Notes & EmoSpidey Script

Thrust - action/adventure tesseract
Pressing upon alternate dimension X.

New World: Order
Purged body with digital drain
Into computer/mechanical
A.I. Doomsday
Camp Hero
Time travel portal

New World: Order established to combat rogue virus.
Charles Crown seen as the reason.
Other 62 members treat him differently.
Spider is my opposite reflection who is heading to the light as I head to damnation. We both think the other is walking the other path.

Action/Adventure
Buddy comedy. 90's rockstar asskicker. 80's manly explorer. Spoof on cliches in both films.
Hotrod. 70's detective friend.
Cartoon/movie. Heroes/actors.
Adventure handles transport. Action handles fighting.

Emo-Spidey Hipster Photographer
Skinny, muscular, hunched over, brooding.
Hair flowing. Bands in Wburg. Harry Trust fund douche.
MJ modelling. Always doing the wrong thing, angry sarcasm isolated unrecognized genius.

Ten Ton Thousand Word Challenge
3 page, 10 panel, trailer pitch script

Reimagine - character
Reinvent - genre
Rescue - forgotten
Ramble - wild card

Winner of each week, then each month. Networking to help script get drawn.

10 - script, pencils, ink, color, letter
5 main guys.

Emo Spidey
Page 1
Peter Parker standing along the East River on the Williamsburg side. His longish brown hair, just in his eyes, blows dramatically in the wind. He's hunched over a bit, shoulders slack, head craned forward as he scowls over at Manhattan. Floating above half his face is the Spider-Man Mask and spider sense. The wavy lines are a bit more less urgent and more dramatic.

His collared vintage iZod flaps loosely as it sits just snug but making him look even skinnier. Hint of his Ed Norton Fight Club muscles. Tight jeans and checkered Vans. (If we can do it color, blue shirt with red stripes, dark blue jeans, and red/blue checkereds.) He's got a tattoo of a spider on the inside of his forearm.

The ghostly image of Gwen Stacy is above his right side. Gwen's got rectangular glasses, old school headband, tiny nose piercing, and scenester haircut. On the left side is MJ has precise bangs, dark eye makeup, perfectly straight dark red hair.

N: (long winded internal narration about Brooklyn, Manhattan, his job & his schoolwork, social life, and heroic life, between Gwen & MJ.)

P(T): IT'S SO WEIRD LIVING ON MY OWN OUT IN BROOKLYN. I STILL FEEL LIKE A KID, MY POOR AUNT MAY THREE SUBWAY TRANSFERS AWAY IN QUEENS, STILL MY ONLY SOURCE OF A GOOD MEAL. DON'T EVEN HAVE TIME THESE DAYS BETWEEN CLASSES AT NYU AND SHOOTING FOR THE BUGLE. WHICH REMINDS ME, GOTTA GET MY FREELANCE CHECK FROM JAMESON SO I CAN AFFORD TO GO OUT THIS THURSDAY. BUT DO I CHANCE THE L AND HIT UP SOHO WITH MJ, SOME SWANKY CLUB WHERE I'll FEEL OUT OF PLACE, OR HIT UP SOME D.I.Y. ART SHOW WITH GWEN IN BUSHWICK?

Panel 2
Half length. Peter from behind, we see the Manhattan skyline behind him, he's glancing over his shoulder at us, hair dangling in his eyes, a slight flex of his bicep, spidey mask just tucked out of his back pocket. He looks like he's about to sigh with his self pitying eyes.

N: (long winded narration about his best friend Harry, whom he's come to hate and has to move out of their apartment and move into the city on his own)

P(T): I HOPE HARRY'S NOT EXPECTING THE RENT THIS WEEK, OTHERWISE I'M SCREWED. I FEEL BAD ALWAYS DITCHING HIM, BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM ANYMORE. IT'S TIME I LOOKED FOR MY OWN PLACE, CLOSER TO CLASSES AND WORK.

Panel 3
Close up shot of Peter turning towards us, half twisting all wiry-like, webshooter at his hip, ready to press his two middle fingers into his open palm. His eyes are alert and ready for action. A flash of the Spidey suit underneath.

