite Canadiana explainer!

MOUNTIE MIKE (2): This week:

SCROLL: Canadian Thanksgiving!

2 - Mountie Mike stands in a black, backgroundless panel, looking as cheerful as ever.  He holds up one hand, his finger pointing upwards to grab one's attention.

MOUNTIE MIKE (1): You read that right!  In one of its ongoing efforts to differentiate itself from its American neighbours, Canada has its own Thanksgiving.

MOUNTIE MIKE (2): And it's worth noting that ours actually came first!

3 - Samuel de Champlain and another settler sit at a table that has the remainders of what was clearly a large feast.  Both have smiles on their face and full tummies.  The settler extends a medallion to Champlain.
LETTERING NOTE: We're going to have lots of captions from Mountie Mike.  It's not strictly necessary, but perhaps we could have a little cartoonier Mountie Mike face to put at the beginning of the first one (to really emphasize the after-school special nature of all this).

CAPTION (MOUNTIE MIKE): "It's true!  French explorer Samuel de Champlain's settlements held annual feasts of Thanksgiving as of 1606 - 17 years earlier than the first recorded American one!"

CHAMPLAIN: Thanks for the meal!

SETTLER: Thanks for the idea!

CAPTION (MOUNTIE MIKE): "These guys were so thankful that they started the Order of Good Cheer to make sure everyone knew!"

4 - Similar set-up with two Victorian-era dressed people (a man and a woman) sitting at a table with the remainders of a large feast.  They're as full as the guys on panel 3, but they look a lot less excited about it.

CAPTION (MOUNTIE MIKE): "However, thankfulness fell out of fashion after that early start, leaving Canada with only the occasional celebration every few decades, generally popping up after wars or rebellions."

MAN: Aren't you glad those conflicts are done?

WOMAN: Eh, it's cool, I guess.

5 - A newspaper boy stands with a stack of papers, the top one reading "Prince Feeling Much Better!".  A passerby looks at the headline and looks relieved / jubilant.

CAPTION (MOUNTIE MIKE): "The first Canadian Thanksgiving after Confederation was in 1872, when Canada came together on April 5th to celebrate of the Prince of Wales' recovery from a serious illness."

PAPERBOY: Extra! Extra!

MAN: Oh, thank goodness!

CAPTION (MOUNTIE MIKE): "(Canada was really into its monarchy at the time.)"

6 - A First World War-era Canadian soldier apologizes to an anthropomorphic turkey.

CAPTION (MOUNTIE MIKE): "Canada used to be in the habit of celebrating Thanksgiving in November, but once Armistice (now Remembrance) Day came into vogue in the years following the First World War, we decided we'd be thankful in October instead."

SOLDIER: Sorry about that.

TURKEY: Naw, it's cool.

7 - Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson stands outside Parliament Hill, talking with a colleague.

CAPTION (MOUNTIE MIKE): "That said, we didn't settle on a recurring date until 1957, when Parliament officially set Thanksgiving as the second Monday every October.  Until then, it was set by proclamation every year - a fancy way of saying we decided willy nilly."

PEARSON: What do you think - Tuesday?

8 - A modern-day family sits at a table, with the same remnants of a hearty meal on their table and in their tummies.  They look happy and pleased.

CAPTION (MOUNTIE MIKE): However, that's where the differences end, because today it's pretty much an excuse to get together with family and eat too much food, just like the American iteration!

WOMAN: Yum!

9 - On a football game, but all the players are beavers and moose - except for Mountie Mike who is there in the quarterback position.  While he holds the ball aloft, he looks towards the reader with a smile on his face.

MOUNTIE MIKE: We also have an annual Thanksgiving Day Classic, where our Canadian Football League teams play each other (yes, Canada not only has its own version of Thanksgiving, but also its own version of football - but that's a story for another day!).

Evil Twin - A Simple Plan - Grant McLaughlin

1 - On a bathroom sink faucet as water spills out of it.

