Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Musclecar Mechs

If you can drive a car, you can pilot this mechanized armor. Hot rod red with flame finish just for fun. A billionaire wanted a transformer robot suit, so naturally a league was formed.

Ferrari - foreign, poor class rose himself up w/skills
Corvette - slick, but cheesy, smarmy with cash
Mustang - heroic, noble, world's fair
Cadillac - old school, badass, dirty fighter
Charger - evil sonovabitch, out to win, take you out
Indy Car - jet engine ninja
Nascar - corporate sellout, gloryhound

Hummer security guards.

Fighting game meets racing game meets anime.
Speed Racer Evangelion.

***

Page 1
Panel 1
A race track, from the ground, the lane stripes extend far off to the horizon. The sun shines high in the sky, grey cement walls line each side like a half pipe. There's scorch marks and scraped sections on both sides. In the distance is a dust cloud.

N: The pavement is the enemy.

Panel 2
Side shot of the front of three different cars all racing ahead, each one just behind the next. A Ferrari, Corvette, and a classic Mustang (red, yellow, green). The engines scream inside the hoods, we see just a snippet of the quarterpanel and hood with just a glimpse in each car. (Whenever possible keep the red, yellow, green dynamic running left to right. The Ferrari should be just seen always speeding ahead, just a glimpse of the back end of it in the panels where we're looking back, or just a red blur off on the horizon when shot from behind.)

N: The engine, our power.

Panel 3
A shot from behind the cars, they smash into each other, debris falling back towards us. Brake lights flicker, tires slide across the track, burning rubber blasts of speed.

N: The chassis, our armor.

Panel 4
Side shot of the driver of the Mustang, helmet and jumpsuit just showing, the inside of the car looking more high tech than usual. Through his windshield we see the driver of the Corvette laughing wildly, the Ferarri driver focused ahead.

N: Your peers are just Combatants.

Panel 5
Small panel, the Mustang 'Frankenstein' driver's fist wrapped around what looks like a gear shifter, he's pulling it back.

Mustang Frankenstein Driver: Looks like it's time to cheat.

N: Racing is racing.


Page 2
Panel 1-3
Small sections of the Mustang begin to shift and move, opening and revealing robotic parts underneath as it "transforms". Small panels.

N: Bored billionaires funnel their fortunes into new amusements.

Panel 4
Close up of the Corvette's rearview mirror. We see the 'YellowJacket' Corvette driver's frantic eyes as he glances back at the Green Monster that's leaping at him. To the right of his eyes we see the Mustang transforming into a Mech behind him, its giant robot feet pounding the pavement as it leaps towards the Corvette. 

YellowJacket Corvette Driver: God Damn Green Piece of...

Panel 5
Giant shot of the Mustang 'Frankenstein' in humanoid Mech form as it lands atop the Corvette. We can just see the Corvette driver as he pulls back his own shifter as the front of his car begins to change.

N: They mix and match sports, creating new entertainment for the masses.


Page 3

Panel 1

The 'YellowJacket' Corvette has transformed and is diving forward shaking Mustang 'Frankenstein' free from hanging from its back as it slips free. (I'm thinking each mech can have it's own unique look and design, complete with weapons and style. Mustang I'm thinking will be blocky and like old school Transformer figures, and Corvette will be more the new school, complete with stinger weapon, more sleek and nimble.)

N: New drivers are needed as racing evolves, as new racecars are built.

Panel 2
From the side and behind we see Mustang chasing after Corvette who's racing ahead in robot leaps and bounds. A small compartment is opening in Mustang's "thigh", revealing something we can maybe just make out as a laser pistol. Mustang's hand is at his side like a gunfighter.

N: It starts with a military industrial prototype...

Panel 3
Mustang whips out a laser pistol that looks like an oversized revolver and begins firing at us. Maybe darting to the side, half jumping sideways and shooting.

N: Giant battlesuits that can be disguised as vehicles, complete with weapons...

Panel 4
Side close up of Corvette as pieces are blasted off. The driver looks pissed, he raises up his stinger weapon. Ferrari zooms off to left of the panel.

N: And suddenly every rich car enthusiast wants one.


