A Whale on a Cliff

Fun with Jenn: Eating Chips

2011-08-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

Salt and vinegar chips are oddly addicting.

Stuff Mom Says....

2011-08-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

Mom says weird stuff sometimes... This is just one of many examples!

Mom came home once with a nice plant.

Here is what happened:

Smartness

2011-08-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

This is a conversation Mom and Dad had one day...

Dead Caterpillar

2010-12-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

I just got over being sick. I hate being sick because I never get a tiny cold; it's always a full-blown-sleep-for-days kind of sick.

When I was in school, the the first major I was in had a very strict attendance policy (I know, attendance in college seems very high school). Missing class was always detrimental for your grade. Sick people would drag themselves to class for fear of their grades being dropped a half or full letter (I can't remember which) but it was enough to scare us into mobility.

Your Name is Murphy

2010-12-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've come to the realization that, perhaps, I can be a little clumsy, accident prone and occasionally unfortunate. I never really thought about it until my friend gave me a new name....

Ants! Damn Fire Ants!

2010-12-19T16:36:00.000-08:00

The above comic has me at the end with an allergic reaction to an ant bite.

This is the full story:

freakin' Floridian wildlife...

Let's Pet the Dog!

2010-12-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

Since I was little I've had an uneasy relationship with dogs. In passing, they're fine. And yes, puppies are fun to look at for about 7 minutes, but most of the time dogs don't really seem to like me.

Perhaps they can sense my hesitation to pet them, desire to remain drool-free or maybe they're not used to Asian people. Whatever the reason, this is what happens when I get near dogs:

5 Irrational Fears

2010-12-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

I am a quirky person. Most things don't bother me too much, but the things that do are rather peculiar things.

Here are 5 irrational fears that I have. I hope no one messes with me now...

Questions in the Car

2010-12-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

When you're in the car it's nice to talk sometimes.

When I was in high school, my older sister was driving me somewhere and decided to try to strike up conversation.

Sometimes it's also nice to ride in silence.

Adventure to Clearwater, Parts I, II, II+1/2 and III

2010-12-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so a little while ago I posted Adventure to Clearwater, Part III. At the time, I thought the Clear water adventure was going to be a three-parter, but I was mistaken. So, I now present to you:

Adventure to Clearwater Parts I, II, II+1/2 and III

I'm not a very angry person.
In fact, very few people have actually seen me angry or even pissed off.
At the most, I think I usually get irritated or testy, but hardly ever truly, honestly angry.
So this was rather unusual.

And it was the first and only time I ever had PMS.

Thank god.

True story.
Second semester of my Junior year in college.

Hair Dyeing for Cathy

2010-08-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

To clarify further how I could accidentally dye her hair blue... this is how:

I had to boxes of burgundy colored dye, both of which I had for a few years. There was a Korean brand that we decided to use, and when I opened it, there were two tubes of color, and to bottles of the creme to mix with the dye... which was weird, since that's double the amount that should be in there.

I didn't really think anything of it. When I squeezed it out of the tube, it was a dark rusty color but when it started to oxidize more, it went from a reddish color, to more of a dark, cold grey. By this time, most of it was in her hair, and I thought it was a little funny, but it was only a fleeting feeling.

When she started to rinse out her hair... that's when I KNEW something was wrong.... the dye was definately blue!

Luckily, she thought it was more funny than anything :) It's a very dark blue, so unless she's in direct sunlight, it looks black.

When I Can't Sleep

2010-08-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

For the last month or so when I was living with Joe, I woke up freakishly early almost every morning. Usually, I would get up and do something to occupy myself.... but every now and then I would want some company...

Joe always tells me I'm like a spoiled kitten (only sometimes! when i want attention...) and I think he's right :3

Adventure to Clearwater, Part III

2010-08-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know the header says Part III, because in the sequence of the day, this was the third event that happened.

The whole start to our adventure that day began with me being unspeakably angry, so Mari whisked me away on a magical journey....

Parts I and II are on their way.... So the rest of the story will be filled in... backwards-ish...

But here is Part III

CO Side Effects

2010-08-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

I remember talking to my mom after Joe and I got CO poisoning, and commenting on how we seemed a lot slower than normal. She started laughing and said "Oh no! It's two stupid people living together! Hahahaha...."

This was our daily life for a few months:

A Horrifying Discovery....

2010-08-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

Lauren was traumatized by a horrific find one day when she decided to clean out the fridge... It is a most chilling tale, indeed!

Something Urgent!

2010-08-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

One day, Joe came home with very urgent news...:

The Tale of Tumor Cat

2010-08-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

The tale of Tumor Cat took place my sophomore year of college...

I can't remember words very well....

2010-08-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

So, I had carbon monoxide poisoning in January of this year, and one of the main affects I experienced was damage to my vocabulary.... Which can some times be very funny...

