Dream Narrative

My dreams are usually unclear and abbreviated - very difficult to make a comic out of. I gave it a try. I'll likely add to this later as I figure out what to do with it. 

Page 1

Panel A: The format is a six panel page. The scene opens on the top four panels of the page. It’s a bizarre landscape with twisting rivers and craggy rock formations. Fountains of a mysterious neon green gas sprout from the river in places.

Panel B: Three vague figures approach the bank of one of these rivers with a canoe.

Panel C: Two of the figures jump in the boat as the third pushes it into the water.

 

Page 2

Panel A: The third figure jumps into the boat.

Panel B: One figure to the others: “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

Panel C: Four panel block. The figures move down with the current. There is an uncertain landscape ahead of them.

 

Page 3

Panel A: As they go down the river, the figures begin noticing the odd columns of green gas coming up from the river.

Panel B: One of the figures stops the boat with his hands by grabbing onto one of the rock pillars.

Panel C: The figure places his hand over the vent. “It’s warm.”

Panel D: The figure lets go of the rock vent and they continue moving along the river of black and blue. They pass more vents.

Panel E: “I wonder what these are”, one of the figures asks. “Leftovers, I think”, one of the figures answers.

Panel F: One figure, more aware than the other two, notices something ahead. “It’s a drop-off. Get ready.”

 

Page 4

Panel A: Page illustration from a birds-eye view. The boat plummets from a giant black waterfall. A sphere of golden light surrounds the figures and their boat. One of them seems to be causing it.

 

Page 5

Panel A: They land with a large splash below.

Panel B: Everyone seems alright.

 

 

Second Script

“The Pied Piper”
Page 1

Panel A: An exterior view of the town of Hamelin, from above.

Unknown Person: “I’ve had it with these rats!”

Panel B: The view changes to the interior of a house. It looks to be a lower income dwelling. A woman is trying to beat a rat with a cricket bat, but seems to be failing.

Panel C: A child hiding in the corner: “Get him Mama!”

Panel D: Finally after turning over most of the room with the cricket bat, the rat disappears.

Kid: “Good job, Mama!”

Panel E: Mama, not seeming to think so, glances out side. Her hair is a mess.

Panel F: Exterior of the house, Mama looking out the window: “We need to rid ourselves of this infestation.”

 

Page 2

Panel A: There is a knock on the door, both Mama and the child look at the door.

Panel B: Mama puts her ear to the door. “Who is it?”

A voice through the door: “The solution, ma’am!”

Panel C: Curiously, she opens the door to reveal a tall, lanky man. He’s dressed in pied clothing and a long coat. The man looked like he’d traveled a long way.

Panel D: Mama: “My question remains.”

“I’ll offer you the same deal I’ve offered the rest of the town-“
Panel E: The man continues to speak, walking further into the room. “-I’m here to take away your rats. For some payment, of course.” Mama  looks a little concerned.

Panel F: “Sir, we don’t have much money to pay you with.” She looked like she wanted to hire the Piper. He speaks: “No matter.”

 

Page 3

Panel A: Man: “I’ve made a deal with the other towns people for only a small sum of money from each of you.”

Panel B: “Surely you can manage something.” Mama looks through a small purse.

Panel C: She takes out a handful of coins and holds them out for the Piper. “It’s what I can spare.”

Panel D: The coins drop into the Pipers hand.

Panel E: The Piper, looking pleased, pockets the coins. “Consider your rat problem a thing of the past.” The child: “Yay!”

Mama looks happy, but somewhat doubtful.

Panel F: The Piper exits.

 

Page 4

Panel A: The Piper appears at the edge of town. He can’t be seen with much detail.

Panel B: We see the Piper closer than before. It looks like he’s reaching into his coat.

Panel C: A close-up of his hand, rough with age and travel, drawing from the coat a silver pipe. It glints in the light.

Panel D: The Piper raises the pipe, and places the mouthpiece to his lower lip.

Panel E: The Piper behinds to play a tune, looking jovial. He dances as he plays.

Panel F: The view draws back again to show the town, musical notes floating over it.

 

Page 5

Panel A: Inside the town, we see a few rats in a group seeming to sniff the air. The musical notes are floating over them like smoke.

Panel B: The rats, seeming impelled, follow the notes.

Panel C: We see Mama and her child watching several rats leave the house as the musical notes float through the room.

Panel D: The side streets begin filling with rats.

Panel E: The pack of thousands of rats flows into the main street.

Panel F: The Piper walks into the distance, rats following him closely.

 

Page 6

Panel A: Sometime later, the Piper returns asking for payment from the rest of the town.

Panel B: One by one, doors close to him.

Panel C: The Govonor, too, refuses to pay. “We need some kind of proof the rats are gone for good.” The Piper is beginning to look upset.

Panel D: The door to the courthouse closes behind the Piper.

Panel E: He walks through the street. The sun is beginning to set – it’s almost dusk.

Panel F: His hand moves into his coat, pulling out his silver pipe.

 

Page 7

Panel A: “I shall collect now.” his pipe moving toward his mouth.

Panel B: Jovially, the Piper begins to play again. The musical notes, like smoke, travel away from him into the town.

