NOTE: Sad to report, I was not a video game kid, even though Dad got me and my brother, Dan, an Atari 2600 when my artist brother, Peter, was born. I was into my comics, and D&D, and '80s rock (Sammy Hagar & Asia - WOOHOO!) My only exposure to Donkey Kong was the big cabinet video game in the rec room of the campground my parents took us every summer. And Dan beat me every time. But I got to watch him rack up them high scores. Anyways, that being said, I thought an adaptation might be the way to go...
Layout:
1122
3344
5566
Panels 1 thru 5 are television screens.
Panel 1 - Foreground, we are following TARA CHACE (from Queen & Country) as she runs up a ramp. Her gun is still in its holster at her hip. In the background, atop painter's scaffolding, is KONG, a burly, hairy Hispanic (imagine a Colombian Andre the Giant with thick 5 o'clock shadow) guarding the Minder's asset, a moustachioed local "plomero", or assassin, named MARIO, who is suspended from the ceiling of the room by his chained wrists. MARIO is wearing overalls over a t-shirt, KONG is in the khaki-olive uniform of the FARC. MARIO has a ball gag in his mouth and has obviously been tortured. KONG has hoisted a barrel over his head. A sledgehammer handle sticks out from the lower platform of the scaffold.
CAPTION: Medellin, Colombia.
Panel 2 - KONG has thrown the barrel, which has crashed onto the ramp. TARA easily leaps over it as it splinters and breaks, reaching for the sledge handle.
NO COPY
Panel 3 - TARA slides like a baseball player, sledge extended, knocking the supports of the scaffolding loose. KONG can be seen above, panicking as the scaffold gives.
NO COPY
Panel 4 - TARA, now background, grabs the winch handle on the wall to lower MARIO, as KONG lands on the concrete floor head first, his neck audibly snapping. The scaffolding crashes all about him, and MARIO has a look of relief despite the gag.
NO COPY
Panel 5 - MARIO, now lowered to the floor, can barely stand as TARA removes his ball gag and loosens the chains around his wrists. Clouds of concrete dust at bottom of frame.
TARA: Oy! No duermes! Donde esta Luis?
MARIO: ...en un otro...castillo....hh...
Panel 6 - DONALD WELDON, deputy chief of S.I.S., and PAUL CROCKER, director of ops, are watching Panel 5 on a television monitor in an empty room. Both are sitting in metal folding chairs, and CROCKER is smoking a cigarette. WELDON should be slouching a bit, as if he's restlessly bored, while CROCKER is tensely watching the telly, leaning forward in his seat.
WELDON: Your "princess" is quite the peach...
CROCKER: Sod off, Don...
This is wonderful. An unorthodox adaptation, to be sure, but it's made all the greater by how well you pull it off. Everything is different, and yet you can see the familiar pieces existing in this new milieu. Your line choices are also wicked, and that little action bit at the start is something I'd love to see drawn out.
ReplyDeleteGreat script, Ray.
On every level this shouldn't work, but as always Ray you're writing has blown me away. This is perfect. Your take on the familiar characters is different enough to be iconic and interesting on its on merit, yet pulls across enough of what we know to let you use are familiarity to lay clues and jokes throughout.
ReplyDeleteAnd man that last panel. That last panel may be the most slick and well pulled off reveal and gag cliffhanger ever. Brilliant sir, utterly brilliant!!
5/5!