What original script would you want?

Sonofthor · June 2013

We all have original art that we would love to have, but what about original scripts. Is there an original script that you would love to have?

I would personally want the script from Green Lantern vol. 3, #48. The first appearance and creation of Kyle Rayner.

I would love to see the rest of your thoughts on this

John_Steed · June 2013

anything by René Goscinny

nweathington · June 2013

John_Steed said:
anything by René Goscinny

I don't read French, so that wouldn't do me much good. Not a bad choice otherwise though.

I’d probably pick Bone #2, with the awesome “Stupid, stupid rat creatures” scene, because Jeff’s scripts are in thumbnail layout form, and are as interesting to look at as they are to read.

Sonofthor · June 2013

nweathington said:

John_Steed said:
anything by René Goscinny
I don't read French, so that wouldn't do me much good. Not a bad choice otherwise though.

I’d probably pick Bone #2, with the awesome “Stupid, stupid rat creatures” scene, because Jeff’s scripts are in thumbnail layout form, and are as interesting to look at as they are to read.

I didn't know that about his scripts, that would be a really cool one to have!!!

kiwijase · June 2013

Anything by Alan Moore. His scripts contain so much description for the artist they make for fascinating reading.

WetRats · June 2013

Any chapter of Goodwin/Simonson's Manhunter, especially chapter 2.

David_D · June 2013

kiwijase said:
Anything by Alan Moore. His scripts contain so much description for the artist they make for fascinating reading.

I also enjoy- in the scripts of his I have seen (e.g. Watchmen, From Hell) that the vast amount of detail are given as suggestions. You really get a sense of his trying to inspire the artist by providing a lot of what he has imagined, but I didn't get the sense that he was trying to fence the artist in.

Also, to add to the discussion, I would love to see the scripts for Saga #1 and Ex Machina #1.

And the scripts for Batman Year One (though I would be disappointed if they weren't batshit crazy in some way).

David_D · June 2013

This topic reminds me-- does anyone have leads on resources of places online where comic scripts are posted?

Sonofthor · June 2013

Also, to add to the discussion, I would love to see the scripts for Saga #1 and Ex Machina #1.

And the scripts for Batman Year One (though I would be disappointed if they weren't batshit crazy in some way).

I would love to see the Batman Year One pages... I loved that story.

Saga would be crazy. that book is insane

nweathington · June 2013

Sonofthor said:

nweathington said:

John_Steed said:
anything by René Goscinny
I don't read French, so that wouldn't do me much good. Not a bad choice otherwise though.

I’d probably pick Bone #2, with the awesome “Stupid, stupid rat creatures” scene, because Jeff’s scripts are in thumbnail layout form, and are as interesting to look at as they are to read.
I didn't know that about his scripts, that would be a really cool one to have!!!

Most of the writer/artists I’ve talked with work that way, actually, when they're both writing and drawing. With some guys the thumbnails are little more than stick figures at that stage though. Jeff actually wrote that way on Rose as well, even though Charles Vess was drawing the story. Arnold Drake, who only wrote comics, worked that way too from what I understand.

David_D said:

kiwijase said:
Anything by Alan Moore. His scripts contain so much description for the artist they make for fascinating reading.
I also enjoy- in the scripts of his I have seen (e.g. Watchmen, From Hell) that the vast amount of detail are given as suggestions. You really get a sense of his trying to inspire the artist by providing a lot of what he has imagined, but I didn't get the sense that he was trying to fence the artist in.

Alan always goes out of his way to let his artists know they are more than free to tell the story however they feel best. Alan was another one who started out drawing his own scripts, so he has a strong visual sense when he writes. I think that’s why he writes so descriptively; I think it helps him get into his characters’ heads.

nweathington · June 2013

David_D said:
This topic reminds me-- does anyone have leads on resources of places online where comic scripts are posted?

I haven’t explored this site much, but it looks promising.

Sonofthor · June 2013

I haven’t explored this site much, but it looks promising.

This site is so awesome!!!!

RickM · June 2013

I was going to say "From Hell", but it seems like Moore was providing all of his background material to the reader in the massive appendix.

John_Steed · June 2013

RickM said:
I was going to say "From Hell", but it seems like Moore was providing all of his background material to the reader in the massive appendix.

Yep. That's an awesome example of a well researched book. Love it.

SolitaireRose · June 2013

The full script to Alan Moore's Twilight and Big Numbers

You didn't SAY it had to be a comic that was actually produced!

luke52 · June 2013

Alan Moores script of the anatomy lesson from his swamp thing run. One of my favourite individual issues ever.
Or Len Weins original Swamp Thing appearance in House of Secrets 92. That would be a great script to see.

Also agree with David D and a few others on Saga 1. Any of the Saga scripts would be cool to see though.

Greg · June 2013

Any issue of the following, if possible....

Walt Simonson's Thor
John Byrne's Fantastic Four
ROM Spaceknight
Roy Thomas' Avengers
Any issue of Amazing Spider-Man up through the bronze age.

nweathington · June 2013

Greg said:
Any issue of the following, if possible....

Walt Simonson's Thor
John Byrne's Fantastic Four

When Walt both writes and draws, he thumbnails first—just very loose, very sketchy gesture drawings, not much more than stick figures—then scripts from that, and John more or less works that way too.

Chuck_Melville · June 2013

I understand that some writers work that way as well; Steve Englehart and Len Wein in particular. They doodle out the story in thumbnail before writing a script in order to get the pacing down. They sometimes pass on the thumbnails to the artist, but with the caveat that, if they see a better way to tell the story visually, to ignore the writer's thumbnails and just go ahead with their best judgment. (That's what I've heard, anyway.)

