Ever wonder how comics are actually produced? Well, thanks to DC we have an inside look at this process as they reveal the script and the process of adapting script pages [pgs 9-12] into visual mediums.
ANIMAL MAN monthly series, September 2011
Talent:
Jeff Lemire, writer
Travel Foreman, artist
The high concept: Family man or superman? With the power to absorb the traits of any animal Buddy Baker has made a career as a part-time superhero. But when his young daughter begins to develop incredibly dangerous powers of her own, the Bakers will have to give up their quiet suburban life and go on the run across America.
Overview:
Buddy Baker’s superhero career is a part-time concern at best. And aside from flirting with an acting career in arthouse indie films, Buddy seems to be doing little to pull in a steady income, putting undo stress on his already tumultuous marriage. To make matters worse, Buddy and Ellen’s young daughter, 8-year old Maxine, is exhibiting incredible and dangerous powers, powers she’s too young to understand or control.
The comic first comes to life with the script. The Script ANIMAL MAN #1
THE HUNT PART 1: WARNING FROM THE RED
PAGE 9.
9.1
Closer on Buddy, he turns to Krenshaw.
1. BUDDY: Let me handle this.
2. KRENSHAW: I don’t know, A-Man…all those kids.
3. BUDDY: Trust me…
9.2
Cut inside the children’s ward of the hospital. Kids are huddled together in their beds, terrified. Nurses and doctors try to comfort him. Edwin is at the window, holding his gun to the Doctor.
4. (CAPTION) ANIMAL MAN: …let me talk to this guy.
5. EDWIN: Just back off! All I want is my little girl and we’ll get out of here and I’ll let the rest go!
9.3
The doors to the Children’s Ward swing open and ANIMAL MAN enters. Buddy holds his hands up as if to show he’s unarmed. Edwin swings around pointing the gun at him.
6. EDWIN: Who the hell are you!?
7. ANIMAL MAN: Just calm down. Why don’t you put the gun down and we’ll figure this out…
8. EDWIN: No way! Just get them to back off!
9.4
Closer on Animal Man. He pulls back his mask and goggles.
9. ANIMAL MAN: Look, man, I know you’re in pain…I know you lost your little girl. I have a daughter too…
9.5
Buddy approaches Edwin, cautiously, his hands still up. Edwin’s losing it, nervous and twitchy.
10. EDWIN: They got her here somewhere! I just want her back!
11. BUDDY: Mr. Edwin…Lyle, please…you must know that’s not true. I know it’s hard to accept.
9.6
Close on Edwin, he suddenly opens fire, interrupting Buddy’s speech half way through.
12. BUDDY (op): But putting the rest of these kids in danger isn’t going to bring her ba–!
13. EDWIN: I said stay back!
14. SFX: BLAM! BLAM!
PAGE 10.
Splash.
Buddy is taken aback as the bullets hit him square on the chest, bouncing off.
He has instinctually reached out with his powers trying to connect with any animal that might protect him from the blast.
So the background fades away and Buddy is surrounded by images of animals of all kinds all around him.
1. (CAPTION) BUDDY: Instinctually, I reach out with my powers, desperately trying to connect with any animal that will protect me from the blast.
2. (CAPTION) BUDDY: My consciousness slips into The Life Web and darts around madly…searching…
3. (CAPTION) BUDDY: Rat, no…dog, no…fish no…
4. (CAPTION) BUDDY: Rhino….RHINO!
PAGE 11.
11.1
Buddy leaps through the air towards Edwin, fists clenched and barking angrily.
1. (CAPTION) BUDDY: This man is troubled. He’s experienced loss that I can barely fathom. But now he’s also endangered all these innocent children…and I can’t allow that.
2. (CAPTION) BUDDY: I grab my favorite “action hero” cocktail of animal abilities…
3. (CAPTION) BUDDY: Strength of an elephant, reflexes of a fly, speed of a cheetah…
4. (CAPTION) BUDDY: And the bark of a dog. That one always freaks them out.