RICK (tailless): I'll be honest...

2 - On a bottle of shaving cream that Rick is holding as it sprays some cream onto his open hand.

NO COPY

3 - On a shaving brush sitting on the sink countertop as Rick reaches for it.

NO COPY

4 - Back on the bathroom sink faucet.  The water continues to spill out of it, but now a layer of steam rises from the basin to indicate it's piping hot.  Rick holds a razor under the water to heat it up.

NO COPY

5 - Pull back to reveal Rick looking into the mirror.  Our focus is on Rick's reflection, which has shaving cream lathered all about his goatee.  Rick has started to shave it off, but most of it remains on his face.  Within the mirror's reflection, we can also see that Good Rick is bound to a chair and gagged (possibly sitting in the doorway of the adjoining room), unable to do anything while his doppelganger takes on this fiendish disguise.

RICK: I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.

Beetlejuice - Recipe - Grant McLaughlin

1 - On a beetle skittering along some plates and cutlery in a hotel kitchen.  The place looks a little tired and worn - as you might expect somewhere in the Beetlejuice universe to be.

HOTELIER (off-panel): There.

2 - The beetle has skittered beyond the plates and cutlery, but a jar (being held by the off-panel hotelier) is coming down and capturing it within.

HOTELIER: That's the last of the infestation.

3 - On the hotelier as he closes the top of the jar, the beetle skittering about within, trying fruitlessly to find an escape.  The hotelier is reminiscent of the mayor from The Nightmare Before Christmas - whether that's because he also has two faces or just because he's short and squat is up to you (he def does not have that hat though).  The hotelier looks down at his handiwork, a frown crossing his face.

HOTELIER: I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but must we make them into a liqueur?

VOICE (off-panel): No...

4 - Close on the hotelier's hand as he passes the jar off to the unseen figure from panel 3.

VOICE (off-panel): Not a liqueur.

5 - Reveal Lydia standing in the kitchen, now holding the jar.  She is older, now an adult, although her aesthetic has not changed dramatically from her younger days.  She has grown into a beautiful, if tired, woman.  Before her on a counter is a demonic-looking juicer.  All around her, whether on the counter, the shelves, the table, or pretty much wherever you can find a surface, are more jars filled with beetles of all varieties.  Lydia has a forlorn expression on her face.

LYDIA: A juice.

Inktober - Roots - Grant McLaughlin

There were a lot of options for me to choose from, but I've been particularly impressed with Inktober output this year. This one may not be the flashiest or wildest one he's done (that would likely be a tie between the spirit samurai and some of the monsters he's penned), I couldn't help but be taken in by his use of negative space and contrast. I love the white trench coat, but I love the black grit on the shoulder even more. My script might be one path that would lead to this image. Jason may have a different name in mind, but I will call this gentleman Donovan.

1 - A large dining room.  Donovan sits at an expansive table with half a dozen associates. The table is far too large for a group of this small size. They all seem to be getting on well enough, but there is a certain distance between them - both physically and emotionally. Donovan is clearly the alpha, dressed better and looking more assured than anyone else (although the whole group is well-dressed). In the background, a woman wearing a trench coat and one of those Russian hats (like the woman in the image) walks towards the table. She holds a white trench coat in one arm. If possible, frame this to far off from the diners to emphasize the distance between everything and everyone.

CAPTION (DONOVAN): My hands are clean.

2 - Close on Donovan as the woman leans towards him and whispers in his ear. He leans close, listening attentively.  assistant at him, whispering in ear

CAPTION (DONOVAN): Far more so than I ever could have dreamed.

3 - Donovan puts his napkin on the table as he gets up, excusing himself.

CAPTION (DONOVAN): But the work remains dirty.

DONOVAN (1): Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen.

DONOVAN (2): Duty calls.

4 - Donovan is outside of his large home, walking along the snow covered lawn as he puts on his white trench coat. The woman walks alongside, if slightly behind him. A small outbuilding sits in the near distance.