Page 4

Panel 1
Corvette dives forward and turns midair firing yellow energy blasts from his stinger as he spins. 

N: Naturally every billionaire wants his own specially designed.

Panel 2
Mustang runs up the side of the wall, pistol slipping back into his thigh compartment, all the way up to the very top lip of the curved track, as the blasts miss him.

N: So what's the next step for these pampered philanthropists?

Panel 3

Shot from the pavement upwards, Corvette continues to fire, slo-mo spinning through the air, as Mustang leaps from the top, arms out in the air, diving recklessly down towards the track. 

N: Why, make 'em fight of course.

Panel 4

Mustang drops the elbow into Corvette, who smashes against the ground, smashing his robot form to bits in a race car wreck. We can see the driver bracing as the car crumbles around him.

N: Now I'm not much of a driver, but fighting...

Panel 5
Mustang lands and is racing away from us after Ferrari, leaving the Corvette driver encased in a ball of twisted metal.

N: I know a thing or two about that.

Page 5
Panel 1
The Mustang is running after the Ferrari who is still in car form shooting ahead. Mustang is running in the inside of the track, with Corvette just a yellow ball in the distance, and the Ferrari up close in the foreground. 

N: But brawling ain't gonna help me win this thing.

Panel 2
Mustang mech form leaps into the air and begins to transform, split screen this so he's a bit further back as he leaps towards us.

N: After all...

Panel 3
The lower half of the panel shows the car closer to us, now just about fully transformed back to car mode as it hits the pavement.

N: In the end, it's still a race.

Panel 4
Full on shot of the Mustang driver behind the wheel. This is his defining shot. He is dedicated and driven.

N: It's about how you drive.

Panel 5
Shot of the rearview side mirror of the Ferrari, Mustang is in the background speeding towards him.

N: It's a contest of skill between two persons.

Page 6
Panel 1
Ferrari's side hatch opens and spiked balls eject out, trickling behind.

N: 'Course the extras help liven things up.

Panel 2
Mustang fishtail slides into the curve, letting the spiked balls slip underneath between his wheels.

N: Then you gotta be ballsy enough to do the unexpected.

Panel 3
Some bounce high enough to smash into the side of Mustang's door and window. The driver looks angry as the glass splinters before him.

N: One wrong move and you're dead in an instant.

Panel 4
The car, side shot, slides back into position, scarring the tarmack, as he elbows the busted glass out of his drivers side window.

N: That's why I approach every race the same way.

Panel 5
The wind is whipping past the Mustang driver. He grips the wheel like a madman.

N: If you can't outrace 'em...

Page 7
Panel 1
Back shot of the Ferrari as ten compartments open spilling out oil, shooting lasers, mini-missiles, giant buzzsaw, etc.

N: And you're outclassed.

Panel 2
The Mustang angled aerial view as he speeds in a downward plunge towards the flames, lasers, missiles, etc. They've already started tearing into the hood.

N: Well, then you gotta get creative.

Panel 3
Mustang slams into the back of Ferrari, impaling his engine into his, twisting the metal into each other. The flames, oil, lasers, etc. All splash outward in a chaotic mess.

N: And remember, the whole damn car is a weapon.

Panel 4
Mustang slams back the shifter as parts begin to transform. Some of the front parts strain to comply but it's just a mass of twisted metal, all precision blown to hell.

N: There's one thing a crowd wants more than a winner...

Panel 5
Ferrari looks worried and hits his transforming switch as parts begin to transform.

N: One thing it hungers for beyond the passing of a finish line...

Page 8
Panel 1
Mustang, half transformed leaps into the air, the Ferrari stuck on it's front half of the robot body, the Ferrari is mid transform, it's upper half just defined.

Panel 2
Mustang slams Ferrari's top half into the track, obliterating his body.

Panel 3
Mustang rips out it's "arms" top half, tearing free the engine from Ferrari.

Panel 4
Mustang hops over the wreckage of Ferrari, the engine flying forward before him.

Panel 5
Pull back and there's thousands crowded around the edge of the track as Mustang kicks Ferrari's engine into the air towards us.

N: It's all about putting on a damn good show.