This was when I was helping my friend make armatures. We were working with wire, and when I work wth wire it usually tears up my fingers a little.

And then the conversation went like this:

People still think I'm a high schooler....

2010-08-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

I was looking for some part time employment this summer.... I got asked this question very frequently. Even a random lady on the escalator asked me if I was going back to school and what grade I was gonna be in...

Douche Bag Hunting!

2010-04-30T05:08:00.000-07:00

Story Synopsis

2009-11-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a synopsis of a story I've been working on. It's a synopsis so that they can get an idea of what the story is...

Part One: Fairest of Them All

Once upon a time, there was a rich and powerful king. He was dashing and handsome, yet he was cruel and selfish. Used to only having the very best, he decided it was time for him to wed. Set on obtaining the most beautiful woman, he rejected the nobles and princesses presented to him and traveled his kingdom far and wide to find a woman worthy of him. Along his travels, he stumbled into an apple orchard, and there the King met a most stunning woman. Yet, she was already happily married and had a daughter.
This did not deter the King. He murdered the husband and carried the woman away, leaving her daughter alone, with nothing but her fathers corpse and the orchard.
Grieving and full of rage, the daughter held onto her father's body and wept. The sun set and rose, and in the morning, she heard voices calling to her. One by one, seven snowy doves came to her, speaking in sweet voices and offering her comfort.
Desiring the power for revenge, the girl asked the doves of ways to make her a great and powerful sorceress; for one day she was going to kill the man who ruined her life. The doves promised her magic and glory beyond her wildest dreams, but only under three conditions:
She must give them the home that she and her parents shared. It is to be theirs to retire to at night, and she must never visit or see them after the sun sets. She was to cook her father's body into a stew and gather the bones in the morning after they have dined and bury them.
The last condition, the girl must not speak for seven years.
She considered these conditions, and her burning for vengeance consumed her. The girl left the cottage to the birds; then butchered her father's corpse for the doves gruesome meal. In the morning, she gathered the bones and buried them and waited for the next morning.
When she woke, she found a beautiful white tower in the place where her fathers bones were laid to rest. It was her new home, filled with volumes of magic, potions and instruments for darker arts. Every day, she doves would come and instruct her in the ways of magic but would always leave by sundown.
This is how the girl passed her time for six and a half years. She grew to be a great beauty, but cold and cruel. Rumors spread, whispering of a powerful sorceress in withered orchard.
And one night, when her seven years of silence were almost up, a voice called to her from outside her tower window. She peered down and was shocked to see the man who had come years before and shattered her life. The King asked for her hand in marriage, and, seeing her chance for revenge, the Sorceress answered "Yes." and was gone with the King before the sun came up.

Part Two: Beauty and the Beast

The woman from the orchard was wed to the King against her will. Though she as kept in the greatest comfort, adorned with gold and diamonds, she was a prisoner in a gilded cage. Her every move was watched for she had tried to take her life time and time again. The woman's attempts on her life grew more dire once the King planted his seed in her. Horrified at the child growing inside her, the Queen desperately tried to end her life and the life of the child, but it was all to no avail.
When the child was born, it was not a joyous occasion. The King sneered at his new daughter, for she was a she and not a he. Her mother shunned her, refusing to even look or touch the child.
At first, the nurses felt pity for the babe. She was a beautiful child, with clear green eyes, a full head of dark hair and fair, glowing skin. Yet, she never cried or laughed and it unnerved her care takers.
Belladonna grew up loveless. Her father eventually found a little worth in his daughter because she was a pretty little thing. She would be a prize later on in life, easy to marry off to the highest bidder.
As she grew, her mothers attempts at suicide began to turn into attempts on Belladonna's life as well. First, the Queen tried to brush her hair with a poisoned comb, feed her foxglove and lastly try to jump from a tower with the young princess.
At six, Belladonna was left motherless. After a year, the King decided to marry again, and left on his quest to find a beautiful woman. He had heard whispers of a powerful sorceress who was also beautiful and he set his sights on her.

Part Three: Witch

The Sorceress comes to the castle in hopes of seeking revenge on the King. The two are wed and she also meets Belladonna. Reminded of both her mother and the King when she looks at the young princess, the Sorceress becomes distraught and orders the girl be kept away from her so she can continue her magics in peace.
While the Sorceress desires to get her vengeance, the riches and resources of the palace and being queen seduce her. With the King's erratic whereabouts, opportunities to kill him without suspicion are difficult.
The Sorceress keeps her contact with Belladonna limited, not knowing with to do with her. Belladonna is wary and slightly fearful that this woman is also going to try to kill her.
As Belladonna grows, she becomes a great beauty. Her looks attract the attention of many, including her own father. The Sorceress notices his untoward looks to the girl and is sickened by it.
She kills him with a poison apple, at the same time framing him for the murder of his daughter. Wanting the whole kingdom for herself, she whisks Belladonna away to the old tower where she used to live. The Sorceress cannot bring herself to harm the girl, but at the same time is disgusted by her resemblance to the King.
Leaving the young Belladonna, the Sorceress returns to the Palace to rule.