P(T): SPEAKING OF HARRY, HE'S BEEN REALLY WEIRD LATELY, TAKING EVERYTHING SO SERIOUS.

Page 2
Panel 1
Wide shot of a hipster band, on the drums is an ironic metal throwback band logo that reads SINISTER 6. On lead vocals, dead center is the GREEN GOBLIN all rubbermask and creepy as he screams into a microphone, leaning right into the frame like a fish eyed lens, white tattered t-shirt clinging to his obscenely skinny frame. Left of him is SCORPION who's wearing a green ski-mask (darker than GG green), and a puffy sweater from the 70's, turtleneck, he's looking down intensely as he strums the green bass. Far left is DOC OCK, who's playing 2 sets of keyboards and 2 turntables. Chubby with a beard and thick 70's turtleshell frames. Right of GG is ELECTRO who's in tight green jeans, with a yellow t-shirt and neon green flying v guitar, and wild yellow hair, green bandana. The old rocker far right is ryhthm guitarist THE VULTURE, lecherous, but like he's seen the world, tattooed up and down his hairy arms, tight green t-shirt on his junkie stature. He's balding and wearing a 50's style cap. In the background on the right is SANDMAN on drums, blonde arm hair flailing about as he wails on the drums so fast it's a blur of yellow, tight green striped t-shirt on muscular pecs, looks like he's in shape making the rest of them look skinnier. His red curly hair flies back wet with sweat. In the background right is the backup singer/rapper KRAVEN, gold ironic lion t-shirt with sparkle iron on look, tight leopard print jeans, big ass hair and Zappa moustache.

P: HARRY'S IN A BAND?! HARRY ISN'T A MUSICIAN. HE'S MIDDLE MANAGEMENT CORNER OFFICE.

Panel 2
Split of Harry's smiling face, having pulled up the GG rubber mask and looking calm and posied as compared to the goblinface. American Psycho clean cut lunatic.

N: (long winded speech about destroying his life)

H: I HATE YOU PETER. YOU THINK BECAUSE I HAVE MONEY, THAT I CAN AFFORD TO DO ANYTHING I WANT, THAT I'M LESS THAN YOU. THAT I DON'T BELONG HERE, CAN'T DO ANYTHING CREATIVE BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SUFFERED, BUT I'VE SUFFERED PETER, MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER UNDERSTAND.

Panel 3
All the Six charge him from different directions, Peter all curled up, with boxing fists ready. He scans his oppenents from the corner of his eyes.

P(T): HARRY'S LOST HIS MIND, HE'S NOT PUNK ROCK, AND HE DOESN'T REALLY WANT TO HURT ME. DOES HE...? DO I ANNOY PEOPLE THAT MUCH.

Page 3
Panel 1
Peter riding his fixed gear bike right towards us, he's beaten up and bloody, speeding away from shapes in the distance.

P(T): HE'S LOST HIS DAMN MIND. UNCLE BEN WOULD TELL ME TO TURN THE OTHER CHEEK, TO GET HARRY HELP. AFTER ALL HE'S POWERLESS TO HIS ADDICTIONS. I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP HIM.

Panel 2
GG is riding on a skateboard right towards us, casually standing atop it as it speed downhill. He's pulled a knife from the backpocket of his jeans, and keeps it tucked behind his forearm, his body posture is solid and serene, but he's ready to strike.

H(T): PETER MUST DIE. MY FATHER WILL HATE ME. I'll HAVE RUINED HIS LIFE. HE'LL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SEE ME FINALLY. HOPE YOU'RE WATCHING POP.

Panel 3
Peter skids out and flips his hair out of his eyes, determined to face GG.

P(T): WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY...

Panel 4
GG and Peter speed towards each other in an epic clash. A Hipster Watcher in the center, ghostly, with his goatee and nose ring, a kanji tattoo and round glasses. 90's hipster, shoulderpads in a blazer, ponytail. GG is leaping off the skateboard slicing forward with the knife coming out of the bottom of his clenched fist. PP is perched on his frame and seat, fingertips on the handlebars, about to leap forward, fist cocked back.

P(T): AND I HAVE THE POWER TO TAKE HIM DOWN.