CAPTION (DONOVAN): This would be a harsh reality to some.

5 - Inside the outbuilding, on a man tied to a chair. He is gagged and beat up. The room is dark, but a rectangle of light emerges from the bottom of the panel, falling along and illuminating the man. He looks tiredly towards the light's source.

CAPTION (DONOVAN): But I believe it's important to remember where you came from.

DONOVAN (off-panel): Well, well, well...

6 - On Donovan standing in the entranceway to the outbuilding. The framing and setup is not unlike Jason's original image, but the coat remains pristine and white for the moment. Donovan is about as upset, but he isn't visibly holding a gun. Instead, he's flexing his knuckles, readying to use them. The woman continues to flank / follow him.

CAPTION (DONOVAN): Particularly for occasions requiring that personal touch.

DONOVAN: What do we have here?

The Time Machine - Mother of Invention - Grant McLaughlin

1 - The Time Traveler stands in his workshop, eyes wide in amazement at the Time Machine sitting in the middle of the room before him.  Let's have a window somewhere in the room to show that it is early morning, with those rays coming in to partially light up the room.

CAPTION (TIME TRAVELER): I don't know why I was fated to chance upon this contraption

2 - Pull back a bit to show more of the Time Machine and workshop.  The Time Traveler sits in it, and the two are fading away as they head off to some other moment in history.  The window would indicate mid-to-late afternoon.

CAPTION (TIME TRAVELER): From the first, I could not resist its clarion call to discovery.

3 - Pull back a bit more in the workshop.  It is empty (well, I mean, it's full of workshoppy stuff, but empty of the Time Traveler or Time Machine).  Maybe have part of a body visible, but not in an obvious way (that's for the next panel).  The window should indicate dusk.

CAPTION (TIME TRAVELER): I only wish I had invented it

4 - Pull back even further - enough this time to reveal the dead body that has bled out in the workshop.  It is a man who wears some kind of futuristic police uniform (or what the Victorian era might imagine the future of police uniforms to look like), including a masked helmet of some variety.  Beyond that, the workshop remains empty.  The window should indicate night.

CAPTION (TIME TRAVELER): Then I could return to the one time that will forever be lost to me: my own.

5 - We can probably hold our position on the workshop.  The room is filled with a number of these future police officers, all walking around, treating the area like a crime scene.  They have lots of lasers and other futuristic gadgets.  Maybe have a few officers around the body and blood as they fade away to another time for proper processing.  One officers walks close enough to the panel to read his shoulder patch: The Chronic Constabulary.  The window should show daytime once again.

CAPTION (TIME TRAVELER): But those I took this machine from surely want it back.

Uncle Scrooge - Commotion - Grant McLaughlin

1 - Uncle Scrooge is at his desk, working away at some documents, great determination on his face.

NO COPY

2 - A loud sound coming from elsewhere in the Money Bin takes Uncle Scrooge by surprise, causing him to scratch up the document he's working at.

SFX: PLONK!

UNCLE SCROOGE: What in the--?!

3 - Uncle Scrooge gets up quickly from his desk, racing to investigate whatever is the matter.

UNCLE SCROOGE: That sounds like it came from the pool!

4 - In the room with the pool filled with gold coins.  Donald lies on top of the pile of gold coins near the diving board.  He's all beat up, with a black eye, bruised bill, and so on, implying that he just tried - and failed - to dive into the money ala Scrooge.  Uncle Scrooge slides onto the scene in haste, looking about for ne'er do wells.  He seems frustrated at Donald's laying about.

SCROOGE: Donald, there's no time for lying down!  Didn't you hear that tarnation?  I think the Beagle Boys might be about!

DONALD: Ughhh...

Luke Cage - Cheers - Grant McLaughlin

1 - Establishing shot of a local drinking hole, the Tin Roof.  It's nothing fancy, maybe something of a hole in a wall - and not necessarily the trendy kind either.  It's the type of place that's been where it is for thirty, forty years, if not longer.  It's winter.  Snow is falling in fluffy puffs.  Luke Cage is in the distance, walking towards the bar.