Part Four: The Seven Doves

Belladonna beings her new life locked away in a tower. Frantic, she tries to find an way out, but by then, vines and thorns have crept into the tower and sealed the windows and doors. Fearful that she will die up in tower, Belladonna calls out for help.
The seven doves show up, and tell her that she can be free only on three conditions: She must not speak for seven years, she cannot visit them in the dark, and she must not leave the dead orchard. They will provide her anything she needs.
Not quite fond of home, and with nowhere else to go, Belladonna agrees to the terms. For a year, she finds the home the doves have made for her comfortable, but feels listless at the life she leads.
One day, while roaming the dead orchard, she stumbles across an old, rundown cottage. Knowing the doves had been gone for a few days, Belladonna becomes very curious as to what is in their home. She enters to find the place littered with human bones and bodies. Barrels line the walls, with people stuffed inside, and a few hang from the rafters by their throat. However, one body is placed under a glass case. It is a prince, one the doves have saved as a delicacy, stil breathing.
Compassion moves Belladonna to free the prince. When he wakes up, she embraces her, thankful for his release. He asks her many questions, but seeing as how she already betrayed the doves once, Belladonna refused to speak. The prince takes her for a mute, and pities her. He showers her with kind words of thanks, the first Belladonna had ever heard in her life. She is moved by his kindness towards her.
For the next few days, she nurses him back to health, while telling him through writing and drawings about the doves. He urges her to break her silence and come with him, but she feels hesitant.
The two grow fond of one another, and as the prince begins to declare his feelings for her, something bursts into the room. The doves fly in, only to turn into awful goblins, who seize the prince and turn him into a stag. The sew Belladonna's mouth shut to keep her silent, then turn her out into the woods as well. Distraught, she looks for the prince before he gets shot by hunters.

Part Five: Snake Leaves

When she finds the prince, it is too late. Two hunters have slew him, but moved by the girls' tears they give her the skin of the stag before departing. Belladonna wanders the woods, not knowing where to go.
One day, as she is taking refuge in a hollow tree, she hears men from outside. They are discussing what animals is up in the tree. One man come up to investigate, to find her sitting in the tree, shrouded by the skin of the stag. Taking pity on her, he coaxes her down. Seeing her mouth sewn shut, the man carefully cuts the strings.
The kind man turns out to be a King of a neighboring country. Seeing the sad state of Belladonna, appoints her a simple scullery maid position in the castle. He is a kind man, and every now and then, inquires about the strange, sad girl she found in the woods.
One day, the king falls ill and people are frantic to find a cure. Belladonna is saddened, for the king had been very kind to her. She hears whispers that the water from the Well o' the Worlds End can cure him. Everyone seems too fearful to go, so Belladonna sets off on her own, shrouded in her stag-skin.
After a long trek, she finds the well. It is covered in ivy and appears dry. Disheartened, she returns home but finds herself caught in an awful storm. She takes cover underneath the stag-skin, but sees a small white snake shivering trying to find shelter. She offers to share her shelter with the poor creature. In the morning, she finds the snake gone, but it returns to her, carrying three leaves.
The snake takes one of these leaves and puts it on the body of a dead bird. The bird hops up and flies away. She takes one of the leaves and places it on the skin of the dead stag and her prince if brought back to life.

Part Six: Wicked Step Mother

Belladonna rejoices at the return of the Prince. However, her happiness is short lived, because he remembers nothing of her or the doves. Heartbroken, she can do nothing else but follow as the Prince tries to find his way home. As they travel, a villager recognizes Belladonna as the princess. They have returned to her old home, and upon hearing that Belladonna is out and about, the Sorceress becomes wary.
Under the guise of being a caring maternal figure, she demands that her stepdaughter be brought home to her. Along with Belladonna comes the Prince, seeing this as an opportunity to get back to his home. Upon meeting the Sorceress, the two fall in love, leaving Belladonna devastated.
As she watches the lovers, Belladonna realizes that what she loved was the idea of the Prince, someone who had been kind to her. His true colors show as he covets the riches of the Sorceress, and Belladonna begins to see him as nothing more than a hollow man.
She leaves in the night, and returns to the King who showed her kindness. When she arrives, she is not recognized as the scullery maid, but is welcomed as a Princess.
She is taken at once to the King, who is near death. Belladonna places the last leaf the little snake gave her onto the King's chest and he is cured. Recognizing her at once as the girl in the hollow tree, the King embraces her and thanks her for bringing her life.
He invites her to stay for as long as she likes, and a romance begins to bloom between the two.
Belladonna and the King become betrothed, much to the delight of everyone. She is well liked by the court and the King is a kind, generous man, loved by his people. As preparations are made for the wedding, Belladonna receives word that her stepmother and her husband have passed away. She is now the heir to the throne.
She is unmoved by the news of her stepmother's death and new kingdom because there are no happy memories of the place. Belladonna continues on with the wedding as planned. As she begins to don her wedding gown, her lady in waiting stabs her in the chest.
Seven goblins appear as Belladonna's vision fades.
The woman who stabbed Belladonna sheds her disguise. She pricks Belladonna's finger and adds a drop of her blood to a vial. When she drinks it, her face and hair change to Belladonna's and she begins to prepare for the wedding.
Belladonna's body is taken by the goblins.

