ARTIST & WRITER PRACTICE SCRIPT (SuperHero)

Here is a comic book script, artists can use to practice interpreting a comic script, setting up sequential pages and helping to grow their portfolios. 

Writers can also use it to see how certain comic scripts are formatted: This is the comic script format I use (it's NOT the only style of script formatting, it's just the format I prefer).  I used this format when I entered and won (runner-up) the TOP COW TALENT HUNT CONTEST in 2015. 

Artist who would like their sequential art samplings reviewed by me (based on this script) can follow me and message me on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kelly.bender.7127?fref=ts or TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/KellyBender17

ARTIST TIP:  Make sure you see how much dialogue is required for each panel while you are laying out the page.  The general rule is 70/30  70% for art 30% for dialogue per page. This rule may change depending on the amount of dialogue required.  Keep that in mind.  

WRITERS:  I like this format because it really separates the varying components to the script.  

At a first glance the art team can easily see WHAT page it is and HOW MANY panels are required for this page. 

SUPERHERO Practice Script – by Kelly Bender                                                 Page 01

Page 01 (4 Panels)

PANEL 1

The dialogue is separated from the panel descriptions to make it stand out, and it really makes it easier for everybody to see.  REMINDER that in the very beginning of your careers the art team will most likely be working at night (after their real jobs, and their kids are put to bed), by simplifying it and separating the details it makes it easier, quick and less frustrating for your team to work on it. 

SUPERHERO Practice Script – by Kelly Bender                                                Page 01

Page 01 (4 Panels)

PANEL 1 (thin width of the page)

We are looking at the outline of an Alternate New York city at night.  We can see skyscrapers and other tall buildings. There are pointed topped buildings and only 1 flat roofed one which is a bit lower than the others, but near the middle of the image. That’s the one we’ll be focusing on.

CAPTION 1:

Steel City.

CAPTION 2:

It didn’t used to be called that. 

PRACTICE SCRIPT - SUPERHERO STYLE: "STEEL TOWN" 

DEATH-RATTLER issue 1 available on Comixology now!

DEATH-RATTLER issue 1 (of 4) is available on COMIXOLOGY right now from my publisher MARKOSIA

https://www.comixology.com/Death-Rattler-1-of-4/digital-comic/268898

Outline: 

It was an age of Magic & Science, Steam & Steel.

It was a new frontier, but old ways die hard.

The Devil's Cross Gang ruled the land and the law was helpless to stop them. But there was hope coming.

An orphaned daughter of a murdered farmer is on a quest to rip the world of the gang who killed her pa.

The woman known only as...DEATH-RATTLER.

Co-Created & Written: Me (KELLY BENDER) 

Co-Created & Illustrations: RYAN DOWNING

Inks: IVAN MIRANDA

Colors: ALAN BAY

"Convoy of Corpses" being published by INSANE COMICS

"CONVOY OF CORPSES" will be published by INSANE COMICS

Outline:
Highway #1 in Afghanistan from Kabul to Kandahar is the world’s most dangerous highway.

It is often referred to as the “highway to hell” or “hell’s highway”.

A United States military convoy is assigned with transporting a BBC news crew from Kandahar to Naw Abad, the BBC news crew wants to report on the war in Afghanistan and they quickly realize that the real story of the war is the Highway itself.

Between Taliban attacks, Car bombs, treacherous narrow corners and roadways, the BBC news crew find out first hand why it’s called the world’s most dangerous highway.

COMING SUMMER 2015 FROM INSANE COMICS

CONVOY OF CORPSES CREDITS

Creator & Writer - KELLY BENDER (Me) ​
Illustrations - Andi Supriyono​ (aka Van Choran)
Inks -  Ivan Miranda​ Ivan Miranda
Colors - Amitabha Naskar​
Letter - Nic J. Shaw
Cover - Tom Kelly
Pinup - Ken Perry

‪#InsaneComics‬ ‪#Comics #ComicBooks #IndieComics #WarComics #War #Afghanistan #Fiction #IndyComics #MakeComics #MakingComics #ComicCon #ComicArt #MilitartComics #Military

SNARL is available on Digital Platforms

SNARL is a 40 page stand alone original crime comic book from the publisher ALTERNA COMICS

Co-Created & Illustrations: NATHAN KELLY
PURCHASE HERE:

Co-Created & Written: KELLY BENDER (Me)
Colors: JOSH JENSEN
Letters: MICAH MYERS

COMIXOLOGY
AMAZON KINDLE
BARNES & NOBLE NOOK

BARNES & NOBLE

"The LEAF" meets the "INTERNAUTS" story

I wrote a 16 page stand alone comic book story for publisher RED LEAF COMICS

It's a story about an alternative reality where CANADA never existed, thus "the LEAF" never existed!  So "The LEAF" and the "INTERNAUTS" race back through time to stop the anomaly and correct the timeline.

