The script for the twentieth issue of my superhero comic book, Rapid City, has now been posted.

This issue is completely silent and marks the start of a dark new chapter of Rapid City.

Page 15
Panel 1. Close on KINETIC touching and testing the cuffs. The WOMAN’S wrist is red and scraped.

Panel 2. Shot of the broken-out window. The BAD GUY is just starting to climb up through it, back in to the house.

Panel 3. The WOMAN speaking to KINETIC and touching her very pregnant belly.

Panel 4. Still speaking to KINETIC, she points toward the open door.

Panel 5. The WOMAN is still pointing, but now she is actually looking where she is pointing and her eyes are wide with fear.

Read and discuss this issue of Rapid City, plus all of the previous issues, for free here.

The script for the nineteenth issue of my superhero comic book, Rapid City, has now been posted.

SWITCHBOARD

Just keep your eyes open, ok?

VECTOR

For monster tracks?

KINETIC

It’s not a monster, ok? It’s a gorilla. Can we stop making this into more than it is?

Panel 4. Desperado turning to face Kinetic. Not quite “in his face” but certainly confrontational.

DESPERADO

Hey, you get face to face with one of these hairy bastards….

DESPERADO

you look him right in the eyes….

DESPERADO

and then you tell me there’s a difference between a monster and a gorilla.

Panel 5. Kinetic pausing on the embankment, stunned, as Desperado walks away to catch up with the other two.

Panel 6. Switchboard looking at Desperado, surprised. Kinetic is coming up behind them.

SWITCHBOARD

Have you fought a gorilla?

Read and discuss this issue of Rapid City, plus all of the previous issues, for free here.

The script for the eighteenth issue of my superhero comic book, Rapid City, has now been posted.

HARTBORN

So this is revenge for you?

Panel 2. Kinetic posed and shot just like Octane on page ten. He looks a little frustrated.

KINETIC

No, that’s not what I want. Besides, what revenge? Maxwell died right along with her.

Panel 3. Hartborn watches Kinetic talk, but Kinetic is not looking at him. He is looking at the glove box.

KINETIC

No, it’s not that. It’s like this, she asked me for help….. and then she died. I still owe her.

Panel 4. Just Hartborn.

HARTBORN

She’s dead. This isn’t helping her.

Panel 5. Just Kinetic

KINETIC

What else can I do?

Read and discuss this issue of Rapid City, plus all of the previous issues, for free here.

The script for the sixteenth issue of my superhero comic book, Rapid City, has now been posted.

Panel 5: Pulling in tighter on Desperado. Still standing there like a gunslinger. His fists are clenched, through his mask, we can see hard determination. Behind him we can see cops and bystanders.

SWITCHBOARD

It’s not just the two of you. While you are shrugging off his effects, he can be killing hostages. Killing police. Killing bystanders.

Panel 6: Tight on Desperado’s face, or even his eyes. He is looking determined. We can see his hand reaching up to the ear-piece.

SWITCHBOARD

He’s already desperate. If you aren’t careful, you’ll just make things worse.

DESPERADO

Ok. Careful. Switchboard….

Panel 7: Low shot of Desperado from behind. He is clearly walking toward the door now. We can see that he is holding the ear-piece in his hand.

DESPERADO

I can do this.

Read and discuss this issue of Rapid City, plus all of the previous issues, for free here.

The script for the thirteenth issue of the superhero comic book, Rapid City, has now been posted.

Page 12 Playing the hand

Panel 1 Full shot of Switchboard, still bound in the same position, but now smiling smugly.

SWITCHBOARD

Bluffing. Of course I am….

SWITCHBOARD

Crux.

Panel 2 Shot of Crux turning toward her with surprise and anger on his face.

CRUX

How did you know my name?

Panel 3 Shot from behind Crux and Coil as they look over at Switchboard.

SWITCHBOARD

Come on, dummy, that’s what I do. Isn’t that why you’re here? Because of how I handle information? I know you’re thorough and you pick your targets well. You did a good job, so you shouldn’t be surprised that I know stuff about you….

