Two one-page scripts
Life’s been kicking Matt in the crotch a bit lately, so I’m covering him by posting a couple of scripts I did for the Transformers Mosaic project. The aim of the project was to write one page scripts that explored a particular Transformer, then have artists write them. Originally posted on the Allspark, it soon moved onto the IDW forums, the company that currently holds the comic rights.
In my mind, it was not a success, for the simple reason that the quality of both the art and the scripts ran the range from “good” to “wouldn’t use to wipe ass with”, and most of them were overly wordy or overly dramatic or just plain sucked. I think it’s still going, but I haven’t bothered to check.
I’m not going to say my two contributions to the project (only one of which was ever finished) were that great - in particular my script about Ravage was too wordy by half - but I’d also like to think that they were top tier at least. The challenge of trying to squeeze a bit of story and a lot of characterisation into one page was also fun.
So included here are my Mosaic scripts, exploring the characters of Beast Wars Ravage and Octopunch respectively. Yes, it’s massively nerdy, but it’s comics. What do you expect? As a bonus I’ve also included the art for the Ravage piece, by the ever talented Heather O’Connell.
All characters are (c) Hasbro
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RAVAGE
aka; “Obedience”
PANEL ONE:
CU Ravage’s hand holding a small holgram projector, which displays the head of BW MEGATRON, pre-earth form (ref: Botcon 06 BW Megatron)
RAVAGE: He calls himself MEGATRON?
PANEL TWO: SAME SIZE AS PANEL ONE
CU Ravage’s hand, same framing as previous, except he has clenched his fist in anger, destroying the holo-projector.
FX: CRUNCH!
PANEL THREE: INT. PREDACON COMMAND STATION
Ravage meeing with member of Tripredacus council (Seaclamp, ref http://www.bwtf.com/bw/tvshow/cc/tripredacus/seaclamp.gif Best to stick to show design, with additional details from toy if needed, ref http://www.tfu.info/1997/Predacon/SeaClamp/seaclamp.htm). They are on board the Predacon command station. Similar vibe to the room where Luke faces the Emperor in Return of the Jedi.
RAVAGE: HAH. He is no Megatron. I watched the REAL Megatron die.
SEACLAMP: And you’ll watch THIS one die as well. He is a rogue element with his own AGENDA, a disruption to our PLANS. The time of the Decepticons is over. The last thing we need at this crucial juncture is another MEGATRON fanning the flames.
PANEL FOUR:
Ravage bows to Sea clamp.
RAVAGE: It shall be done.
PANEL FIVE:
CU Ravage’s face, still bowing.. but he’s got an ugly snarl on his face, clearly insulted by Seaclamp’s claim that the Decepticons are now mere relics of the past, best to be forgotten.
PANEL SIX: EXT. CYBERTRON, BATTLEFIELD
G1 RAVAGE sits sadly atop the body of G1 SOUNDWAVE, who has been almost obliterated. Corpses litter the battlefield, Autobot and Decepticon. It looks like Ravage is the only one left alive. This is a flashback to the end of the Great War.
CAPTION: The time of the Decepticons…
PANEL SEVEN: INT. PREDACON COMMAND STATION, HALLWAY
Ravage is walking towards the reader, a snarl on his face, still angry at Sea Clamp
CAPTION: …is OVER.
RAVAGE: FEH. “PREDACONS”… they do not deserve the name. Surrendering to the MAXIMALS, plotting petty revenge and power games.. they forget that we were once CONQUERERS! RULERS of Cybertron!
PANEL EIGHT: INT. PREDACON COMMAND STATION, LANDING BAY
Long shot of RAVAGE from behind, walking towards his ship
RAVAGE: They are nothing but squabbling PROTOFORMS without a powerful LEADER. Oh, the Predacons will have their MOMENT, but their victory will be FLEETING, their empire a hollow SHELL… while WE will remain Decepticons…
PANEL NINE: EXT. PREDACON COMMAND STATION, SPACE
Ravage’s ship flies away from the station
CAPTION: FOREVER!
END
Obedience
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OCTOPUNCH
aka; “Sunken Treasure”
PANEL ONE:
Underwater.