The Comic book will be available SPRING 2015 on DRIVE THRU COMICS & INDY PLANET

Story: Me ( KELLY BENDER )
Art & Colors: JAMES LEONG 

Characters Copyright - RED LEAF COMICS, LLC

Here's a sample:

"Sadistic" Anthology Story I wrote 2 years ago.

"Sadistic" is the fourth anthology story I ever wrote. I wrote it 2 years ago this March.

It was written for publisher EVIL MOOSE COMICS

"Sadistic" is a "joker" type of homicidal character with the ability to when he dies to steal another dying person's soul and be reborn.  How do you kill an un-killable?

This anthology story was supposed to be the lead into the 4 issue miniseries of the comic, but unfortunately EVIL MOOSE COMICS has since closed it's doors :(

I still want to finish off the original 4 issue miniseries.

It's basically about "Sadistic" killing off as many "super heroes" as he can and them trying to contain him as they can't kill him.

It's "Authority" (Mark Millar run) meeets "Joker" meets "Planetary" (as the heroes all pay homage to famous ones).

Created & Written: Me KELLY BENDER
Illustrations & Inks: BRYANT YINI 
Colors: PASCAL VERHOEF 
Letters: MICAH MYERS 

"Jewel of Man" one page complete story

"Jewel of Man" is a One-Page complete story created for the anthology "THE PROMPT" 

Written: Kelly Bender
Art & Colors: James Leong
Letters: Micah Myers

"The Prompt" is an anthology created by Nic J Shaw. It is a challenge to make a complete one page comic book based on a prompted theme.

This prompted theme was "Coming home..."

Here is how this one page story became a completed comic page:

STEP 1:  SCRIPT

I wrote a script for artist James Leong & letterer Micah Myers.

A typical comic book script I write is formatted like this:

Jewel of Man   By Kelly Bender                                                                                        Page 01

PAGE 01 (8 PANELS)

PANEL 01 (panel 1 is tall and narrow)

This is our location shot. CAMERA IS ZOOMED back and we’re looking at a KNIGHT riding on a horse that’s going up a mountain trail covered in snow, there is a cave near the top.  NO DETAILS REQUIRED IN THE RIDER AND THE HORSE JUST SILHOUETTES. The main focus is the location Mountain with a cave.

TITLE:

Jewel of Man

CAPTION:

For Centuries men have been pining for the jewel.    

PANEL 02 (panel 2 and 3 are wider and on top of each other next to panel 1.  Panel 2 and 3 onto of each other is the same height as panel 1)

We’re looking at the knight walking towards us (WAIST UP) we can see she is wearing armor and a helmet. Her SWORD is out and she has a torch (you know the kind with the stick and the cloth?) WE WANT TO HIDE THE FACT THAT IT’S A FEMALE UNTIL PANEL 6!!  

CAPTION:

Deep within these caverns rests the one heavenly trinket that man yearns for most.  

PANEL 03

We can see the KNIGHT walking down the path in the cave His sword still out and holding onto the torch.  There are pieces of armor with skeleton bones coming out of them, and swords stuck into the ground.  Many men have died trying to posses the jewel.

CAPTION:

Its location has been widely known, and yet that it still alludes capture has driven the wisest of men to madness.

PANEL 04

We can see an opening in the CAVE a small room, We are looking at the back of The KNIGHT who is on the LEFT, she is standing there, and her sword is lowered and the torch up.  To illuminate the room.  The JEWEL (it is a red jewel) is there on a small mound of skeleton bones.  The jewel is on the small mound as nobody can touch it with ANYTHING without dying.  The mound is just past the KNIGHTS chest in height off the ground.

BETWEEN the KNIGHT and the JEWEL we can see dozens of skeleton bones lying there on the ground. 

CAPTION 1:

Kings have spent fortunes and lost many brave souls trying to obtain it.

CAPTION 2:

Minstrels sing ballads pertaining to the allusiveness of the jewel, and how no man will ever possess it.

PANEL 5 (small panel)

Just the feet of the hero as she’s walking and has dropped her helmet. There are skeleton bones on the ground.

SFX:

Tink! (metal helmet hitting the ground)  

PANEL 6

We can see the KNIGHT face and long hair now. We can tell it’s a girl!!  She is just about to touch the JEWEL (like INDIANA JONES and the gold statue from Raiders of the lost ark :)) the Jewel is glowing now.

CAPTION:

But I’m no man!

PANEL 7

We can see the KNIGHT is turned to a skeleton in a flash.  JUST an effect like you’d draw a body in the fire.  But this is a skeleton.

SFX:

Foosh! (like a blast of energy or fire)

SFX:

Ahhhhh!

PANEL 8

We can see the SKELETON fingers of the woman falling away from the jewel.

CAPTION: (at the top)

The end

CREDITS: (bottom of the panel or along the bottom in the black part)

Story: Kelly Bender

Art: James Leong

Letters: Micah Myers

PENCILS