Part Seven: Cinders and Nettles

Once upon a time, there were seven goblins. They were horrible creatures, spreading death and disease where ever they went. The villagers cried for help, and went to the witch at the outskirts of the town. She was wary of the villagers. They had always shunned her and her ways, but she saw the desperation in their eyes and took pity on them. She sewed seven nets from nettles, weaving enchantments into them and gave them to the villagers. One net for each goblin, and they would be rendered harmless.
The villagers went in thanks, and did as the Witch said. The goblins turned into doves and flew away, and the villagers were appeased. As time went on, they forgot what the witch had done for them and began to return to their old ways. They blamed failing crops on her, dry creek beds and ill children. When a child was stillborn, they took to her house, burning it to drive the Witch out.
Vengeful, she sought out the doves and told them that even though she could not lift the curse, she could help them wreak havoc on the village. The doves did not know she was the one to give the villagers the nets, and listened to her carefully. She made them a bitter tea, promising after sundown they could go back to their true forms. If they could find a young maiden willing to keep silent for even years and never see their true form, they would be completely released.
The doves thanked the witch then returned to the village. At sundown, they returned to their true form and devastated the village, leaving not even a chicken alive or a blade of grass unpulled.
The witch looked upon the dead village with satisfaction, and left.
From that moment on, the doves/goblins traveled from place to place, trying to find a girl who would keep her silence for seven years. They failed time and time again, and after Belladonna was turned out, they doves were in distress. They made off to find the Witch to see if there was no other way to lift the curse.
They found her new home, on the edge of a great wood. However, the Witch had died leaving her daughter to carry on her work. The girl, named Elanora, was a dirty little thing; covered in soot from sitting too close to the hearth. The doves pleaded their case, and Elanora considered their situation. She told them there was nothing that she could do for them, but offered to be silent for seven years. She wanted riches and power, and upon hearing their story, figured that if she helped the doves with their revenge, they could put her in place of the Sorceress or Belladonna.
To ensure her silence, she cuts out her tongue and places it in the cinders in the hearth.

Part Nine: The False Bride

The goblins drag Belladonna's body to the woods and turn her into an apple, a small blade sticking out of it. Cackling, they leave and return to the palace.
The wedding begins, with Elanora playing the part of Belladonna poorly. Her manners are sharp and unpleasant. She covets the jewels and riches and shuns those she thinks of dressed poorly or beneath her. The King is puzzled by this behavior, especially her eagerness to inherit her stepmother's kingdom.
As he thinks, the King hears a tapping on the glass. He turns to see a small apple sitting on the sill and picks it up. Curiously, there is a small blade stuck in it. As the King moves to pull it out, something dark comes from above and knocks it from his hand. Startled, the King closes the window, thinking a crow must have gotten the apple. Sitting above the window is a goblin, holding the apple. It throws it into the woods.
The King is visited again by the apple as it rolls towards his feet as he makes his way to the ballroom. He bends down to pick it up, but again, something dark and rough whisks it away. He tries to dismiss it as a rat, but is unnerved by the mysterious apple. In a dark corner, another goblin crouches in the shadows. It goes outside and drops the apple down a well.
As the King uneasily exchanges vows with a fake Belladonna, the apple appears to him once again, laboriously being carried by a little white snake. The King stops Elanora from stepping on the small creature and scoops it up, apple and all.
He plucks the knife from the apple, and Belladonna is released, a wound in her chest, but still alive. The false bride is revealed.

aaaaaaaaaand.... i'm still working on how it ends.

Family Story

2009-09-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

Family Story

Cruise Fun with Charli! Episode One: Douche-Bag Hunting

Setting: Cruise ship cabin

Panel A: Me looking at my sister, she's sniffling and tearing up, obviously upset.

Panel B: I am thinking, my sister is getting more upset, the tears are about the flow.
Me: (thought bubble) "What's a fun, normal way to cheer up my sister?"

Panel C: I am throwing my arms up in the air, I have a great a idea!. My sister looks a little less upset, the upset that has left is now replaced with confusion.
Me: "Let's go douche-bag hunting!"
Cathy: "Wha...? Why?"
Me: "Because...."