CAPTION (LUKE CAGE) (1): I don't often make it out to the Tin Roof.

CAPTION (LUKE CAGE) (2): To be honest, it's pretty out of my way.

2 - On Luke walking along the sidewalk in the snow.  He has his hands in his pockets, a smile on his face.

CAPTION (LUKE CAGE) (1): But the old man who tends bar is the type who never forgets a face.

CAPTION (LUKE CAGE) (2): Whether I was there last month or in the last few years, it's always "Hiya, Luke", a big smile, and a can of my favourite brew.

3 - On Luke outside the Tin Roof.  He looks into the window, seeing a number of patrons sitting around and doing bar-y things (cheers-ing, playing pool, and so forth, generally having a good time).  Maybe have a portion of Luke reflected in the window, smiling warmly.

CAPTION (LUKE CAGE) (1): It's the kind of thing that makes you feel welcome.  At home.

CAPTION (LUKE CAGE) (2): We don't know each other that well, but we share these moments together, slowly gaining a type of insight into the other that maybe no one else has.

4 - Luke is heading into the bar, holding the door open.  A sign hands on the door which reads "Come on in!"

CAPTION (LUKE CAGE): I like that.

5 - Inside the bar.  On the bartender, who is a young hipster-esque guy who's in a mighty sour mood, staring dourly at Luke.

BARTENDER: What do you want?

6 - Luke is quite taken aback, not expecting this development.  The bartender continues to not care.

LUKE: Um, where's Winston?

BARTENDER (1): He retired a year or two back.

BARTENDER (2): Now do you want something or what...?

7 - On Luke, sitting in his kitchen drinking a beer angerly.

NO COPY

DHMIS - Budgets - Grant McLaughlin

1 - Red guy, yellow guy, and duck are sitting at their kitchen table, a piggy bank dancing along its top as gold coins rain from above.

PIGGY BANK: Frugal spending can hit the spot.

2 - Focus on the piggy bank as it removes the stopper on its tummy to reveal the contents within.  Instead of a plastic inside, like you'd expect, have some viscera and guts being revealed / spilling out, with a small amount of coins visible or also falling out.  The background could go somewhat darker to reflect the turn.

PIGGY BANK: But a penny saved isn't really a lot.

3 - Back on the ground around the table, but masks of various variety have appeared on their heads (maybe have little lines or whatever to emphasize the sudden appearance).  Red guy has a balaclava type thing, his long hair coming out from the bottom; yellow guy has pantyhose on his head, which looks to tight and very uncomfortable; duck has a domino mask, reaching up in surprise to touch it; and the piggy bank has a Richard Nixon mask awkwardly attached to the front of its face.  The stopper could be back in the piggy bank's tummy, although there's perhaps still some viscera on the table.  Through the window in the background, we can see that it's raining.

PIGGY BANK (1): So if you don't have the patience.

PIGGY BANK (2): To build your savings up slow.

DUCK: What is this?

YELLOW GUY (quietly): I can't breathe...

RED GUY: No thank you.

4 - The group has been transported to a bank that they look to be in the midst of robbing.  The piggy bank stands on the ledge in front of a teller, holding a gun as they put money in a bag.  Duck holds a shotgun aimed at the ceiling, which appears to have been recently fired as smoke rises from its barrel.  Yellow guy is fainting due to his aforementioned inability to breath.  Red guy holds a shotgun as well, looking on as Yellow guy falls over.  There are other puppets in the background, crouched and covering their heads, clearly hostages in the situation.

PIGGY BANK (1): You'll be quite happy to hear.

PIGGY BANK (2): That there's another way to go.

DUCK: I don't like it.

RED GUY: Oh, bother.

Donald Trump - Common Cause - Grant McLaughlin

1 - On Baron Zemo, one hand to his chin as if thinking.  He looks somewhat impressed.