Panel C: The child we met earlier wakes from bed, seeming to hear the tune.

Panel D: He rises from bed and walks through the house to the front door.

Panel E: Through the open front door, he observes a crowd of the town’s children walking through the street. They look mesmerized by the music, represented by floating smoke-like notes. The Child does not, but he follows anyway.

Panel F: We see the Piper, and the column of children walking past him, destination unknown. He stops the Child. “Not you.”

 

Page 8

Panel A: The Piper kneels before the Child. “You will go back to town, and tell them what you’ve seen, boy.”

The Child looks nervous.

Panel B: “Where are you taking-“ The Child is interrupted.

Piper: “Tell the towns people their debt is paid.”

Panel C: The Piper stands. He’s much taller than the Child. As the night begins to fall he looks like an intimidating figure. He begins to walk away.

Panel D: Child: “Why not me?”

Piper: “Your mother paid in advance. Run along now.”

Panel E: The piper, children all around, walks into the darkness. The Child is left standing at the edge of town. Wide Panel.

End. 

First Script

Nickolas Curtiss

"Story of an Hour"

Like the story, this comic doesn’t have a lot of dialogue. Instead it uses visual cues in the form of color, atmosphere, and the body language of the characters to tell the story.

Page 1

Panel A: Setting in a den room. Sister, Josephine speaks to her, in broken sentences. Her husband's friend Richards was there, too, near her. No dialogue, but speech is conveyed by expression/body language.

Panel B: Richards recalling himself in the newspaper office, holding the list of the dead in his hand, Brently Mallard's name on it. He’s looking at the list.

Panel C: Richards is contemplative. He seems to think of only a couple of numbers and dials them.

Panel D: Back to the room. Dialog looks to be taking place by body language, but there is none. There is a pause.

Panel E:  She begins sobbing in her sister’s arms.

Panel F: She’s walking down a hall into another room, motioning for her concerned relatives to leave her alone. Everyone is concerned or distraught.

 

Page 2

Panel A: She stands in front of a chair, looking out an open window. It is just light, we can’t see outside.

Panel B: She falls heavily into the chair, her head is slumped forward, her shoulders are low and burdened.

Panel C: She looks up towards the window. We see her face coming up, and her eyes training on the window. 

Panel D: the scene moves to the exterior. It’s a shot of a clear day and the street outside. There is a vendor peddling on the sidewalk. 

Panel E: We see a songbird sitting in a tree, singing.We see more songbirds, and now the clear sky and clouds.

 

Page 3

Panel A: The scene switches back to the interior. Her head is thrown back upon the cushion of the chair. 

Panel B: Close up of her throat and mouth. A sob begins.

Panel C: She begins to cry again, holding her face.

Panel D: We get a look at her eyes, though dull they are fixed on something outside, through the window. 

Panel E: She starts to look slightly frightened as she begins to think.

 

Page 4

Panel A: She clutches her chest. She’s starting to look like panic is taking her.

Panel B: She starts to look calmer as she realizes her feeling is liberating. Her hands drop from her face and three words escape her mouth. No speech bubble, only the words: "free, free, free!"

Panel C: We get another close up of her face. It is a completely different mood from before. It is joyous and liberated.

Panel D: We see a vision of her husband in a coffin at a funeral home, his hands folded.

Panel E: Scene goes back to the room. The woman looks conflicted, clutching her chest again.

Panel F: She is in frame, arms open. Behind her the room disappears to show imagery of the years to come – all the possibilities now that her husband is gone.

 

Page 5

Panel A: A scene behind her, a flashback, of the husband commanding her. She smiles a little more.

Panel B: The background images disappear as she looks back at the window.

Panel C: "Free! Body and soul free!" she kept whispering.

Panel D: Scene turns to outside the closed room. Josephine was kneeling before the closed door with her lips to the keyhole. Josephine: “Open the door!”

Panel E: Josephine: “I beg; open the door--you will make yourself ill. What are you doing, Louise? For heaven's sake open the door."

Panel F: Back in the room, she turns unwillingly from the window. "Go away. I am not making myself ill."

 

Page 6

Panel A: She looks back at the window, almost seeming to be in a trance. 

Panel B: She looks to be praying. Small text drifts from her mouth – no speech bubble. “Let life be long.”

Panel C: Scene outside in the hall. The door to the room opens, she stands in the doorway, looking at Josephine somewhat triumphantly.

Panel D: They walk toward the stairs, her arm around Josephine’s waist. 

Panel E: The two women are at the top of the stairs. Richards stood waiting for them at the bottom.

Panel F: Close up of the door and the lock, looking like the door is opening.

 

 

Page 7

Panel A: The door swings open. It’s Brently Mallard, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella.

Panel B: He looks oblivious that any accident had happened. He casually begins to go about his routine, placing his coat on a hangar. 

Panel C: Josephine lets out a cry at the top of the stairs. Brently looks alarmed.

Panel D: Richards jumps in front of Brently, trying to shield him from view. Brently looks shocked and alarmed.

 

Page 8

Splash page

Panel A: The scene is the atrium of the house. Doctors are placing a sheet over the dead woman. A doctor speaking to Josephine and Brently: “Heart disease – the joy that kills.”