Panel D: I stand there, smiling with my hand on my hips. There are twinkly lights about me and Cathy's tears are gone, looking at me with puzzlement.
Me: "It's important!"
Cathy: "What are you talking about...?"

Panel E: I am dragging my sister along my her hand, her feet aren't even touching the ground.
Me: "I'm gonna show you how to identify douche-bags because it'll make you happy!"
Cathy: "...really?"
Me: "YES."

Page Two

Setting: Cruise ship deck

Panel A: Cathy is standing with her arms on the banister. I hide behind a pillar wearing a safari hat. We are on the hunt.
Me: "Look! Two over there!"

Panel B: Two guys are walking. They wear heir hats backwards and have popped collars.
Me: (offscreen): "They have douche-bag written all over them"
Cathy: 'It says Abercrombie..."
Me: "Same thing."

Panel C: Cathy looks at me as i carelessly toss my safari cap aside.
Me: "But THESE are the tell-tale signs!"

Page Three:

The entire page is a diagram of a 'Douche' with arrows and explanations.

The Basics of a Douche Bag:
- Backwards cap (usually the stupid 'worn and torn' kind)
- Perpetually, but undeserved, smug expression
- Popped collar, the classic Douche Bag sign
- Wears two shirts. Not necessarily a Douche Bag thing, but it still bugs me
- Polo shirt that is Abercrombie &Fitch, Hollister or any other 'tool' store out there
- White or plaid shorts
- Stupid flip-flops
- Will swagger; practiced and perfected
- Confident for no reason; in the stupid way

Page Four:

Setting: Cruise deck again

Panel A: I talk with my sister
Me: "Now, a quick tutorial of the other types of creatures we will observe!"

Panel B: Insecure guy looking at his clothes.
Me: "The Poser: Note the air of insecurity and ungeled hair."
Poser: "Is this too much 'pop' in my collar...?"

Panel C: A giddy girl parading around in a skimpy bikini.
Me: "The Skank: Skimpy and likes attention."
Skank: "Ooh! Lookit me! I'm wearing a bikini! Lookit my boobies! Lookit!"

Panel D: Fashionable girl with a disgruntled look.
Me; "The Bitch: Borderline Skank, but filled with hostility towards all other females."
BItch: "Whores, whores, whores, whores, whores...."

Page Five

Panel A: Cathy still staring at me, I'm smiling.
Cathy: "So... what are we?"

Panel B: I stand there silent, smiling at her.

Panel C: Cathy stares at me while i stand there proudly arms outstretched.
Me: "I'm a JERK!" "And you're the apprentice!"

Dream Adaptation

2009-09-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

So.... I have really creepy dreams.

Writing the Graphic Narrative: Dream Adaptation

Page One:

Setting: Dilapidated, dark house. The walls are in such a state that the pipes poke through in some areas. There are rust stains all over, the floor is dark and stained with god-knows-what. cobwebs coat everything and the dim orange lights flicker weakly. The stairs a missing parts of banisters and are uneven and pried up in places. It's a pretty unpleasant place.

Panel A: Close up of my face, lying on the floor. Only one eye and hand are visible. The eye is open slightly.

Panel B: Pans out more so more of the environment is visible. My eyes are open and surprised.

Panel C: Pans out more, I start to get up.

Panel D: Getting up, holding my head.
Me: "Ugh.."

Panel E: I look up

Page Two:

Panel A: Upwards shot, of me looking up at the rest of the house. It's expansive, multistoried and full of stairs.

Panel B: A hand grabs me by the wrist. The hand is stained, the finger tips bloody, the nails bend backwards, like they had been scratching trying to get out.
Man: "..you...!"

Panel C: Me looking towards the hand gripping my arm, the hand is still in the foreground .
Man: "The key..."

Page Three:

Panel A: Downwards angle of the man grabbing my arm. He is a young man dressed in a business suit. He could have been a Harvard graduate were it not for his ragged, bloody clothes, crazed eyes, disheveled hair and cut and bruised face.
Man: "You must have it..."

Panel B: The man jumps up, arms outstretched. I fall backwards.
Man: "Give it to me!"

Panel C: Hands are clawing at my face.
Man: "The key! The key!"

Panel D: One hand is pulling down on my lower jaw, while the other is pushing up on my upper jaw, like he's trying to rip my head apart. He's pushing so hard that my front teeth are sinking into his palm.
Man: "Give my the key!"

Page Four:

Panel A: The struggle continues. My arms and legs are kicking as he tries to pry my head in two.
Man: "You must have it!"

Panel B: I finally get a hit in, square in the nose. There is a sickening crunch, and his eyes roll back.

Panel C: The man falls back, eyes blank, a thin stream of blood arcs from his bloodied face as he falls.