BARON ZEMO: Part of me can't help but admire what he's accomplished...

2 - On Doctor Doom, slamming his fists into the top of a table.

DOCTOR DOOM: Doom is disgusted by his enormous ego!

3 - Norman Osborn has one hand up in argumentation, the other pointing towards himself in emphasis.

NORMAN OSBORN: People are falling for his schemes when they should be falling for mine!

4 - Hate-Monger sits at the table, pouting.

HATE-MONGER: He's making people like us look bad.

5 - The Supreme Serpent throws his hands in the air in defeat.

SUPREME SERPENT: His little "alt-right" ploy is stealing perspective recruits!

6 - M.O.D.O.K. holds a giant laser gun (just because) and grins maniacally.  Maybe some drool is going down his face.

M.O.D.O.K.: The man knows nothing of subtlety.

7 - On Red Skull, standing at the head of a board room table, leaning on its surface.  He is obviously displeased.  The previous supervillains (and others) are visible sitting around the table.

RED SKULL (1): Then we're agreed.

RED SKULL (2): Donald Trump must be stopped!

Concert Posters - Now for Plan A - Grant McLaughlin

1 - We are back in the early days of North American colonialism.  It is winter.  Close on a group of aboriginal men standing at a clearing and looking onto a beach.  They wear serious, curious expressions.  Frame so they're visible form the shoulders up.  On the beach in the background are some extremely ill and weak looking Europeans who have just rowed onto shore - few, if any of them, have the energy to stand.  Their rowboats are forgotten behind them.  If it doesn't overfill the panel, maybe the ship (or ships) they crossed the sea in are visible in the far background (but that isn't integral).

CAPTION: The locals found us weak and malnourished.

2 - The group of aboriginals have come onto the beach and are helping these poor Europeans.  They offer food, help them stand, and all that good stuff.  The aboriginals are empathetic and caring; the Europeans could not be more thankful.

CAPTION: They reached out and welcomed us as friends.

3 - Springtime.  Early evening.  The Europeans are bidding farewell as a group of aboriginal men and women leave their tiny settlement.  Maybe have some handshakes / hugs.  Try to show they just shared a meal or whatever.  Everyone looks pleased and happy.  And healthy

CAPTION: We would not have survived without their help.

4 - On the Europeans standing in a clearing and looking onto the aboriginal settlement, obviously mirroring the first panel.  The Europeans look serious and pained expressions.  Again, shoulders-up framing.  It is night time, but there is plenty of activity in the settlement in the background - maybe some fires, conversations, and general life.

CAPTION: Theirs is a kindness so great it breaks the heart.

5 - On the bodies / torsos of the Europeans.  They are all holding guns.  This could either be a new panel or potentially the continuation of panel 4, simply broken by the gutter.

CAPTION: Particularly considering ours was never a mission of peace.

Why Concert Posters?

Because it's been too long since I've written a script from my all-time favourite type of prompt.

But I figured I'd sweeten the pot a bit, too.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but The Tragically Hip - a major band in the Canadian pantheon - have recently wrapped their final tour. Gord Downie, the group's lead singer, was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour earlier this year so they used their already planned tour for their latest album to have a big send-off to the country they call home. It culminated with a concert in Kingston, Ontario (their hometown) that was broadcast ad-free on our national broadcaster. It had an audience of 11 million throughout the evening, which is one-third of Canada's population. As you can see, it was kind of a big deal up here.

For my part, I'm not actually too familiar with the band and their music (only a few tracks here and there), but so many of my friends have been talking The Hip of late that it just felt right to dive into their concert poster back catalogue to pick something that caught my eye, so here we are.

As always, I'd encourage you to take the prompt in any direction you so choose.  If you've been big into The Hip for way too long, see where that takes you.  If this post and poster is the first you've heard of them, go with that.  And should you find yourself somewhere in between, that's just fine as well.