Read and discuss this issue of Rapid City, plus all of the previous issues, for free here.

I recently stumbled across this interview with author Peter Coogan that reminded me just how much I enjoyed his book Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre.

In that book, he defines what the super hero genre actually is, by meticulously comparing it to what it ALMOST is. Clearly, the genre has elements of sci-fi, fantasy, action, adventure, detective, and many others, but it is also its own unique thing. In his book, Coogan describes exactly where superhero stands in relation to these genre-siblings.

As a reader, it is simply fascinating to me. As a writer, it gives me a new formula-lens through which ti view my work. If certain elements are not working, I can see that one possible reason might be that i have actually deviated from genre-model. And, once I see my work in that sense, I can more effectively, intentionally, break from form.

The script for the tenth issue of the superhero comic book, Rapid City, has now been posted.

Panel 2. Sidekick on the ground. He has knocked over one of those black waste barrels and several pump hoses have come out of their cradles. He is gesturing to one of the hoses, or holding one up, as an example,

SIDEKICK

Careful? Doesn’t look like you’re too…

Panel 3. Kinetic has grabbed Sidekick by his jacket and is swinging him in a high arc.

SIDEKICK

careful!

Panel 4. Kinetic completes the high arc by slamming Sidekick hard into the ground. Monkey is leaping clear of the impact and bits of gravel are spraying up.

Panel 5. Kinetic gripping his bandaged abdomen in pain and grimacing. Sidekick is climbing to his feet again

KINETIC

Damn.

SIDEKICK

What was the point of…. Oh!

SIDEKICK

Are you ok?

Panel 5. Shot of Monkey looking over at the slightly larger crowd.

MONKEY

Sidekick, this isn’t working.

Read and discuss this issue of Rapid City, plus all of the ones leading up to it, for free here.

This is not disastrous.
That bump I took last month threw my schedule off by about 15 days.

I am recovering from it, but I think that I will probably miss my upcoming deadline by a few days. I don’t like that, but I can live with it.

See, what I am doing here is writing a monthly superhero comic book. I have set my monthly deadline for the 15th. That avoids all of the other end of the month pressure and every recognized month has a 15th.

This writing project is my attempt to learn how to write superhero comics, and the story is about a guy learning to actually be a superhero. We are following the same learning curve.

Maybe the next story arc will feature him busting his ass, but still being just a little too late to save the day.

Josh

The script for the sixth issue of the superhero comic book, Rapid City has now been posted.

Read and discuss it here.

Panel 1 Hourglass is still talking, but now we see Kinetic
and Justin’s reactions to her story. They are both
concerned.

HOURGLASS
The man was gone and so was the girl. I could have
stopped the whole thing, but I screwed up. Her
death is on my head.

KINETIC
Hey, you did the best you could at that moment.
It’s ok to be scared.

Panel 2 Kinetic keeps talking. He is gesturing to his own
head.

KINETIC
No one can be expected to know how to deal
with….with death like that. I can’t imagine how
that must mess with you up here.

Panel 3 Hourglass looks back at him with a look resembling
pity.

This issue is the second part of the Hourglass story arc. Kinetic and Hourglass are getting closer to finding a killer, who is getting closer to finding them.

The script for the fifth issue of the superhero comic book, Rapid City has now been posted.

Read and discuss it here.

Panel 5 Max lets the pressure off a little bit and the kid slumps.

MAXWELL MURDER

Yeah? That’s right where she was. Was there a girl there? Dead girl in a costume?

YOUNGER KID

No. No girl. I just saw the phone so I picked it up. I was gonna sell it.

MAXWELL MURDER

When? When did you find it?

YOUNGER KID

Thursday. Thursday night.

Panel 6 Max starts to walk away leaving the kid breathless and bleeding behind him.

MAXWELL MURDER

No girl. No body. So where is she?

This issue is the first part of the second story arc. The direction that Kinetic had been searching for finds him when the mysterious Hourglass needs his help to solve a murder.