Monday 25 February 2013

Before Skizz

Incensed by Before Watchmen, I considered penning a parody featuring Alan Moore's 2000AD creation, Skizz. I had two serious goes at writing this, the first an out-and-out comedy, followed by a second version, much more akin to a pastiche, after I started to get interested in what a Skizz prequel might really be like. In the end I set aside the idea, and now it's so profoundly untopical as to be unlikely ever to see the light of day.

However, I don't think I have blogged one of my page breakdowns for a while, so here for your amusement is a panel by panel plan of the earlier, "funnier" Before Skizz...

Page 1

1)

Caption: Skizz was co-created by Alan Moore of Watchmen fame! Yes! So you are actually reading a brand new, Moore-quality comic right now!*

Caption: *Legal note: Alan Moore does not endorse this statement.

Skizz's spaceship approaches a small planet.

2)

Skizz in his cockpit.

Skizz: That planet looks interesting, computer.

Computer: Unfortunately, if we stop here you will be late for the Formalhaut Ore Discussions.

3)

Skizz: Ten clicks won't make any difference. Let's take a quick look around.

Computer: If we must.

4)

Spaceship lands by a huge, ancient, dilapidated Romanesque temple.

Page 2

1)

Skizz exits his ship.

2)

Skizz finds a plaque with indistinguishable alien characters written on it.

3)

Skizz runs his hand across the tablet, translating it as he does so.

Skizz: Temple.... of.... Glycon.

Link: Interesting.

4)

Skizz enters the temple.

5)

It's dark.

Skizz: Hello... hello.... anyone there?

Page 3

1)

A huge serpent bears above Skizz.

Serpent: artisticintegretiyartisticintegrityartisitic integrity.

2)

The serpent's move his face right up to Skizz's mask.

Serpent: artisticintegrityartisticintegrityartisticintegerity

Skizz: I am sorry, but what do you mean by “artistic integrity”?

3)

Serpent: Exactly my point!

4)

The serpent slithers off.

5)

Skizz looks confused.

Skizz: What a strange being.

Page 4

1)

Skizz goes back into to his ship.

2)

Computer: We're late now, Interpreter Zhcchz.

Skizz: Increase speed ten percent over safe limits.

3)

Computer: That's unsafe. Obviously. Denied.

Skizz: Overrule, it will be fine just this once!

4)

Computer: Tsk. If you insist. Brace yourself.

5)

Skizz's ship speeds away from the planet.

Caption: Ha, bad decision, Skizz!

Caption: Now Go and Buy the Skizz trade to see what happens next! The script is by Alan “Watchmen” Moore, who also wrote Watchmen. Did we mention that?

Saturday 16 February 2013

Picture Library Covered

The incomparable David Frankum has contributed this beautiful cover to the forthcoming Massacre For Boys Picture Library:

This amazing artwork was inspired by Zen Fusilier by Greg Meldrum & John Caliber, which I have trailed before and which is going to be one of the best strips we've ever published.

Here is the image again, in ebony and ivory:

Our thanks go to David for doing such a phenomenal job :)

Unfortunately, due to production difficulties not dissimilar to those that recently afflicted Futurequake, the launch date of Picture Library has been delayed. We could be looking at up to 12 months in order to get to a point where we have a comic we feel we can present to the world. I can only apologise to fellow creators and readers negatively impacted by this editorial fail.

However, there is an upside which is that work continues to pack even more classic British comic action into the issue, and that when it does appear it will have been worth the wait!