H: DEATH TO PETER PARKER! (Part of the art, along the bottom, dramatic and bold) 

W: THIS IS A TALE OF THE HIPSTER-VERSE!

DeadBeat Notes

Junkie ex-cop, solves his own murder, a bullet in his heart and no pulse. He turns to his tattoo artist sister, we learn how far bottom he's hit, borrows her car. She tells him to go to a local Sex/Smoke/Occult Shoppe run by a well dressed wannabe occultist. He brings DB over to the morgue, where the supernatural geek chick tells us about the odder cases of death she's seen. She also removes the bullet from his chest and gives it to him.

Brings bullet to a fellow female detective, a former friend/love interest. Asking if she can help track down the gun it belongs to. We get a glimpse of their former relationship and just how badly DB burnt his bridges. She doesn't agree to help him but she holds on to the bullet.

DB brings the syringe to the club, thinking himself invulnerable, confronts drug kingpin, the guy who he was supposed to be trying to catch when he got hooked. The bouncer trounces him and tosses him out. He's got further damage and is not healing from it. He realizes he doesn't have much time left.

Socialite party, occultists Hellfire Club, Hollywood Division. Sidekick goes undercover at the party. Tried not to geek out with morgue girl as his date. DB sneaks around trying to find out what their master plan is. Finds out more about the drug, is mauled in some other way while escaping.

The love interest detective is hinted at her deviousness, her allegiances might not be what we think. She mulls over the bullet, eyes the Kingpin, and keeps it hidden. The bouncer was killed in the pursuit of DB, and so we see the drugs effects on him as Kingpin uses a syringe on him.

DB realizes he's not going to last long. Starts saying his goodbyes. Goes to sister's tattoo shop and makes good with her. He leaves and is hunted down by the bouncer, via cars, leading to an accident they both survive, just barely. Bouncer picks himself up, more torched, sliced, and zombie-esque than DB.

Occult Shop. The Bouncer is still in pursuit as they hold him off and escape out the back as he smashes up the store. Back room has low level magic items, all useless. Finally DB takes him out. DB gives syringe to OS to check out.

Meets up with Love Interest Detective, who betrays him and brings him to the Kingpin. They test him, cut him up a bit, autopsy him basically. LID shows her true nature, she's waiting to take him out, but Kingpin knows this and sells her on immortality.

Through an amazing feat of disgusting flesh rending courage and a distraction by OS & MG, DB breaks free and takes out the guards with what he's got left, which isn't much. Zombie as hero. Relentlessly pursuing Kingpin. DB kills KP as LID runs into the man behind the power. DB dies.

Funeral. Sister. Occultist. Mortician. A few cops, but very few. Small crowd. Wait til dark, Occultist comes back to the grave, an arm shoots up out of the ground and they talk, start their next case.

***

LID comes to see DB, she has a syringe, in over her head, needs his help, he's strung out in bed. Bouncer comes and she draws her gun, which he takes and shoots DB with. She's already injected him with syringe though. Bouncer brings her back to KP.

LID allegiance? There to help him? Poison him? She shot him, but why? 

Defining Vertigo Runs

Alan Moore - Swamp Thing
Grant Morrison - The Invisibles
Warren Elis - Transmetropolitan
Garth Ennis - Preacher
Bill Willingham - Fables
Neil Gaiman - Sandman
Peter Milligan - Shade, the Changing Man
Brian K. Vaughn - Y the Last Man
Mike Carey - The Unwritten

Omega the Unknown Review

When my girlfriend bought me a copy of Paul Pope's artbook Pulphope for my birthday, a great gift that I unfortunately had picked up for myself when it first came out, I returned it to Forbidden Planet. So when looking over the store for a book that I could exchange it for, I knew I needed something significant.

I finally came across the hardcover of Omega the Unknown, published by Marvel Comics in 2008. It was written by Jonathan Lethem (w/Karl Rusnak) who I knew from his first novel "Gun With Occasional Music" rather than his more famous "Fortress of Solitude". His name to me was like that of a hipster literary rockstar.

The art was done by two of the best indie comic creators from the last decade. Farel Dalrymple of PopGunWar, his work has a honest beauty to it, every day fairy tale quality to it. Along with Paul Hornschemeier, of Forlon Funnies, who's work is hauntingly somber and sentimental. Both artists can present the fantastic as mundane mythology.

