Panel One.
A line of children stand on a stage in a school hall underneath a sign that reads ‘Spelling Bee’ with a big picture of a bee. Towards the end of the line are Superman and Mr. Mxyzptlk, both wearing school uniform and short pants, waiting their turn. Superman is rolling his eyes in exasperation – Mxyzptlk is taking things rather more seriously. A nerdy Alfred E. Neuman type stands at the front of the line, taking his turn.
ALFRED: K… L… T… P…Y…
CAPTION: After year upon year of finding ever more insane ways to send Mxyzptlk back to his home dimension…
Panel Two.
Superman and Mxyzptlk are in a 50s style radio studio, on either side of the presentation desk. Supes is the DJ, Mxyzptlk is his guest. Both are wearing headphones. Superman has his finger on one of the turntables, spinning the record anti-clockwise. Mxyzptlk holds up his hands, waving in protest.
SUPERMAN: Hey, all you cats and kittens, listen up – we’re about to spin the new platter that matters from that groovy funkster Mxyzptlk… backwards!
MXYZPTLK: What? Wait, no--!
Panel Three.
Superman and Mxyzptlk sit across from each other in a World Championship Scrabble match. We see the scene from above so we can read the letters in Mxyzptlk’s tray. The scrabble board is pretty full… there’s just enough room for one more word – and it’ll be a Triple Word Score too… but the only word that’ll make that happen has an X as its penultimate letter. In Mxyzptlk’s tray he has all the letters that spell out his name… except an X.
CAPTION: …Superman has had ENOUGH.
Panel Four.
Zatanna is sitting in a coffee shop, drinking an espresso and reading the newspaper. Behind her, Mxyzptlk disappears in a puff of smoke. Zatanna casually waves her fingers behind her to send him home, mumbling a spell under her breath. She doesn’t even look in his direction. Mxyzptlk looks extremely frustrated as he prepares to exit our dimension.
CAPTION: So he’s handed the task over to someone else…
ZATANNA: Ekam Klptzyxm yas Mxyzptlk!
Panel Five.
Zatanna is shopping for clothes at the lingerie store. She’s holding up a pair of fishnet stockings to the sales assistant. With her other hand, she gestures behind her, where Mxyzptlk, dressed in hideous lingerie himself, is once again being sent home.
CAPTION: Someone eminently qualified…
ZATANNA: I’ll take 25 pairs…
ZATANNA: (Kaeps sdrawkcab, Klptzyxm!)
ZATANNA: …in my usual size, please.
MXYZPTLK: Ho’d!
Panel Six.
Zatanna is asleep in bed, late at night. Mxyzptlk appears above her in threatening Nosferatu-style pose, casting a shadow over her as he lunges in for the attack. Zatanna mumbles something without waking.
CAPTION: Someone who can do this job in her sleep…
ZATANNA: Elbmum... Esrever S'klptzyxm eman...
ZATANNA: Won kcab ot ym yxes maerd...
Rol - using Zatanna is probably the obvious chioce, or should have been, but I didn't think of it. This works so exceptionally well as one page. Very well done.
ReplyDeleteUgh, I suck at reading backwards! I'm leaning forward, squinting at my screen.
ReplyDeleteThis was really good, Rol. Chuckled along, and great use of Zatanna too.
HA! Awesome work, as usual Rol.
ReplyDeleteZany fun, I like how this character lets out the nutty. Incidentally the title is "Match Made In Heaven"
ReplyDeleteStun, stun, stun!
ReplyDelete