5. BUDDY: BARK! BARK!
11.2
Buddy hauls off and punches Edwin with the might of an elephant. Edwin flies back, slamming into the wall, his gun falls from his hand.
6. (CAPTION) BUDDY: Truth is, I hate violence. I wish I could help this man. If I ever lost Cliff or Maxine…I’d…
7. (CAPTION) BUDDY: No, don’t think about that. I can’t help him. Not now. So I just need to stop him.
8. SFX: THWAM!
11.3
Buddy crouches by Edwin, who holds his jaw, cowering and sobbing on the floor. We only see A-Man from behind here.
9. EDWIN: I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I just want her back.
10. BUDDY: I know…I know. It’s going to be okay.
11.4
We see Krenshaw enter the room behind Buddy with a Swat Team. Buddy turns to them, so that again we only see him from behind. Depending on the angle, maybe we see the first hint of blood coming from his ear, but it should be subtle not to tip our hand too soon.
11. KRENSHAW: A-Man! Is he –
12. BUDDY: Everyone’s okay.
11.5
Buddy stands before Krenshaw, his back to us. Two cops haul Edwin away. The Doctors tend to the children, trying to calm them.
Krenshaw’s face falls. He stares at A-Man in shock.
12. BUDDY: That man needs help, Detective. I hope you can –
13. BUDDY: Detective Krenshaw? What’s wrong?
11.6
Close on Krenshaw, still shocked and dumbfounded he manages to point to his own eyes.
14. KRENSHAW: Animal Man…your eyes!
PAGE 12.
12.1
Larger Panel: Reverse to Buddy. He reaches up, touching his cheek. Blood runs from his eyes and ears, down his face. Buddy freezes in shock.
1. KRENSHAW: A-Man?
2. KRENSHAW: You okay?
3. BUDDY: I—I don’t know…
12.2
Krenshaw puts his hand on Buddy’s shoulder, and yells to a doctor nearby.
4. KRENSHAW: (yelling) We need a doctor here!
Next up are the initial sketches or pencils. "In the below sequence, see how artist Travel Foreman took Jeff Lemire’s haunting text and amplified the stakes by creating stunning art that visually captures the terror of Buddy Baker’s situation. Notice how Animal Man’s face shifts from seemingly having control of what’s going on to his urgent need for answers.."
Next the pencils undergoe a process called inking. "Below, see how he [Travel Foreman] layered ink over these pages to provide new depth to the visual elements of the book."
Next the inked pages are colored. "See how colorist Lovern Kindzierski took series artist Travel Foreman’s exquisite art for ANIMAL MAN #1 and enhanced it with a skilled combination of bright and muted color tones."
Lastly the colored pages are then "lettered." "This week, you saw some of the integral steps of how a comic book is made. Now, take a look at the final pages of ANIMAL MAN #1 that you’ve been tracing and enjoy the first official preview of DC Comics-The New 52 on THE SOURCE." And there you have it. The finished pages 9-12 of
Animal Man #1. Impressive, no?
Animal Man (Bernhard "Buddy" Baker) is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics Universe. As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily “borrow” the abilities of animals (such as a bird's flight or the proportionate strength of an ant). Using these powers, Baker fights crime as the costumed superhero Animal Man.
Created by writer Dave Wood and artist Carmine Infantino, Buddy Baker first appeared in Strange Adventures #180 (September 1965) and adopted the name Animal Man in issue #190. Animal Man was a minor character for his first twenty years, never gaining the popularity of other DC heroes such as Batman or Superman. He made only five non-consecutive appearances in Strange Adventures (four of which were reprinted in Adventure Comics), followed by two appearances in Wonder Woman, two in Action Comics, and two in DC Comics Presents, appearing in consecutive issues of each. These eleven stories constitute the entirety of his pre-Crisis appearances. However, he became one of several DC properties, such as Shade, the Changing Man and Sandman, to be revived and revamped in the late 1980s for a more mature comics audience
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