Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends...
Continuing the prog-rock-fueled adventures of the Wonder Twins: having narrowly escaped a Thanagarian warship, they crash-landed in the snowy battlefields of World War II Norway.
Today's selection is based on "The Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson. The setting: Beisfjord, Norway.
In 1942, prison workers, mostly Yugoslavs, were massacred, allegedly in reaction to a typhus outbreak. Sick prisoners were grouped 20 at a time and shot in waves. Healthy ones were forced to run laps until they collapsed, and shot where they dropped. One day in July in particular, depending on the source, somewhere between 250 and 600 were slaughtered and dumped.
Panel 1- pov from uphill, just outside Camp No. 1. (See photo ref)
CAPTION: A gardener plants an evergreen while trampling on the flower...
Panel 2- ZAN, JAYNA, JEB STUART, and the ghost of GEN. STUART have crested a snowy ridge between iron gates and flying Nazi swastika flags waving in the breeze, the Haunted Tank can be seen in the distance behind them. The four of them are reacting in horror at what they are seeing. ZAN and JAYNA are holding each other, either in solace or to keep from passing out. JEB is drawing his sidearm, but the GENERAL just stands aghast.
CAPTION: I chased the wind of a prison ship, to taste the sweet and sour...
GEN. STUART: (small lettering) Mother o' God...
Panel 3- looking down into the pit of an open mass grave, filled with the emaciated, bloody, and lime-covered bodies of camp prisoners. Sitting in the middle of it all, on a makeshift throne made of piled-high corpses, is the RED SKULL. He is in his dress uniform, Iron Cross at his throat, his heavy coat draped over his shoulders. He holds a list cigarette in his left hand, blowing a long stream of smoke to the side. His pose should be legs crossed, reposed, as if exhausted at the amount of things to do in a day. A German automatic pistol is held lazily in his right.
RED SKULL: How disappointing. I was expecting Herr Kapitan...
CAPTION: The patterned juggler lifts his hand, the orchestra begin...
Panel 4- close up, the RED SKULL sights down the barrel of his pistol aimed straight at us, hateful purpose in his eyes.
RED SKULL: No matter. You'll do.
CAPTION: ...as slowly turns the grinding wheel, in the court of the Crimson King.
...to be continued...
In 1942, prison workers, mostly Yugoslavs, were massacred, allegedly in reaction to a typhus outbreak. Sick prisoners were grouped 20 at a time and shot in waves. Healthy ones were forced to run laps until they collapsed, and shot where they dropped. One day in July in particular, depending on the source, somewhere between 250 and 600 were slaughtered and dumped.
Panel 1- pov from uphill, just outside Camp No. 1. (See photo ref)
CAPTION: A gardener plants an evergreen while trampling on the flower...
Panel 2- ZAN, JAYNA, JEB STUART, and the ghost of GEN. STUART have crested a snowy ridge between iron gates and flying Nazi swastika flags waving in the breeze, the Haunted Tank can be seen in the distance behind them. The four of them are reacting in horror at what they are seeing. ZAN and JAYNA are holding each other, either in solace or to keep from passing out. JEB is drawing his sidearm, but the GENERAL just stands aghast.
CAPTION: I chased the wind of a prison ship, to taste the sweet and sour...
GEN. STUART: (small lettering) Mother o' God...
Panel 3- looking down into the pit of an open mass grave, filled with the emaciated, bloody, and lime-covered bodies of camp prisoners. Sitting in the middle of it all, on a makeshift throne made of piled-high corpses, is the RED SKULL. He is in his dress uniform, Iron Cross at his throat, his heavy coat draped over his shoulders. He holds a list cigarette in his left hand, blowing a long stream of smoke to the side. His pose should be legs crossed, reposed, as if exhausted at the amount of things to do in a day. A German automatic pistol is held lazily in his right.
RED SKULL: How disappointing. I was expecting Herr Kapitan...
CAPTION: The patterned juggler lifts his hand, the orchestra begin...
Panel 4- close up, the RED SKULL sights down the barrel of his pistol aimed straight at us, hateful purpose in his eyes.
RED SKULL: No matter. You'll do.
CAPTION: ...as slowly turns the grinding wheel, in the court of the Crimson King.
...to be continued...
This is a heavy page, Ray. I'm really impressed at the matching of lyrics and imagery, but also a little disconcerted at what said imagery is. Part of me is almost glad this is only a script, as that third panel could be awful gruesome in the right (wrong?) hands.
ReplyDeleteIt might sound odd, but kudos on scripting such a bleak page.