David_D · June 2013

I am often struck (bot not surprised) in interviews by how many successful comic writers have also been, or at least have some aptitude to be, artists. I believe Morrison has said that he draws out a mock-up version of the books he scripts. Maybe Scott Snyder said that as well, in his interview with Kevin Smith? I forget. But I have heard a lot of writers talk about how they do a thumbnail or pre-visualization of the story, even if they don't end up sharing it with the artist.

(Although in some cases, perhaps ones where they have less trust in the artists' ability to interpret and be inspired by a script, they DO share those thumbnails. I could be remembering this wrong, but I believe that when Alan Moore wrote for Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefeld, he actually sent the thumbnails along with a dialogue script, rather than just scripting)

John_Steed · June 2013

I wonder if the authors interviewed by CGS have been asked that question? Did any of them talk about doing thumbnails and such?

Somebody please check all the episodes.....
:D

Greg · June 2013

@David_D, you are correct on the Morrison point and Geoff Johns said the same thing, I can't remember if Snyder said that or not.

I'd be quite happy to have Walt's or Byrne's sheets of story planning stick figures.

Chuck_Melville · June 2013

I once sat in on a class on storytelling that Will Eisner gave at the School of Visual Arts in NYC where he demonstrated on large sheets of newsprint -- I would have loved to have taken a few of those sheets away with me, but he carefully folded them up and took them with him afterwards.

David_D · June 2013

Greg said:
@David_D, you are correct on the Morrison point and Geoff Johns said the same thing, I can't remember if Snyder said that or not.

I'd be quite happy to have Walt's or Byrne's sheets of story planning stick figures.

Johns! That was it. I forgot that I heard Smith interview him, as well. I knew his background more as screenwriting and production, so I never guessed that he would have been someone to have an art background and draw things out in advance. So that one surprised me.

Sonofthor · June 2013

Greg said:
Any issue of the following, if possible....

Walt Simonson's Thor
John Byrne's Fantastic Four
ROM Spaceknight
Roy Thomas' Avengers
Any issue of Amazing Spider-Man up through the bronze age.

The Walt Simonson Thor would be amazing to get ahold of.

nweathington · June 2013

Len Wein actually hoped to break in as a penciler before he realized he had a much better chance as a writer, and Grant Morrison drew some of his own material when he was starting out. Grant might have become pretty decent at it if he’d stuck with it.
Roy Thomas drew short strips for fanzines in the ’60s. Steve Skeates drew lots of cartoon gag strips for fanzines and early indy comics.

A lot of well known comic book writers are guys who tried drawing comics but just weren’t good enough and/or fast enough to break in as artists.

Chuck_Melville · June 2013

nweathington said:
Len Wein actually hoped to break in as a penciler before he realized he had a much better chance as a writer, and Grant Morrison drew some of his own material when he was starting out. Grant might have become pretty decent at it if he’d stuck with it.
Roy Thomas drew short strips for fanzines in the ’60s. Steve Skeates drew lots of cartoon gag strips for fanzines and early indy comics.

A lot of well known comic book writers are guys who tried drawing comics but just weren’t good enough and/or fast enough to break in as artists.

"Fast enough" probably wouldn't be a problem today...

I'm pretty sure I saw Englehart doing some sort of art chore when he was writing for Warren in his pre-Marvel days, but I can't recall if it was inking or toning. And, of course, Alan Moore used to be a cartoonist before he took up writing.

Come to think of it, there are a number of writers who were cartoonists or comic artists before becoming writers, including Bill Willingham, Ed Brubaker and William Messner-Loebs.

nweathington · June 2013

Chuck_Melville said:

nweathington said:
Len Wein actually hoped to break in as a penciler before he realized he had a much better chance as a writer, and Grant Morrison drew some of his own material when he was starting out. Grant might have become pretty decent at it if he’d stuck with it.
Roy Thomas drew short strips for fanzines in the ’60s. Steve Skeates drew lots of cartoon gag strips for fanzines and early indy comics.

A lot of well known comic book writers are guys who tried drawing comics but just weren’t good enough and/or fast enough to break in as artists.
"Fast enough" probably wouldn't be a problem today...

I'm pretty sure I saw Englehart doing some sort of art chore when he was writing for Warren in his pre-Marvel days, but I can't recall if it was inking or toning. And, of course, Alan Moore used to be a cartoonist before he took up writing.

Come to think of it, there are a number of writers who were cartoonists or comic artists before becoming writers, including Bill Willingham, Ed Brubaker and William Messner-Loebs.

Englehart penciled and inked two or three stories for Warren, but he also penciled three short romance stories for Marvel and a couple of shorts for DC, all in the early ’70s.

Willingham still picks up the pencil on occasion. He drew the first few issues of Primal Force (which he also wrote), and he and Bucky switched roles for a Fables story recently.

And I think it should be noted that by cartoonist, we’re talking about someone who does everything including writing. Moore, Willingham, Brubaker, Messner-Loebs, and the like were writing from the very beginning as well as drawing.

davefaust · June 2013

I want:

Seven Soldiers of Victory #0 and #1
Promethea (all, but if I had to choose just one, then issue #12 with the tarot explanation and Aleister Crowley story)
Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1 and #2
Planetary issues #9 and #11

davefaust · June 2013

A few more I'd really want:

All-Star Superman #10
Saga #7
Flex Mentallo (all)
Casanova v.01 #1
Doktor Sleepless #2

dubbat138 · June 2013

I would love to see the scripts for the unpublished issues of Alan Moore's Big Numbers.

Howdy, Stranger!

Quick Links

Categories

What original script would you want?

Comments