Panel One.
(Inset at the top left of the larger panel 2.) Close on Roadrunner, looking shocked and sad.
Roadrunner: Meep—
Panel Two.
Here we see why. He’s been caught in a nefariously complex deathtrap by Wile E. Coyote. No expense has been spared by our cunning hero – there are ropes (with pegs) and manacles tying Roadrunner to the ground; knives, guns and a flamethrower all pointing at the annoying bird (rigged up to various ACME contraptions to fire automatically if he even tries to escape); sticks of dynamite strapped round his chest; cartoon bombs fizzing in a circle around him; and a huge boulder balanced precariously above him, ready to fall.
Wile E. stands watching, a knife and fork in his hands; a huge, satisfied grin on his face. He’s licking his lips.
We are in the desert, naturally.
Caption: Roadrunner: Beepus Beatus.
Caption: Wile E. Coyote: Undeniablious Victorious.
Roadrunner: --meeeep…!
Panel Three.
Long panel across the middle of the page. To the left we see a grinning close-up of Wile E, imagining the delights in store for him. Following this we see a series of images… a cooked Roadrunner on a plate… a big-bellied Wile E. sitting back with an empty plate before him, picking the last meat from a drumstick… then a bored-looking Wile E sitting beside a deserted desert road with nothing to do… and Wile E. staring down that same desolate road, alone and with nothing left to do… despairing.
Panel Four.
Wile E. crouches down and unties the Roadrunner. The pesky bird can’t believe its eyes. Wile E. is filled with self-loathing.
Roadrunner: Meep?
Panel Five.
Freed, the Roadrunner scarpers in a cloud of dust. As he “meeps” in celebration of his freedom (sticking his tongue out as he runs) the noise makes the boulder above Wile E. begin to topple. Wile E. looks directly at us, a single tear in his eye.
Roadrunner: Meep meep!
SFX: Creaaaaak!
Panel Six.
The boulder has fallen, crushing Wile E. beneath it. An arm extends from under the boulder, it’s holding out a ‘To Do’ list. The list reads:
1. Get a hobby
2. Make some new friends
3. Join a dating agency
4. Take a pottery class
5. Seek professional help
SFX: Crash!
Really existential! Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteIt's a nice idea and you've written it well enough, but I can't say I'm much a fan of it.
ReplyDeleteYes, it would be nice if Wile E. could catch the Road Runner and all, but to actually have him do it to the extent where he has to willingly put in the effort to release the Road Runner of his own free will (and then to do just that) feels like it violates the very essence of the Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner conflict.
Rol this page was great for me. Classic over the top traps and set up and classic Wile E. getting hit by his own set ups.
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to respectfully disagree with MK on this one. I think your page sums up exactly what the conflict between Road Runner and Wile E. is. They have a codependent relationship, Wile E. Coyote's big passion to to catch Road Runner of he was to ever fully achieve this his reason for being would be gone, as for Road Runner, he runs thats what he's great at and without Wile E. Coyote after him he has nothing to run from.
For me Rol captured this nature of a symbiotic relationship of what are essential 'children's' characters in a strangely emotional and poignant page. 5/5 for me.
Well, it's always good to write something that sparks a debate.
ReplyDeleteReally, really good stuff. I keep forgetting to read your Thought Balloons pages, even though I love your work. I'm going to have to do some catching up!
ReplyDeleteI liked this. It kind of reminded me of that great set of lines at the end of TDK:
ReplyDelete"Oh, you. You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force...meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren't you? Huh? You won't kill me...out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you...because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever."
Except, you know, applied to a Looney Tunes cartoon. But I'm with Shaun, this pretty much sums up the two characters relationship nicely.
I was going to write one where Wile E catches Road Runner, kills him, and then instantly sees something else to take his attention. But I haven't done that, I've gone even lamer.
ReplyDeleteRol, I just wish this ended with the coulder setting off the death trap on him. I love the To Do List.
I completely agree with Shaun. If one attains his or her ultimate goal, what else is there to do? Better to let that goal get away so that life can continue.
ReplyDeleteGreat work Rol.
I really like the page, Rol. This is a really good look at the relationship between Wile E. and the Road Runner, and I think it sums it up nicely, as others have commented above.
ReplyDeleteMy only nitpick is that the final panel doesn't quite ring in my eyes. I would almost have preferred the last visual to be the sound effect of the boulder landing on Wile, but maybe that's just me.