Friday, September 28, 2012

The Rarebit Fiend - Secret Origin - J.D. Coughlan


Panel 1: A 1930s clothing store. There is a young man of about 18 helping his father, the store owner. There should be one or two oddball things in the background throughout -- people with animal heads, floating bacon, whatever dream nonsense you care to imagine, but not so much as to distract. The younger man (the dreamer) is noticeably distracted by the weirdness, but, as one does in a dream, is just going along with it.

OLDER MAN: The ginger bald man wants a purple coat, and then take those new orders to the globe in the sky.

YOUNG MAN: Uh, okay, pop!

Panel 2: A cliched robber burst in the door, wearing a domino mask, flat cap, and striped jumper, carrying a sack with a dollar sign on it.

ROBBER: Front page! Robbery in the city of tomorrow!

Panel 3: The Robber points his gun at the older man, who is behind the register, not fazed.

ROBBER: Gimme all yer money, and thirty-six elements!

OLDER MAN: This mockery of truth and justice will not stand!

Panel 4: The Robber fires his gun. The young man in the background, looking horrified.

ROBBER: You just bought the farm!

YOUNG MAN: Dad! No!

Panel 5: With a blur trailing in from off-panel, a generic superhero appears between the gun and the older man, the bullet bouncing off him. He has no symbol on his chest, but wears a cape and his colours are red and blue. He has jet-black hair and a square jaw.

SUPERHERO: More powerful than a speeding bullet!

Panel 6: The Superhero punches out the Robber.

SUPERHERO: Crime doesn't pay!

Panel 7: The Superhero and both men celebrating.

YOUNG MAN: You saved my pa!

Panel 8: A slightly older Jerry Siegel lies awake in his bed. He has not catapulted awake, but rather is just lying there with sad eyes.

SIEGEL: (small) If only...

END OF PAGE
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4 comments:

  1. Niel JacobySeptember 28, 2012 at 12:32 AM

    Really liked this one. Really wasn't expecting that final panel.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Shaun RichensSeptember 28, 2012 at 4:39 AM

    What an emotionally gut punch that final panel is. You built up to that reveal with a seemingly fun little narrative then pulled the rug out from under me. Seriously impressive page!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Grant McLaughlinSeptember 28, 2012 at 12:18 PM

    Whoa, I had no idea that Jerry Siegel's father passed away in this type of circumstance. A beautiful mixture of biography and fiction to create a truly poignant moment at the end. Terrific stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dan HillSeptember 30, 2012 at 12:55 AM

    Nice use of history, fact and symbolism to craft an effective page laden with bizarre imagery.

    The last panel is a perfect emotional end to the page. Probably my favourite page this week.

    ReplyDelete

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