This combination was enough to sell me on the purchase. How could I miss out on these creators coming together to create a Marvel comic. Omega the Unknown was one of those odd 70's series that I've heard of but regarded it with a cryptic oddness.

Then I found out that it was co-written/created by Steve Gerber, who is about one of the most fascinating and stalwart comic creators who has done more great things than he is recognized for. This was a ten issue series in 1976 that had a quirkiness to it that the comic industry tried to mold into a generic superhuman brawl book.

I've never read the original series, and in a way I don't necessarily need to. This current ten issue series skirts a sort of remake/sequel thin line just as the writing and artwork pushes what is mainstream comics. A lot is left to the reader's interpretation, and in its own way it's a little clunky and meanders a bit along the way, just as any good auto-bio comic or indie flick does.

The story revolves around a mute alien in a costume fighting robots, but only as a backstory to the tale of a child raised by robots sent off to live in the big city, confront his destiny, to save the earth from invading alien robots. There's also a gloryhound hero called The Mink who has a rather unique and realistic approach to millionaire superheroics.

The series reads as an exploration of cycles within superhero literature, as well as in life itself. It gives us a young hero origin laid under the story of a fish out of water, robotic genius, adjusting to life in Washington Heights in NYC. It confronts school bullys and their victims, showing us the battle of villains against the weak, and what happens when the meek are introduced into the superhuman.

It leads to suicide, which is handled realistically, if not cold and emotionally detached. The main character even meets with the dead boy's soul and everything is matter of factly. But nothing is cut and dry with the badguys here, except the replicating robots that are infecting and replacing humans, and even they are treated as more passive zombie like swarms, devoid of deeper thought.

There's overtones of mythology complete with a labyrinth, superhero meta tropes such as the "Over-Thinker" parodying Marvel's "The Watcher", a spectator and occasional omniscient narrator. It feels to be almost kind of trite in its plotting at times, but it wins you over with the art and the genuine realness of the characters.

There's a great commentary with select panels from the original comic in the back that give some insight into why Jonathan Lethem and his co-writer, Karl Rusnak, loved the original series enough to bring us an updated version. Also, Gary Panter's guest art when Omega details out his origin in comic format is amazing.

The book itself is goregeous, with a well designed cover, nice organic style to it that clashes with the slick colored pages and high production values. It really is an opposing forces parallel throughout every aspect of the book. Top it of with a quote on the back from Michael Chabon, author of Pulitzer Prize winning "Kavelier & Clay", and you've got the mainstream graphic novel with the most indie cred around.

K 

Horror & Sci-FI Heroic Band Videos

Aquabats - 'Super Rad'


Phenomenauts - 'Mission'

The Phenomenauts - Mission

PHENOMENAUTS | MySpace Music Videos

Peelander-Z - 'Ninja High School'


Insane Clown Posse - 'Halls of Illusion'


The Creepshow - 'Take My Hand'


Zombie Ghost Train - 'R.I.P.'

starsky & hutch

xmas vacation

Starsky & Hutch

Gran Torino

Starsky & Hutch

Gran Torino

DeadBeat Outline/Notes

Plain clothes police detective
70's grindhouse police show
Horror science-fiction occult
Mustang/Cadillac.

Intro. Chase. Bust. Odd situations. Action shots. 
Cast shots. Cop. Partner. Informant. Chief.

Routine. Working w/criminals.
Hitmen (twist: mistaken ID)
Criminal mashup
Witness Protection.

The worst cop. Flawed. Lazy. On the take, sucked in by the LA lifestyle.

Deadbeat junkie detective.
Techno Occult Geek.
Tattoo shop sister.
Morgue nerd.
Undercover Detective Hottie.

Crime scene. Dead body.
New drug being sold by club owner. New undercover chick needs help, police force on the take, goes to former officer working the case, club owner tracks her down, kills the deadbeat, takes the girl.

Club owner badguy.
Thug bodyguard bouncer.
Corrupt cops.

Supplied by the bigbad. Cain. Immortal maker of monsters.