Dead End in Inconvenienced

Dead End
In
Inconvenienced
By
R.J. Atwood


Page 1

Page 1 will be a Splash page with a single panel.  The panel will be a simple splash picture of a comic book cover showing our first story.  But the cover does not take up the whole page and is askew, we can see Tim's hands holding it.
The cover itself is a very 80's or 90's style comic with a picture of DeadEnd standing proudly on the right side of the cover with a taser held intimidatingly in eash hand.  For his art style, think of the 90's and their over the top love of violence and gore.  He's a proud anti-hero.  All violence!  Maybe he's even got a liefeldesque body style: wide shoulders and chest tapering down to a slim waste and feet too small for how big his shoulders are.  Subtle though.  We don't want it to look like we're making fun ot the 90's style of Liefeld, but just giving a hint of that era.  The top of the comic should contain the series title "Dead End" in powerful and violent looking block letters.  The upper left hand corner should have a "Black Hat Comics"  imprint logo.  Which will be the classic rectangle box shape most comics used up until recently with a stylized black fedora in it.  Below that is the price and publication info.  The comic should be labeled as #1 with a price of $1.00 and a publication date of let's say April '90.  The lower left hand corner has a barcode.  A large burst balloon situated on the left side of the page announces:  AT LAST!  EVERYONE'S FAVORITE VILLAIN IN HIS OWN MONTHLY TITLE. . . (bold) AS A HERO!!!

Page 2

Panel A:  Ext. Night:  We see the front of a "24/7" store, a 7-11, Circle K type convenient store.  There are no cars parked outside the store.  A speech bubble points to the store indicating that someone inside the store is speaking.

Dialogue balloon 1:  So then I says to Nocturne "If you want the ruby you're gonna' have to take it from me."  And it's gonna' take a lot more than you and that Brownie Scout you hang out with to do that."

Panel B:   We see a profile view of two men standing on either side of the convenient store's checkout counter.  On the right is our hero DEAD END, clothed in his standard blue and orange costume, He has orange Dead End signs (just like the ones on the street) on both his chest and his back.  He has a holster on his left hip in which his taser rests (see reference drawing here for the general appearance of Dead End: fc03.deviantart.net/fs37/i/200… ) to the left is his friend JERRY a convenient store clerk.  Jerry should have out of control curly hair and is wearing a blue polo shirt, the uniform of his store.  Dead End is leaning on the counter in a way that shows he loves telling a story about himself.  The slurpy-like drink sitting on the counter next to him is about half-full, showing that he's spent quite a bit of time at the store regaling Jerry with his stories. Jerry is standing up straight with his arms crossed but his face clearly shows he's as interested in listening to Dead End's story as Dead End is in telling it.

JERRY 2: You really said that?
DEAD END 3:  True story.
JERRY 4:  What'd he do?
Panel C:  A close up of Dead End.  His head is slightly tilted to one side and his shoulders are shrugging slightly.  He's now holding the slurpy up a little as if preparing to drink it, although how he'll do so through his mask is anyone's guess. Two dialogue balloons appear for Dead End, the first should be in slightly smaller font with increased white area around it to signify that Dead End is speaking at a slightly lower volume, the second is a smaller balloon yet the font is slightly bigger than normal and bolded to indicate that he has raised his voice. They should be attached with the balloon tail on the first balloon.

DEAD END 5: He beat the crap out of me and took the ruby. .  .
DEAD END 6: . . .BUT I SAID IT!!

Panel D:  A closeup of Jerry as he looks to the left (his right) at someone off panel.

JERRY 7:  Well good for you man!
JERRY 8:  Can I help you sir?

Panel E:  Basically the same panel of Jerry as Panel D, but Jerry is leaning backward (to the right of the panel, with his neck almost kinked.  His face is filled with a sudden mix of concern and confusion.  A gloved hand is coming from off panel left the hand is holding a banana as if it were a gun. It's pointing threateningly in Jerry's face, very close to his eyes. A dialogue balloon points off panel to where the "gunman's" face would be.  

Dialogue Balloon 9:  Yeah, you can empty the register and put the cash in a bag!

Panel F:  A shot from the gunman's point of view of Dead End (on the right) and Jerry (on the left) both now facing toward the gunman (toward the "camera") each leaning one shoulder on the counter.  Both men look puzzled.  Well, as puzzled as Dead End can look through his mask.

Panel G: Both men now erupt in laughter.  Bright red large font text of he's ha's and ho's fill the background behind them

Page 3

Panel A: Wide panel taking up the width of the page. Jerry is on the left, Dead End on the right. They're looking at each other quizzically.  The foreground has the gunmen's arm coming from off screen as if we're still seeing from the gunmen's point of view.  The banana is pointed at Jerry.

