This is five pages from a comedic-action comic I put together a few years ago called
SADIE McSNATCH: BOUNTY HUNTIN' ROAD WHORE.
​
Remember, there isn't any one specific way to write a comic book script. This isn't how
everyone writes scripts, but it is the way I write them. I tend to offer detailed descriptions and engaging dialogue, while trying to consider the notes and the opinions of the artists, while still playing to the artists' strength.
​
In this case, the artist wasn't interested in putting a lot of effort into the backgrounds, so
I put more emphasis on the physical comedy and the dialogue.
PAGE 9
​
Panel One
This establishing shot focuses on Eddie's house in Gary, Indiana. The house is modest and unassuming, but clean. There are some shrubs in the front yard, and Eddie's worn out car. Eddie is chatting to himself, but he's off-panel.
​
CAPTION: Gary, Indiana. Ten hours later.
​
EDDIE: Bills, bills, bills.... I may have won two million dollars? Oh goody. Wait....where the hell is my disability check?
​
​
Panel Two
We shift our attention into the interior of Eddie and Ann-Marie's house.
The living room is clean, although there is a bit of a mess on the floor, there are some cracks int he plaster. They don't live like pigs, but they're definitely lower middle-class folks. Eddie is a beefy caucasian male wearing a stained sleeveless t-shirt and boxers. He's glancing at his mail. He's speaking to Ann-Marie, who remains unseen in this panel.
​
EDDIE: Yo Annie! You got twenty bucks I can borrow?
​
ANN-MARIE: Maybe. Is it for something important?
​
EDDIE: I'm out of beer and smokes! Help your man out, yeah?
​
​
​
Panel Three
Ann-Marie enters the scene from another room. She's an African-American woman with her hair in braids, she wears glasses, and she has a tasteful looking cardigan sweater on. She seems extremely conservative in demeanor and attitude.
​
ANN-MARIE: What? Eddie, I think it's time "my man" thought about finding a new j-o-b! Were you even PLANNING on putting on pants today?
​
SFX: Nok nok
​
EDDIE (Off-panel) Ummm...door! I got it!
​
ANN-MARIE: Ughhh....
​
​
Panel Four
It's a close-up on Eddie -- his face fills the frame of a door, and he looks extremely surprised to see his cousin Sadie in front of him.
​
EDDIE: Yeah? What do you......oh. Hi.
​
​
Panel five
Close-up of Sadie, and her eyes are shooting daggers directly at the camera. She is balling one fist into her hand. She is seething with barely concealed fury.
​
SADIE: Hi.
​
​
PAGE 10
​
Panel One
After what Sadie has had to deal with over the last 24 hours, and considering that Eddie was indirectly responsible for all of her misery, she responds with a cartoonish punch across his face that sends his head swiveling sideways and his mail flying into the air.
​
SFX: KA-POW!!
​
​
Panel Two
Eddie holds his nose in pain, while Sadie stands in the background.
​
EDDIE: Oh, motherf&%$ dude! I can't believe you'd hit a guy on disability!
​
​
Panel Three
Eddie continues to hold his nose, while Sadie punches him in the shoulder.
​
EDDIE: My buddy offers you a job at his bar, and this is how you thank me?
​
SADIE: Have you even SEEN his bar, Eddie?
​
EDDIE: Ow! Stop hitting me!
​
​
Panel Four
Sadie stands in the foreground shouting at Eddie (he is not bleeding but he definitely looks on the defensive.) Ann-Marie casually walks into the room in the background.
​
SADIE: I got busted because of your dumb ass, Eddie! You're lucky I'm not punting your D!¢# into orbit!
​
ANN-MARIE: Sadie? I thought you went to Tennessee?
​
SADIE: I did, and I'm back....because my cousin's "friends" was a complete tool!
​
​
PAGE 11
​
Panel One
This will be a lonely above-angle view of Sadie siting on the couch, looking defeated. It's monologue time!
​
SADIE: I showed up at Donnie's bar on Sunday morning. The dude interviews me, and offers me the bartending job. Then he asked me to help him move out a lot of old speakers and equipment from the bar to his apartment....which I did, you know, 'cause I wnated to make a good impression on the new boss.
​
Panel Two
Sadie stands up, still looking down in annoyance, and clearly getting a bit more frustrated as she continues her story. Eddie and Ann-Marie listen in the background.
​
SADIE: I get there the next morning, and I got busted!
​
The dude doesn't own the bar...he doesn't even fucking work there! He just does the air conditioning! He used my van to rip them off and skip town!
​
EDDIE: Oooooh....he told me wasn't doing that sort of shit anymore....
​
Panel Three
Ann-Marie shakes an annoyed finger at Eddie's face. For his part, he looks guilty but defensive.
​
ANN-MARIE: Eddie, I told you not to trust that loser! Remember when he sold his mother's car behind her back?
​
EDDIE: Now come on Annie, that was for a good cause!
​
ANN-MARIE: Good cause? he used the cash to hire a stripper for your bachelor party!
​
EDDIE: See? He thinks of his friends! How do you not trust a guy like that?
​
​
Panel Four
Ann-Marie ends the conversation, looking very annoyed and exasperated with her husband.