Panel D: Man is dead on the floor. His face is bloody and it is evident that his nose was shoved into his brain. Lucky shot.

Page Five:

Panel A: Shaking, I scoot back.

Panel B: I turn and vomit.

Panel C: Shot of the man's body on the ground.
Me: "...the fuck just happened...?"

Panel D: Gripping at the wall, I hoist myself up, shaking.
Me: "I've go to get out of here..."

Panel E: I stumble down a hallway.
Me: "I need out..."

Panel F: I disappear farther down the hall.

Page Six:

Eight panels of me trying to open various doors. All of them are locked.

Page Seven:

Panel A: Close up of hand, the knob clicks. It's open!

Panel B: I have entered the room. I take a breath, and lean back, the door closes.

Panel C: The room is not empty, though. I am in the foreground, over my shoulder you can see a woman standing with her back towards me.
Woman: "I... have the key...."

Page Eight:

Panel A: Woman with her back turned to us.
Woman: "I know it's here somewhere..."

Panel B: Close up of my face, eyes widening in horror.
Woman: "But I just can't find it..."

Panel C: Woman turning to face me. Her face looks calm, slightly lost, but otherwise normal. You can still see mostly her back, and her arms are in front of her, holding something. Her elbows are dripping red.
"I know it's here..."

Panel D: She's turned around, one arm reaches towards me, her other arm holding her intestines.
"I know it."

Page Nine:

Panel A: Her hand reaches out and grabs my arm.

Panel B: The woman plunges my hand into her pile of bloody innards. I am paralyzed by fear.
"Can you help me find it...?"

Page Ten:

Panel A: Shot from behind me as I try to pull away. She grips my arm tightly and will not let go.
Woman: "Find the key!"
Me: "Let go!"

Panel B: Close up of the woman. Her eyes are crazed. The eerie calm that she had when I first entered is gone, replaced by desperation.
Woman: "Help me get it out!"

Panel C: Wide shot. She lets go, my hand flies away from her as soon as possible.
Me: "Let go!"

Panel D: Woman stares at me, swooning, feebly cradling her organs.
Woman: "You're never going to get out."

Panel E: Worms eye shot, woman's body in the foreground. I'm standing over her, horrified.

Page Eleven:

Panel A: Woman lying on the floor, her innards strewn about.

Panel B: I try the door, it locked itself.

Panel C: I look down at the woman.

Panel D: Shot of my hand reaching forward, her organs in the foreground.
Me: "Oh god..."

Panel E: Shot of me from the back, on my knees, elbow deep into the corpse.

Panel F: I hold up a small, simple key. My hands are covered in guts, my face stares in disbelief.

Page Twelve:

Panel A: Trying the lock.

Panel B: Me standing with my head bent downwards.
Me: "Hehehe..."

Panel C: Top down shot, I am slumped over, my head against the door while my hands still grip the knob.
Me: "It's the wrong key..."

Layouts and Stuff

2009-09-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

These are the layouts I use before I write the script. I plan for how many page, where the action is going to take place and so on and so forth. The first set is for "The Diamond Necklace" and second if for "Snow White"

For the Snow White story, I was originally going to have the Queen framed for the murders of seven villagers after Snow runs away. But, it seemed too long and I thought that the ending I ended up with turned out better.

This is the one for "The Diamond Necklace." The script follows this exactly, no deviation.

Fairytale Adaptation: Snow White

2009-09-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Fairy Tale Adaptation for Writing the Graphic Narrative

Snow White

Page One:

Setting: Inside a cathedral. A wedding has just taken place, the court is assembled and everyone is rejoicing.

Panel A: The court is assembled, it is the end of the ceremony. You can see the King and his new bride at the front of the altar.
Priest: "...May the new Queen live long and be loved by all"

Panel B: King with his hands on a young girl's shoulders. She is in her early teens, about thirteen or fourteen. She is a very beautiful young girl, but with cold eyes and a blank face. The girl is deathly pale, with snowy blonde hair and clear blue eyes.
King: "Darling Snow, we are a family now. Be good to her, because she is now your mother."

Panel C: Close up of the girl. She looks up, her eyes hollow.
Snow White: "You are not my mother."

Page Two:

Setting: Various places around the castle

Panel A: New Queen with Snow White. The Queen is making an effort to talk to the girl, all she does is stare.
Queen Narrating: "And for a time, i tried to be a good mother to her..."

Panel B: Snow looking back, Queen in the foreground walking away, looking slightly frustrated.
Queen NArrating: "...but there was no helping that girl."

Panel C: Queen giving Snow a puppy.

Panel D: Snow staring blankly at the puppy in her hands.

Panel E: Bloody remains of the puppy strewn about the floor.

Page Three:

Setting: Queen's bedchamber.

Panel A: Queen coming her hair, we see her from the front. Something lurks in the doorway behind her.