Long shot of OCTOPUNCH (http://www.tfu.info/1989/Decepticon/Octopunch/octopunch.htm), in all his ugly diver/octopus pretender shell glory. He’s slowly wading along the murky seabed of an alien planet, a stream of bubbles trickles from him, silt clouding in the water from his footsteps.
CAPTION: I’ve done some pretty slaggin’ stupid things in my time.
PANEL TWO:
Even longer shot of Our Hero Octopunch, now a tiny figure dwarfed by the immensity of the sea… and by the huge techno-organic squid monster that he’s trudging towards! What are you DOING Octopunch, you rapscallion! The huge squid beast appears to be making its lair inside a crashed + sunken spaceship.
For bonus points, make the squid beast look like a bit like Takotank - http://www.tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/Ikard/takotank.jpg
CAPTION: But THIS?
CAPTION: This is NOTHING.
PANEL THREE:
Exterior, rocky, alien shore.
Group shot of STRANGLEHOLD (http://www.botchthecrab.com/archive/decepticon/1989/stranglehold.jpg), NEEDLENOSE (http://www.botchthecrab.com/archive/decepticon/1988/needlenose.jpg) and SNARLER (http://www.botchthecrab.com/archive/decepticon/1988/snarler.jpg) lounging around waiting for Octopunch to come back. It’s up to you whether or not the pretenders are their shells, though it might look a bit weird with Needlenose)
NEEDLENOSE: What’s TAKING Octopunch so LONG?
SNARLER: 20 Credits says he’s DEAD.
STRANGLEHOLD: You’re ON.
PANEL FOUR:
Underwater.
ACTION! Octopunch is fighting the HIDEOUS UNDERSEA MONSTER! Tentacles! Lasers! Bubbles! He’s not exactly winning, but he’s not losing either.
CAPTION: I am SO dead.
OCTOPUNCH: *Random string of symbols that clearly represent a burst of swearing*
CAPTION: Or I WOULD be…
PANEL FIVE:
Interior, runined spacecraft. It’s dark in here, heavy shadows. The battle outside can be seen through a tear in the hull.
Long on Octopunch’s INTERIOR ROBOT, in CRAB MODE. He’s scuttling along looking pleased with himself, as much as a robotic crab can.
CAPTION: …If I wasn’t remotely controlling my PRETENDER SHELL to distract big dumb and UGLY out there.
OCTOPUNCH: *The same string of profanity symbols as in panel five*
CAPTION: (Still hurts like a slaggin’ glitch though)
PANEL SIX:
Interior, deeper inside the runied spacecraft.
From slightly above and behind Octopunch, so we can just see his head, shoulders and claws. Deactivated corpses are strewn about, but the focus is on the AUTOBOT POWER CORE, a cool looking object the size of a small barrel. There’s also some gem-like crystals lying in the debris on the floor.
CAPTION: Ahh.. HERE we go. One experimental Autobot POWER CORE…
PANEL SEVEN:
Interior, as panel six.
Small panel, circular? CU of Octopunch’s claw holding one of the gem-like crystals.
CAPTION: …Plus a little BONUS for ME.
OCTOPUNCH: Heh heh heh.
PANEL EIGHT:
Exterior, the shore.
Long on Octopunch, now in ROBOT MODE standing beside his Pretender Shell, backs to the sea. Both have obviously just walked from the water. The Shell is damaged from the fight with the squid, but it’s holding the AUTOBOT POWER CORE. Both have bits of seaweed etc. clinging to them. Octopunch is looking extremely pleased with himself as he talks, the Pretender Shell looms silent and stoic.
OCTOPUNCH: …Then all I had to do was stick a couple of torpedos up its tail pipe, and BAM.
PANEL NINE:
Exterior, as Eight
Stranglehold, Needlenose and Snarler are staring directly out of frame, looks of surprise and horror on their faces.
CAPTION: I can see the AWE and ADMIRATION on their stupid faceplates.
PANEL TEN:
Exterior, as Eight
Similar framing to Eight, except focused on Octopunch’s Inner Robot (Pretender shell is not in frame). He’s smugly smiling, unaware that the squid beast he’s just claimed to have defeated is rising from the sea behind him, an EXTREMELY angry expression on its monsterous face.
CAPTION: What a bunch of SUCKERS.
END.
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