Tenures, play-at-homers, what matters is that you think on it, make a decision, and follow it through fully completely.

Cheers.

Parenthood - Projecting - Grant McLaughlin

1 – A father walks into the nursery, drawn by his young daughter crying uproariously in her crib. It's nighttime, so the only light is coming from the nightlight.

LETTERING NOTE: The baby's crying should be large to emphasize its volume. The balloon could also potentially extend beyond either side of the panel, getting cut by the gutters to show just how loud (and neverending) it is.

BABY: Waaaaaugh!

FATHER: Aww, what's the matter, my little miracle?

2 – The father picks his daughter out of the crib, a warm – if tired – look on his face.

LETTERING NOTE: The crying can be getting quieter and smaller as the baby is calmed by her father's presence.

BABY: maaugh hm-maaugh

FATHER: Shhh. It's okay. Daddy's here.

3 – The father holds his daughter in front of himself. Their faces may be so close as to be touching (possibly foreheads together). The father smiles; the baby continues to calm down.

BABY: >tt<

FATHER: You just want to spend some extra time with your Daddy, don't you?

4 – The father raises his daughter up, holding her at a level higher than himself. She throws up, the vomit flying down towards him. He doesn't really have time to react to this – maybe he starts to grimace, but he's not going to avoid this fate.

FATHER: That's okay. I just want to spend time with yo--

BABY: blaa!

5 – The father stands in the room, baby still above his head, vomit dripping down his face. His expression isn't exactly readable (especially due to said vom).

NO COPY

6 – The father brings his daughter down, holding her with one arm and cleaning his face off with the other. Although he's not exactly impressed, he doesn't blame his daughter for this.

FATHER (1): I love you.

FATHER (2): I do.

 

FATHER (3): But I can't wait for you to stop doing that.

Powers - COPS - Grant McLaughlin

As the title implies, the conceit of this page is that Walker and Pilgrim are on COPS, so all panels should be framed as if they are being filmed.  Kinda grainy, placement of people sometimes a little off-kilter, and a TV network logo in the bottom right corner (perhaps "Action 5" instead of FOX?).

1 - On Walker's car driving along a downtown street.  It's kind of dark and the car headlights (and any other lights) are over-saturated against the night.

CAPTION: CHICAGO, IL

WALKER (from within): I still can't believe Cross signed us up for babysitting duty.

2 - On Christian Walker, filmed from the backseat.  He's looking back towards the cameraperson, one hand off the wheel as he points accusingly.  The "camera" isn't completely level.

CAPTION: Detective Christian Walker

WALKER: Your show is pathetic.  It trivializes policework and implies that only the poor could ever commit a crime.

3 - On Deena Pilgrim in the passenger seat (still filmed from the back).  She's looking at Walker, who is off-panel.

CAPTION: Detective Deena Pilgrim

PILGRIM: Come on, Walker.  You don't have to give the camera crew a hard time.  They're just doing their job.

4 - Back on Walker.  He's back to focusing on the road ahead, although his body language is still frustrated and tense.

CAPTION: 10:12PM

WALKER: Maybe I would be more impressed if "their job" didn't consist of taking advantage of society's most vulnerable and marginalized peoples for cheap entertainment.

5 - Back on Deena.  She's taking a sip of a coffee, maybe not looking entirely serious.

CAPTION: POWERS HOMICIDE DEPARTMENT

PILGRIM: Well, maybe this could be a learning experience for everyone.  Give the world an idea of the kind of work we really do.

6 - Focus on the radio between Walker and Pilgrim as it crackles with speech.  Walker and Pilgrim could both be partially on-panel.

WALKER: Pfft, I hardly doubt that's why Cross agreed to this.

RADIO: Shots fired at Dallas and 34th.  Nearest officers, please respond.

7 - On Walker's car again, but from behind as it drives away, sirens flashing.

CAPTION: ARMED ROBBERY

WALKER (within): But looks like they'll be getting a chance nonetheless.