After a misspent youth with my head in comic books I decided it was about time to try and write one of my own. I thought I’d start off small with a kind of short story.
I wrote the basic storyline in an afternoon and then played around with page layouts and look and feel with my friend Akhil.
We got something that we were both pretty happy with, but unfortunately it never progressed any further.
Have a read and let me know what you think. If you know any good artists then send them my way!
The Casino
Page 1
5 Panels – panel 5 is a whole page splash really, with the important focus being the roulette table at the bottom of the page, whilst the rest of the casino is the background image, with the first 4 panels inset in two rows of two.
Panel 1
Completely black.
Croupier from off-panel: No more bets
Panel 2
Close-up of a hand spinning the wheel
Panel 3
Close up of ball being spun into the wheel
Panel 4
Close up of the teenager looking confused
Panel 5
A wide shot of the Roulette table with all its patrons, and the rest of the casino in the background (3/4 overhead angle).
Teenager: Where am I?
Page 2
First four panels all in a row on one line
Panel 1
Close up of the ball coming to rest in number 13.
Panel 2
Close up of the croupier scraping away the chips
Panel 3
Close up of winnings being pushed towards the teenager’s hands
Panel 4
Close up of the teenager’s face, again looking confused
Teenager: I won?
Panel 5
Teenager and Mafia guy, side by side – mafia guy is looking at the table and looking p1ssed off holding his cigar between his fingers, the teenager is looking at him and looking happy/excited
Teenager: How much are these black chips worth?
Mafioso: $100,000
Teenager: No way!!
Croupier: Place your bets
Panel 6
The teenager has his hand around the waist and resting on the hip of one of the girls on the other side of him to the Mafioso, but he is half facing the table, and half facing the girl
Teenager: Give me a number, beautiful.
Panel 7
She has turned his face, with her hand on his neck/jaw – close up of their faces
Girl: How about 26?
Panel 8
Shot from over the shoulder or through his eyes. He flicks a single chip, that lands neatly on the 26
Croupier (possibly off-panel?): No more bets
Page 3
Panels 1 -4 as with page 2. Panel five and six side by side, square, panel seven wide and short at bottom
Panels 1-4
Wheel spin, flash of white room, ball lands on 3, teenager shrugs
Panel 5
Teenager is holding his remaining chips and turning to leave the table
Chinese Business Man: Going so soon?
Teenager (thought): I know him from somewhere… but where?
Chinese Business Man: Why don’t you stay for one more bet?
Panel 6
Teenager is now walking away from the table, with the girl, whilst the chinaman is staring hard at him looking angry. Other gamblers are checking out the girl as they start to leave.
Teenager: Nah… I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead
Panel 7
At the cashiers window, pushing his chips towards the cashier
Teenager: Can you cash these for me?
Cashier: Yes sir
Page 4
Panel 1
The girl is passionately kissing him
Teenager(thought): I could get used to this
Panel 2
Extreme close up of her lips next to his ear
Girl: I need to warn you… Mr Lui it going to try to kill you
Panel 3
He freaks out
Teenager: What?!
Panel 4
She is holding him close, her face very close to his
Girl: Stay cool
Girl: He’s been following you since you left Los Angeles
Panel 5
Another flash of the white room, bigger panel, this time the chinaman is there in a labcoat.
Teenager (off-panel): …what happened in LA…?
Page 5
Panel 1
Big splash (half to 2/3 page), single pic with a horizontal split – Mr Lui is walking towards them with a couple goons, they are close to camera on right side.
Top half –
Girl: We have to go. Now!
Teenager: I’m not leaving $2.5mil behind!
Girl: It won’t be any use if you’re dead.
Bottom half of panel shows that Mr Lui is concealing a gun in his waist, beneath his coat
Teenager: Oh God…
Panel 2
They are running away from the cashiers, him shouting back to the cashier
Teenager: Hey, look after my money for a few minutes, I’ll be right back
Panels 3 – 4
They are dodging and ducking their way through the casino, avoiding Lui’s goons
Page 6
Panel 1
Shot from over shoulder, by entrance of Casino, Mr Lui gun drawn
Panel 2
Mr Lui and Teenager in exact same positions, but in the white room, and the gun is replaced by a syringe
Panel 3
Wide shot of them running out of the Casino towards some valets parking cars
Teenager: What’s this all about?
Girl: He knows…
Teenager: knows what?
Panel 4
He is pushing a valet away from a car, the valet is falling. His other hand is on the small of the back of the girl guiding her into the car – he is fully in charge of the situation now.
Valet: Hey!
Panel 5
They are driving off, as Mr Lui gets into a car driven by one of his goons, his gun still in his hand, in the air
Page 7
Panel 1
Shot from inside the car
Girl: Mr Lui knows about DEP
Teenager: What the hell is DEP??
Girl: You have to remember. Think!
Panel 2
White room – the letters DEP on the wall
Panel 3
A bullet shatters the rear windshield of the car
Teenager: Oh $@%&!!
Panel 4
¾ overhead of them screeching through a red traffic light at a crossroads
Panel 5
The car gets hit on the tail by another car going across the perpendicular road
Page 8
Panel 1
½ page splash of the car spun on the road, now stopped, having caused a bit of a pile up
Panel 2 and 3 (wide)
Back inside the car – cuts and scrapes, neither of them too badly hurt, but a bit shaken up. He is looking frustrated, perhaps banging his fist on the dash
Teenager: I can’t remember!
Panel 3, she has her hands on his shoulder and leg, looking pleadingly at him
Girl: Please try, before it’s too late
Page 9
Panel 1
Mr Lui has pulled up and is getting out of the car with his gun
Panel 2
Close up of teenager and woman’s faces
Girl: I love you
Panel 3, 4 and 5
Mr Lui at the window of the car, with the gun facing at the teenager.
He shoots. A close up of the gun firing as a separate panel here.
Everything goes black
Page 10
Panel 1
Half page splash, teenager waking up in a hospital bed, a bit disoriented. DEP – Dream Engineering Project written prominently on the wall.
A voice from off-panel: Welcome back David, how did you enjoy the “High Roller Chase” scenario?
Teenager: scenario…?
Panel 2
Lower half of page – Dr Lui is smiling, and holding a tray of syringes, labelled Desert Island Romance, Skiing on Everest, Wild West Adventure, Alien Abduction, Human Flight.
Lui: Which dream would you like next?
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