Because God loves a trier.
Everybody loves the underdog.
And I hate that darned Roadrunner!
Forget Hamlet, Oedipus or Willy Loman: I'm willing to argue that Wile E. Coyote is the greatest tragic hero ever created. He's cunning, he's ingenious, he's hilarious, he's doggedly determined... he's wily... yet he's destined to never find true happiness. He is my favourite cartoon character, Chuck Jones' greatest creation... and yes, he is a genius.
He also provided the inspiration for what's possibly the most moving comic book I've ever read. Animal Man #5, 'The Coyote Gospel', by Grant Morrison and Chas Truog. If you've never read it... do yourself a big favour.
As a writer, I take my inspiration from Wile E. Coyote. After every rejection letter, every knockback, every failure, I always ask myself WWWED? He'd pick himself up, dust himself off... and get back to work. Now excuse me, I've got a Roadrunner to catch...
Roadrunner was always my favorite of the Looney Tunes. Having said that, I think I will struggle to come up with something this week. I find that my favorites are always the hardest to write.
ReplyDeleteWile E. Coyote – A.P.D – Shaun Richens
ReplyDeletePanels 1,2 and 3 are all thin page wide panels.
1. We see the ROAD RUNNER speeding down a desert road. Long blur lines and a dust cloud billow behind him.
ROAD RUNNER: Meep! Meep!
2. ROAD RUNNER is still speeding towards to the far left of the panel. A police car, sirens spinner is chasing him down from the right hand side of the panel.
3. ROAD RUNNER has stopped at the side of the road, his head tilted slightly to one side, as he looks confused. The police car has pulled over next to him and we can see ACME P.D crudely painted down its side.
ROAD RUNNER: Meep?
4. A foot, which appears to belong to WILE E. COYOTE, steps out of the Police Car.
5. A full body view of WILE E. COYOTE dressed up as police officer.
6. A shot of WILE E. COYOTE’s hand as he passes a speeding ticket over to ROAD RUNNER.
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This is just a quick little page. It was the very first image that came into my head when i read this weeks character so I just went with it.
Wile E. gets the law on his side! I like it. It's a simple idea, but perfectly executed. The Acme Police Car made it for me.
ReplyDeleteThe Acme PD car is golden. I also want to see Wile E as the cop -- I'm imagining T-1000 mixed with CHIPS. Nice work, Shaun.
ReplyDelete@Shaun: Nice to see Wile E get one over Road Runner for once. I love the visuals of the Acme P.D car and Wile E in full police get up. Nice page and very much in the spirit of the cartoon. I think you've captured the tone quite nicely.
ReplyDeleteMy own effort this week is a little rushed and fairly simple. But I had fun with it.
Page 1
ONE:
We OPEN on a CLOSE UP of WILE E. He's perched on a bar stool looking sorry for himself, his ears drooping. He looks down dejectedly into the bottom of his empty pint glass his elbows resting on the bar.
NO COPY.
TWO:
We ZOOM OUT a little to see the BARMAN walking over to Wile E. The barman is a portly looking fellow wearing a shirt and waistcoat and sporting a mean pair of mutton chops. Wile E doesn't look up, lost in his despair.
NO COPY.
THREE:
Close up on Wile E as the barman plonks down a fresh pint, foam dripping down the sides.
NO COPY.
FOUR:
Wile E looks up the barman and smiles. Things are looking up.
NO COPY.
FIVE:
ZOOM OUT a little to show the barman pointing towards CAMERA, towards the other end of the bar.
NO COPY.
SIX:
From Wile E's POV we see ELMER FUDD sitting at the other end of the bar nursing his own sorrows, a shotgun resting against his bar stool.
He smiles weakly, giving a thumbs up to Wile E/CAMERA.
NO COPY.
@Shaun - Great visuals used there man. Only thing more I would have like to have seen is Coyote's attempt at catching Road Runner. The cop façade being part of his plan to capture him in a cage perhaps?
ReplyDelete@Dan - Two brothers drowning their sorrows. I like it, although the image of Coyote drinking a beer does all sorts of bad things to my childhood memories.
I love this character choice, Rol. You win all of the points.
ReplyDelete@Shaun - This is a kickass page. Those three first panels are fantastic and are the type of thing I love to see in a comic. And the Acme PD idea is a barrel of fun.
@Dan - Love it. This week is yielding some solid, dialogueless pieces, and this is a prime example of that. The images are great (although a little odd to imagine these characters drinking), and the reveal of Elmer Fudd was the perfect. Thumbs up.
Dan wonderful silent page. I agree with Grant that it was so strange to picture these characters drinking, but I loved the idea so thats all good. The reveal at the end was a nice little touch as well.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great character choice Rol.
Dan - loved it. Maybe Sylvester and Tom might join them for a drink later.
ReplyDelete@ shaun Richens: I can't wait to see how this plan goes wrong :-)
ReplyDelete