​
ANN-MARIE: I swear if my husband were any more useless, he'd be a cat!
​​
PAGE 12
​​
Panel One
Sadie sits on the couch with her head in her hands, looking utterly defeated. Ann-Marie sits next to her and listens to her story.
​​
ANN-MARIE: So are you okay, sweetie? How did you get out of jail?
​
SADIE: They caught Donnie trying to sell the shit he stole the next morning. He admitted that I wasn't in on it, and they let me go home. But I had to do a lot of crazy shit to make the gas money to drive back.
​​
Panel Two
Sadie looks up at her friend now, and she looks emotionally drained as she continues talking.
​
SADIE: I tried to call, but I kept getting a busy signal. Honestly, who has a busy signal anymore?
​
ANN-MARIE: Wow. Either we have to upgrade from dial-up, or Eddie is gonna have to stop surfing for porn all night!
​
​
Panel Three
Ann-Marie looks over her shoulder angrily at her husband. He's in the foreground, still rubbing his jaw, milking it for sympathy.
​
ANN-MARIE: Well, you can crash here for a few days until you get back on your feet.
​
EDDIE: Sure...if you don't go off and punch me in the face, that is!
​
ANN-MARIE: Oh, grow a pair, Eddie!
​
​
Panel Four
Close-up of Sadie and Ann-Marie - they're smiling at each other.
​
SADIE: Oh my Gawd, you're such a ball buster Annie!
​
​
Panel Five
Same shot - It was a brief smile, but now Sadie is thinking about her troubles again and a depression washes over her face. Ann-Marie can't help but notice.
​
SADIE: Sigh....
​
​
Panel Six
Same shot - Sadie looks to the ground with a guilty expression.
Ann-Marie is speaking, and she seems serene and understanding.
​
ANN-MARIE: You had to turn tricks to make the money to get back here, didn't you?
​​​
PAGE 13
​
Panel One
With this question, Sadie stands up and starts to walk away from her best friend. Ann-Marie remains seated on the couch.
​
SADIE: Hey listen, I really don't want a lecture right now, Ann-Marie.
​
ANN-MARIE: Girlfriend, no one's lecturing you! You saved my life once. That means I don't judge you. But Eddie and I just worry about you. Pimping yourself out like you've been doing is just going to get you hurt.
​​​
​
Panel Two
The conversation continues - but place the focus on the phone in Sadie's shorts. The phone is ringing, indicated by the music coming out of her cell.
​
SADIE: ...but it's fun....
​
ANN-MARIE: Sadie...
​
SADIE: I know. Maybe I should seriously think about getting a real job.
​
PHONE: "...They say I'm a bad girl with an angel's face....let me touch your credit cards, I'll let you touch me lace...."
​
​
Panel Three
Sadie lifts the phone to her ear, a fresh wave of excitement washing over her. In the background, Ann-Marie puts her hands on her hips disapprovingly.
​
SADIE: Ooh! Maybe it's a customer!
​
ANN-MARIE: Wow you were serious about getting a real job, weren't you?
​
Panel Four
With a pose, Sadie starts talking into the phone. Eddie is speaking off-camera as he listens in.
​
SADIE: Sadie McSnatch, best piece of ass in Indiana. You looking for a date?
​
EDDIE (Off-Camera: ) Subtle. Those ads on Craigslist are really paying off, aren't they?
​
SADIE: Oh, hey sexy. No, I'm back in the state. That job didn't work out. Tell you all about it later.
​
what? WHAT???
​
​
Panel Five:
Close-up on Sadie, as she shouts into the phone with barely concealed rage. It's her friend Lisa, who needs bail.
​
SADIE: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU NEED $100 FOR BAIL?
​
ANN-MARIE: (Off camera) Damn, Sadie, use your indoor voice!
​
​
MY FEES FOR WRITING:
​
$8.00 per page - This if I'm turning YOUR plot into a usuable script. You give me the general outline for who these characters are, what needs to be happen, the main plot points, and how many pages you would like the script to be. I'll stay in touch with you with any notes I might have (due to pacing, should it be shorter or longer?) until we finally agree on the final project. I charge $8 per page, plus credit as the story scripter, with yourself credited as the plotter.
​
$15 per page - this is if you want a script written for you to work from, but you have no idea whatsoever what the script should be about. Maybe you have a general concept of the number of characters, the genre and a basic direction you want the story to go, but that's it. I charge $15 per page, plus credit as the story's writer.
​
Bonus Special! - Get a full finished script for $400 ($100 due immediately, $300 due when and if the book is finished and funded on Kickstarter.)
​
Take one of my scripts and run with it! I've written scripts for two mini-series that just never came to full fruition because my skills in both professional sequential artwork and promoting a series just aren't my strong suits. But maybe they're yours!
• $100 advance for a six-month exclusive rights to the script of your choice.
• Rights revert back to me after six months if the book has not been picked up by a publisher or has not entered an active crowdfunding campaign. I'll be willing to extend the deadline if we do have some positive work moving on it.
• A remainer of $300 will be due should the project either successfully fund on Kickstarter - if a publisher has picked it up, the final fee will be due upon payment of the project.
​
​​
Contact
Liked what you saw? Want to collaborate with me on a project? Just send a message my way and let's talk!