JERRY 1:  He can't be serious can he?

Panel B:  Same shape as panel A and basically the same picture except the gunman is now pointing at Dead End.

DEAD END 2:  I don't know.  I don't think so.  Has to be a joke.


Panel C: Again the same shape panel and same basic picture, but the two men have both turned to look toward the banana toting would be assailant.  The banana holding hand is drawn lightly in two positions each pointing at one of the men, blur lines in between indicate that the gunman is moving back and forth between the two unsure who to point the fruit at.  
DEAD END 3:  Sorry, we're just a little confused.  Is this a practical joke or are you seriously trying to rob my friend's store with a banana.

JERRY 4:  We don't mean to be insulting, but c'mon a banana's not exactly threatening.

DEAD END 5:  Not even the most threatening fruit.

JERRY 6:  Id've gone with an avocado

DEAD END 7: That's a vegetable

Panel D:  The panel shape continues, but this time Jerry and Dead End are looking at each other as if a little more intrigued by their new argument then by the gunman.  A series of linked balloons faces toward each man and one back towards the "camera" for the gunman.

JERRY 8: It's a fruit

DEAD END 9: Vegetable

GUNMAN 10: Shut up!

JERRY 11: FRUIT!

DEAD END 12: VEGETABLE!

GUNMAN 13: SHUT UP!

JERRY 14:  It's a fruit, that's why it's also called an alligator pair

DEAD END 15:  By that argument a sea horse is a mammal!

GUNMAN 16: (in large erratic red letters):  SHUT UP!!!!

PANEL E: The same strip panel, this time though, Dead End and Jerry have stopped their yelling match and are looking at the gunman in complete shock.  We still up to this moment have only seen the end of the gunman's arm, his gloved hand and the banana.

GUNMAN 17:  You guys don't think I'm serious!  Well, it's time you learned the seriousness of. . .

Page 4

Page 4 is a large splash panel in which we finally see the gunman in one of those dramatic villain reveal shots.  In it we see that the gunman is actually the extremely-low-end supervillain Dr. Fructose.  He is standing with his legs in a wide stance, his arms thrown open widely. He now has a banana in each hand.  He wears a trench-coat which is now being thrown open to reveal what is obviously a home made supervillain costume:  a looslely fitting yellow sweet shirt and sweet pants with red gym shorts over them emulating the Superman/Batman trunks over tights style.  He wears shabby tennis shoes on his feet.  What appears to be a cut out felt logo of a red apple is haphazardly safety pinned to his sweatshirt.  Instead of a mask he wears large plastic Elton John-esque sunglasses which are shaped like strawberries.  The page is also the credits page.  The upper right hand corner shows text saying DEAD END IN above larger block text showing the story title INCONVENIENCED.  Below that in simple black script are the writing and art credits and any other credits that need to be shown.  A dialogue balloon completes Dr. Fructose's introduction in large, alarming letters.  A link leads off of that to a two increasingly smaller balloons with regular sized text.

DR. FRUCTOSE 1: DR FRUCTOSE!!!
DR. FRUCTOSE 2: Prepare to be pulped!
DR. FRUCTOSE 3: . . . and yes the avocado is a fruit.

Page 5

Panel A:  A wide panel of only the torso area of Dr. Fructose's costume showing both outstretched arms, still holding bananas.  Strangely though, the tips of both bananas now have a gunfire effect like what we saw anytime guns were fired in the old Marvel G.I. Joe comics.   

Panel B:  Another wide panel showing Dead End jumping over the counter and knocking Jerry to the ground behind the safety of the counter.  Bullets whip past and above him with

Sfx:  zip zip zip

Panels C-E :  We see three slim panels of the glass in coolers breaking.  The drinks inside are bursting as well as bullets are destroying everything in the cases.

Panel F: Jerry and Dead End sit with their backs leaned up against the counter, as more shots fly overhead.  Jerry looks ill at ease and Dead End is taking out his taser.

JERRY 1:  C'mon man you're in the business.  You couldn't tell that guy meant business?
DEAD END 2:  Yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't figure out the guy was carrying a loaded banana.  I should've known.  We see that all the time.
JERRY 2:  Really?

Panel G: Dead End jumps up from behind the counter and lets off a round from his taser.  For whatever reason, Dead End's taser doesn't work by shooting out barbed electrode but by just directly shooting out electricity.  A long zig-zagged stream of electric energy emits from the taser.

SFX: zzzzzzzzzip-zap
DEAD END: No you idiot, we never see guys with loaded bananas!

Page 6

Panel A:  Dead End has taken cover behind the counter again.  But this time he's in a crouched position with gun at the ready waiting to jump up and take another shot.

