Here's a ditty I've been working on when I have the time. Just three pages, but I think you still get a pretty good idea of the characters and where it's going. I'd tell the story, but I don't want to give it away. You know, in case it ever actually materializes (yeah right). Anyway, The Widowmaker is aimed to be a 6 issue run. So here's a taste.
PAGE ONE (six panels)
Panel 1. Medium shot, larger panel. MICKEY DULLAHAN sits in a dark, and empty basement. He rests his hands on the arms of a worn down easy chair. Bundled up news papers decorate the floor. An old shoddy staircase ends itself in the corner of the blackened basement. The single overhead light makes dark patches under his brow, doing it’s best to hide his scars and wrinkles, but his age of 66 cracks through the shadows. His chest wide, and barreled, as fit as an older man can be, with the physique of a Clint Eastwood. His face and posture convey a feeling of regret, and hatred that burn beneath his skin. His gray hair gives way to sandy colored whiskers that were once bright red. He wears a dirty V neck white t shirt, a pair of navy blue dickies, and red woolen slippers. He stares with ice in his eyes, ahead at the basement wall, not visible to us, as we see Mickey from the wall’s POV.
Panel 2. Close up. Mickey’s hazel eyes stare coldly ahead. Now the crow’s feet, the bags, and the scars, reveal the true character of his face. Weathered, and worn down, but his eyes still look to be at the prime age of 25. He glares ahead at the wall, but it seems like he’s actually looking at us.
Panel 3. Medium wide shot. Micky continues to stare ahead. BOB WASHINGTON peaks his head from the last steps of the stair case. He looks at Mickey from afar with face of concern, and curiousness. Bob’s figure is no more than an outline, but his face half exposed by the light. Small streaks of grey can be seen, standing out from the rest of his hair’s jet black scheme. His figure towers, looking fit, powerful, and strong.
Panel 4. Medium close up. Micky sits undisturbed, and unaware of Bob’s presence. Bob has no made his way to the chair, standing directly behind
Mickey. Only seen from the knees to his stomach, he wears khaki colored pants, and a printed button up shirt, much like a golfer’s.
BOB: Am I interrupting anything?
Panel 5. Mickey’s POV, Closeup. Bob looks down at Mickey with a playful smirk. His face is the perfect picture of an American Icon. His hair, neat and well kept, almost as if it’s made out of plastic. His squared jawed has a personality almost to it’s own. His bright blue eyes look at Mickey with the look of timeless friendship. Bob does not look a day over 40, and even that’s a stretch.
1 MICKEY (OP): Oh. Bob, I didn’t even hear you come–
2 BOB: Your front door was open, let myself in.
Panel 6. Long shot, Larger panel. Bob and Mickey both stare ahead at the wall, we look at them from the wall’s POV. Mickey holds his stare, Bob looks on at the wall with worrisome, his perfect eyebrows arch, creating a steeple of wrinkles on his forehead. Micky sits, still, with a cold presence.
1 MICKEY: It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
2 BOB: Certainly stirs up some memories.
3 MICKEY: It’s Goddamn beautiful.
4 BOB: C’mon Mickey.. How’s about a cup of coffee?
PAGE 2
Panel 1 Medium close shot. Mickey stands over a stuffed sink in his kitchen. Bob sits at a cluttered kitchen table, not yet visible to us. The kitchen looks like a toilet from a condemned building. Dishes pile high, along with garbage, and moldy food. Greenish tiles decorated with flowers show the kitchen’s outdated early 70's decor. Mickey’s old, strong hands fumble around a coffee mug. The suds from soap clash with calloused knuckles, making bubbles around the cracks of skin on Micky’s hands.
Panel 2. Close up. Mickey looks down at the mug, a bored look on his face, but apologetic. The little sunlight let in from a nearby window shines against Mickey’s unshaven face, bringing out their reddish hue. The deep bags under Mickey’s eyes look like they were painted on with a magic marker, his eyes sunken in.
1 MICKEY: You’ll have to excuse the mess, I aint really
much fer house keepin’.
2 BOB (OP): Don’t worry about it. If I didn’t have Shelly,
Lord knows I’d be up a creek!
3 MICKEY: Yeah, well, I never had a ‘Shelly’, so I guess
I’ve always been up a ‘creek’ of sorts.
Panel 3. Medium shot. Bob sits down in Mickey’s kitchen at the table, with his legs crossed. He looks as disgustingly handsome as he possibly could in an ugly kitchen. The kitchen table is cluttered with papers, and garbage. A steaming coffee pot sits in the middle, looking out of place. He smirks on at Mickey, as Mickey approaches the table with a couple of coffee mugs, hunching over to set them down. Mickey’s face looks like its about to crack off from the small smile at the corner of his lips.
1 BOB: Well, hopefully you can still make a good cup
of coffee Mick.
2 MICKEY: There’s some things even I can’t screw up.
Panel 4. Medium shot. Mickey settles into the chair, still smiling, Bob smiling back at him. They don’t look at each other but they smile the way old men will when they’ve said something they’re pleased with. Mickey pours Bob his coffee.
Panel 5. Mickey’s smile fades, as well as Bob’s. Both of them seem to not want to look at each other. Mickey pours himself a cup of coffee.
PAGE 3
Panel 1 Medium shot. Bob and Mickey sip their coffee, they look uncomfortable, not knowing how to get past a conversation made of small talk. Bob looks out the window with the corner of his eye. Mickey looks more concerned with the contents of his Coffee cup.
Panel 2 Medium shot. Mickey drinks his coffee. Bob scrunches his lips, almost looking as if he’s whistling. The two old men sit uncomfortably together, nearly ignoring one another.
Panel 3. Medium shot. Mickey hangs his head down, rubbing it with his left hand, admitting defeat in the amateur staring contest he and Bob have been having. Bob arches an eyebrow, surprised by Mickey’s submission. Bob looks surprised for Mickey’s uncharacteristic gesture of opening the panel for conversation.
MICKEY: Christ Bob..
Panel 4. Close up. Staring down at the table, Mickey hangs his head, searching for words to say. His mouth slightly open, speaking softly with remorse.
MICKEY: How long’s it been?
Panel 5. Close up. Bob folds his lips inward, raising his eyebrows, remembering the past. His left hand cradles his perfect chin that creates a shadow on his thick neck.
BOB: Since before Alana’s wake..
MICKEY (OP): I’m sorry--
Panel 6. Medium shot. The two men sit at the kitchen table, as we view their profiles. Bob slightly more turned to us, siting with his dad like posture, legs crossed, in his golfer’s outfit. Mickey’s body language conveys regret, like a dog with it’s tail between it’s legs. The coffee steam rises up to an old outdated lamp that hangs from a chain over the kitchen table.
MICKEY: –I should’ve been there..
BOB: I got the card.
MICKEY: I just didn’t wanna be involved in a
Circus. That’s not how it shoulda been.
I just couldn’t–
BOB: Mick, don’t worry, I got the card, it was nice.
I always knew it was gonna be cancer that got her,
It was the only thing she couldn’t control.