Panel B: We see the Queen from behind, her reflection in the mirror. She looks up and sees show standing there in the doorway, hands dripping in blood.

Panel C: Queen turns around, panicked. There is no one there.

Panel D: Head in her hands. Walking towards the bed.
Queen: "I need sleep..."

Panel E: pulls back the covers to find a mangled animal corpse.

Panel F: Screams echoing in the hallway.

Page Four:

Setting: Queen's bedchamber again.

Panel A: Snow white in at the vanity in the Queen's room. She is holding a comb, and a bottle in the other hand. Snow is pouring the contents of the bottle carefully onto the teeth of the comb.

Panel B: Snow stops because she can see the Queen from the mirror on the vanity. The Queen watches in horror.

Panel C: Close up of the Queen. She looks horrified.
Queen: "That... That's poison!"

Panel D: The Queen rushes towards Snow.
Queen: "You mean to kill me!"

Page Five:

Setting: Queen's bedchamber

Panel A: Bottle of poison crashed to the ground.

Panel B: Snow is running down the hallway. The Queen runs after her, looking panicked, slightly mad.
Queen: "Don't let her escape! Grab her!"

Panel C: Maids come to the Queen as other watch Snow flee. The servants look terribly confused.
Queen: "She's evil! She means to kill me! We can not let her leave!"

Panel D: Snow riding away from the castle on a black horse, a billowing cloak around her. Screams of the Queen echoing from the castle.
Queen: "Get her! GET HER!"

Page Six

Setting: Forest

Panel A: People riding through the forest.
Queen Narrating: "They searched high and low for that 'poor, scared girl' "

Panel B: King sobbing.
Queen Narrating: "I lost favor with my husband. Rumors swirled that it was I who was trying to poison the girl."

Panel C: Queen donning a riding rood.
Queen Narrating: "So I tried harder than anyone to find her, to redeem myself and bring her back, unharmed."

Panel D: The Queen in the forest with her search party. Seven men are with her.

Page Seven

Setting: Woods

Panel A: Queen on a horse, looking around. Search party behind her.

Panel B: Girl in a shroud approaches the party with a basket of apples.
Girl: "If I may be so bold, I offer these meager refreshments to you, Your Majesty"

Panel C: Queen holding an apple, while the girl passes them out to the men. Some are already eating.
Queen: "We thank you for your kindness, young lady."

Panel D: Queen takes a bite.

Panel E: Queen in the background, with the apple still at her lips, with a single bit out of it. The men in the foreground are starting to hack and cough, some spitting up blood.

Page Eight

Setting: Forest

Panel A: Queen throws apple, while clutching at her throat. The men around have fallen.

Panel B: The horse the Queen is sitting on rears up, the Queen is falling. The girl is seen standing in front of the horse, probably the one who spooked it.

Panel C: From the Queen's point of view, the world looks hazy. The girl is standing over her, pulling back her hood, revealing long blonde hair.

Panel D: World goes black.
Snow White: "You are not my mother."

Script for Writing the Graphic Narrative

2009-09-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

This is an adaptation of the story "The Diamond Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant

Page One:

Setting: Paris, 18th century residence. Interior of a nicely furnished middle class home.

Panel A: Mme. Loisel and M. Loisel are sitting down to dinner. Mme. Loisel looks bored and discontent.

Panel B: M. Loisel hands Mme. Loisel a card with a smile.
M. Loisel: "I have something for you."

Panel C: Close up of card in Mme. Loisel's hands. It's an invitation to a very fancy party.

Panel D: Mme. Loisel, looking incredulous.
Mme: Loisel, "And what am I to wear?"

Panel E: M. Loisel looking taken aback as Mme. Loisel berates him.
Mme. Loisel, "I have rags! I have no gowns, no jewels!"

Page Two:

Panel A: Mme. Loisel, head in hands, sobbing.
"I will be humiliated..."

Panel B: M. Loisel, looking upset at seeing his wife so sad.
Mme. Loisel, "Give this invitation to some college who's wife is better equipped than I...."

Panel C: M. Loisel standing over his upset wife, hand on her shoulder, trying to console her.
M. "How much would it cost, a suitable gown?"

Panel D: Close up of M. Loisel, his eyes wide.
Mme: "I don't know exactly, but I could manage with four hundred francs..."

Panel E: Mme. Loisel hugging her husband in delight.
M. Loisel, "Very well-"
Mme. Loisel, "Thank goodness!"

Page Three:

Setting: A tailor's shop, then her wealthy friend's home.

Panel A: Mme. Loisel holding up a fancy dress, admiring it greedily. There is a tailor in the foreground counting money.

