Shane McCarthy, that lovely fellow who wrote the critically acclaimed (both good and bad) All Hail Megatron series for IDW Publishing, as well as created the new Autobot character with the Decepticon background starring in his own Spotlight series, Drift, has done something pretty rare – he’s decided to share the basic look of what a comic script looks like.
This is a rare treat for those fans who love to write fan-fiction or hope to someday write for a comic publisher. You can see that while Shane McCarthy does call for specifics in each panel, he leaves the artist plenty of freedom in designing the overall artwork in each panel.
You can click here to go to Shane McCarthy’s blog post and then follow the link within to download the .rtf (Rich Text Format) version of the script.
Don’t forget to check out the current Spotlight: Drift mini-series, on sale now!
Omnius
Awesome, a demonstration in how to write and how not to write a comic at the same time.
Nevermore
Also, spelling and grammar don't appear to be among McCarthy's strengths. "Deadlock has serious look on his face"? "All of the Decepticons in the background of shot look quietly shocked but what has just happened"? Commas also appear to have been in low supply.
Nor, it seems, is wording in general one of his strengths. This is not good writing. (And before anyone comes up with the laaaame "You're just jealous, have you ever written a comic" crap: There are writers *cough*NickRoche*cough* whom I consider "good". I might be slightly jealous of them, but only because I actually consider them good writers. McCarthy is not a good writer, and I'm not jealous of him. So let's not go there.)
McCarthy uses a lot of words, yet still manages to remain remarkably vague with regards to what exactly he wants. I get the impression that he has certain images in his head, he knows what it's supposed to look like, yet he's unable to express his mental images properly, so he uses a lot of words and yet says so little with them. In contrast, there are some good writers capable of saying so much more with only few words.
The first problem I see is his repeated use of the word "shot", when he means "perspective", "camera", "frame" or other words that are less prone to be confused with "shot" as in "blast".
Is it standard for comic book writers to explicitly call for sound effects? Then again, given Milne's track record, this is probably for the better.
Milne, as has been shown in the past, is an artist who needs to be precisely explained certain things lest he would draw things in ways that conflict severely with the writer's intention. McCarthy, however, is far from being precise in his wording.
Seriously, this thing would get a bad grading if turned in as a paper in fifth grade.
Moonscream
A comic is basically a collection of drawn photographs. The writer describes each with as much detail as is necessary to convey to the artist what to draw – technical details aren't needed when the artist has character or background model sheets to work from, or can 'wing it' because they're not as important as the characters and the action. The writer also dictates what panels go on what page, and in what order, and sometimes (but rarely) even dictates layout if there's a need for a particular look on the page. I find it interesting that McCarthy also includes a lot of 'shot' directions, but I can see where they're pretty useful to maintain a visual continuity line for the artist and reader.
Personally with regards to this script, tho, it seems a little light on story and the characterizations were predictable. Not awful, but rather run of the mill.
–Moony
The Madness
RE: Milne Vs Walky nonsense, Its all just a little bit too sensitive I think, and I've noticed some people in this fandom seem to get quite sensitive on Walky's behalf. I have to agree with Zherbus, it is fun and hope I hope Willis is actually flattered.
Had he drawn Walky being stepped on repeatedly by giant robots, used as a loin cloth for Drift, then fed to a large collection of hungry rodents, I would consider it spiteful and unprofessional. But he didn't.
As for the script, I was quite surprised by the higher than expected level of descriptive or context detail, and low level of techical detail. Admittedly I'm completely ignorant of comic book processes, but I'm still surprised by the amount of freedom in editorial/ artistic interpretation.
Foster
Eh. Jokes aside it's a blurred easter egg at best. Like the dead Leader-1 appearances. It means nothing.
Noise Maker
I didn't consider that; however, my original point – that Milne was unprofessional – still stands.
"Walky's unprofessional, so it's okay that Milne is, too!" is a pretty big logical fallacy. This sniping at each other is something I'd rather not have to deal with in official Transformers material.
(Also, even though Walky is a "professional" in some sense, I'd still expect a little more tact from an artist that was hired to create art for an official comic that was part of a 25 year old franchise, than I would expect from someone who makes money off a blog.)
Foster
I wouldn't say he's been *selling* them, Bob.
Rodimus Major
Doesn't Walky make money off his webcomics? Doesn't he sell published print editions? That makes him a professional.
Noise Maker
First off, I'd just like to point out that I personally think Walky is often rude, and I don't care for the fact that he belittles people – myself included.
Fun, yes. Vengeful, no.
He did take it, rather well. I have no problem with anyone poking fun at Walky on somewhere like these boards. However, I simply don't feel that a professional artist should use a licensed comic to further a personal feud.
Yes, unprofessional.
Milne is a professional artist who should act – wait for it – professionally. Walky is a fan with a web comic, and has no reason to act professional. If he wants to act superior, then that is his business and beside the point.
Detour
Walky's reaction is worst? What reaction?
This one?
Yeah, that sure is an incredibly unprofessional response.
And yeah, Kickback? Critical acclaim cannot be "both good and bad". It's only good. That's what "acclaim" stands for.
acclaim – definition of acclaim by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.
And the mini-series is just called Transformers: Drift. Not Spotlight: Drift. That's the name of his Spotlight issue.
Takeout
He did?
*runs off to find said comic*
Foster
What did he do, kill Drift in that shortround comic?
Bass X0
…he was.
Anguirus
I <3 Walky, like a lot, but his response was a lot more unprofessional. Dead generics are allowed to be joke characters. Usually Walky is the first to say that Transformers isn't exactly srs bizness.
KA
Unprofesional
Youd think walky was the creator of hot shot/sg ravage
Kickback
Geesh. Tough crowd. One would think that he who pokes fun at so many could, you know, take some himself. Not like he's ever poked fun at TFW2005, myself, the fandom in general, or various other entities on that comic strip of his. Right?
Zherbus
Yeah yeah, everyone knows that, but it's most often used with Office. It's like calling a bandage strip a fuckin' band-aid. I mean, of all the things to hung up over…
How so? I though it was fun. Comics should be fun.
Noise Maker
Regardless, it does seem a bit unprofessional.
Kickback
What? Someone dislikes David Willis? Blasphemy I tell you!