Panel B: Fancy gate posts in the foreground, Mme. Loisel walking towards them, holding a package (her dress, presumably)

Panel C: At the door of the fancy house. A woman dressed in wealthier clothes is clasping hands with Mme. Loisel.
Mme. Forestier: "How good it is to see you again! Come in at once!"

Panel D: Both ladies sitting in a fine parlor. Mme. Loisel's back is to the audience, and in the foreground. We can see Mme. Forestier.
Mme. Loisel, "... And so I was wondering-"
Mme. Forestier, "Oh, of course! Choose anything, my dear."

Panel E: A counter top filled with jewels.

Panel F: Close up of Mme. Loisel's hands picking up a diamond necklace.
Mme. Loisel, "I choose this..."

Page Four:

Setting: At the ball. Very fancy.

Panel A: Mme. Loisel entering, M. Loisel behind her, not looking as haughty. People are staring at Mme. Loisel who looks quite beautiful in her new gown.

Panel B: Mme. Loisel is the center of attention, M. Loisel is seen in the very back, looking bored.

Panel C: Mme. Loisel in dancing. M. Loisel is sitting a table, picking at the cloth.

Panel D: M. Loisel is asleep, in the foreground. In the middle ground, there is a grandfather clock with the time, it is four in the morning. Mme. Loisel can be seen in the background, still soaking up the attention.

Panel E: M. Losiel coming up behind Mme. Loisel and putting her plain shawl around her shoulders. He looks very tired, she looks surprised.
M. Loisel, "It is very late."

Page 5

Setting: Street of Paris

Panel A: Mme. Loisel looks down in shock at the plain, commoners shawl around her shoulders.

Panel B: Mme. Loisel runs for the exit, covering her face.

Panel C: Outside, Mme. Loisel is in the foreground, visibly upset. M. Loisel is running after her.
Mme. Loisel, "I cannot be seen in these rags!"

Panel D: M. Loisel with her arm in his hand. Mme. Loisel looks dejected.
M. Loisel, "I'm calling a cab, we're going home."

Panel E: Mme. Loisel getting into the cab, M. Loisel waiting behind her.
Mme. Loisel, "You embarrassed me.."
M. Loisel, "It's too late for this."

Panel. F: Carriage riding home

Page Six

Setting: Back at their flat.

Panel A: Entering the home. M. Loisel in the foreground, very tired, untying his tie. Mme. is hanging around the door, looking miserable.

Panel B: She catches her reflection in a mirror. The diamond necklace is gone.

Panel C: Mme. and M. Loisel panicking.
Mme. Loisel, "It's gone!"
M. "What? Impossible!"
Mme. "I had it on at the Minister's house!"
M. "Then it must have fallen off in the cab.. or on the street!"

Panel D: M. Loisel running out the house, still putting his coat on.

Page Seven

Panel A: Thin panel, silhouette of roof tops, sun is rising.

Panel B: M. Loisel coming in the door, Mme. Loisel in foreground, biting her finger nails.
M. Loisel: "It's gone..."

Panel C: M. Loisel with his hands on Mme. Loisel's shoulders.
M. Loisel, "Tell her the clasp broke, to buy us some time. There is another one like it... It's worth forty thousand francs."
M. Loisel, "But-But we only have eighteen thousand! We're ruined!"

Panel D: M. Loisel at a shop, buying the replacement.

Panel E: Mme. Loisel giving back Mme. Forestier the replacement one.

Page Eight:

Setting: Streets and various places around Paris.

Panel A: The Loisels selling all their possessions.

Panel B: The Loisels walking down the street, forlorn with one parcel each.

Panel C: Living in squalor.

Panel D: M. Loisel doing manual labor.

Panel E: Mme. Loisel cleaning floors.

Panel F: Mme Loisel is clearing off a table of dirty dishes, she is filthy and has lost her beauty.
Off screen voice: "My dear, is that you?"

Panel G: Mme Forestier looking at Mme. Loisel in shock. Mme Loisel is mortified to be seen this way.
Mme Forestier: "My goodness, how things have changed!"
Mme. Loisel, : "I have been cured with poverty since last i saw you. This is because of you!"

Page Nine:

Panel A: Close up of necklace
Mme. Loisel, "That necklace I borrowed- I lost it!"
Mme. Forestier, "No, you brought it back!"

Panel B: M. Loisel signing lots of papers.
Mme. Loisel, "We have been forced into debt to pay for another necklace just like it."

Panel C: Mme. Loisel, looking a little smug.
Mme. Loisel, "We picked out a good replacement, you never knew the difference."

Panel D: Mme. Forestier, hands to her mouth, looking upset.
Mme. Forestier: "Oh... you poor thing!"

Panel F: Mme. Loisel looking stricken. She just received the news her hardship was in vain.
Mme. Forestier, "My necklace was a fake. It was only worth five hundred francs!"

Four Panel Comic for Writing the Graphic Narrative

2009-09-01T21:24:00.000-07:00