JERRY 1: Did you get him?
DEAD END 2:  If by him you mean the cardboard standee of the racecar driver selling beer than yes.  If you mean the maniac shooting at us with fruit . . . not as much.

JERRY 3:  Great this is all gonna' be coming out of my paycheck I know.
Panel B:  Extreme closeup of Dead End where we really only see his mask, not even the outside of his head.  We can tell by the way his mask is scrunched up that he is very determined.

DEAD END 4: Ok, let's try this again.

Panel C:  Dead End does a flip over the counter.

Panel D: He lands gracefully on his feet in the middle of an aisle, tasers at the ready.  

Panel E: He leans out from behind the end cap of the aisle with the taser pointing at the camera.  

Sfx next to the taser: ehhhh

DEAD END 5: What the?

Panel F: Close up of a display on the back of the taser.  That shows an empty batt symbol with the words batt low below them.

Panel G:  A Closeup of Dead End slapping his palm to his forehead.

DEAD END 6: For the love of Randy Kilowatt!
DEAD END 7: I knew I forgot something this morning

Page 7

Panel A:  Dead End leans against the aisle shelf, unsure what his next step should be.

DEAD END 1:  Are you about finished yet Banana Boy?

Panel B:  Pretty much the same picture, but the soda bottle right next to Dead End's head has exploded , Dead End looks startled and is leaning away from it.  A speech bubble is coming from the other side of the shelf, spoken by Dr. Fructose.

DR FRUCTOSE 2: THAT'S DR FRUCTOSE!

Panel C:  Dead End is now crawling on the ground trying to get to the back of the store.

DEAD END 3:  Do you really have a doctoral degree?

Panel D:  Closeup of Fructose. He's beginning to sweat, he looks a little nervous.

DR FRUCTOSE 4:  I have a PhD in Botanical Warfare Theory

Panel E:  Dead End has made it to the back of the store.  He's still crouched on the ground but is holding a refill cup above his head at the soda fountain, filling it up.

DEAD END 5:  Hmm, and fruit themed supervillain's about the only thing you can do with that, huh?

DR FRUCTOSE 6:  Well, that or teach.
PAGE 8

Panel A: We see a closeup of a coffee pot on a counter with Dead End's hand reaching for the power plug.  

Panel B:  A close up of the plug itself as the coffee maker is unplugged. (

SFX: KA-CHUNK

Panel C:  Another close up of a new plug being plugged in.  The plug is a large adapter

SFX: KA-CLUNK

Panel D: We see the same display on the back of Dead End's taser that had previously shown the dead battery symbol.  We now see the words "Batt Charging" A dialogue balloon points toward the camera.

DEAD END 1: YESS!!!

Panel E:  The same shot but now below "Batt Charging" appears the words "Est. Charge Time: 3 hrs"

DEAD END 2: SHOZBOTT!

Panel F:  Dead End is back on the ground, crawling down an aisle with bagged snack foods on the shelves.  A dialogue balloon points towards him with another pointing over the shelf implying the location of Fructose.  

DEAD END 3:  So the teaching route didn't work out for you?

DR. FRUCTOSE 4:  The university I worked for let me go.

PAGE 9

Panel A:  Dead End  is now leaning against the shelf.  We can tell he's at the corner because we see empty space on the right of the panel (to his left) we can just make out Fructose's legs.  In his hands is a bag of white, powedered mini-donuts.

DEAD END 1:  Why'd they do that?  You seem like such a pleasant fellow

DR. FRUCTOSE 2:  They got a little huffy when I blew up a lab with a watermelon

DEAD END 3:  Same reason Gallagher lost his gig at Gonzaga.

Panel B: Is a large panel.  It's shot from overhead as if the camera is on the ceiling.  In the upper left hand corner of the panel stands Dr. Fructose.  Over Fructose's right shoulder behind him is a large cardboard display box filled with candy bars.  Several images of Dead End show that he is running across the front of the store from the aisle in which he'd been hiding toward where Fructose stands next to the front doors.  Blur lines connect the images of Dead End.  From each position he is chucking mini-donuts at Fructose's head.  Fructose is firing off several rounds with both bananas but the shots are flying wild as he is being distracted by the pint-sized powdered pastries pounding into his face.  

DR. FRUCTOSE 4:  Stop it!  How do you expect me to shoot you if you keep throwing those blasted things at me.
DEAD END 5: Yeah. . . Kinda' the point.

Panel C:  A small panel showing a closeup of Fructose's right hand and the banana in it.

SFX: CLICK

Panel D: An almost identical panel of the other banana.

SFX: CLICK

Panel E: A small panel showing a close up of Fructose's face.  His face is registering fear as he realizes what's happening.

FRUCTOSE 6: Oh. . .

Panel F: A Closeup of Dead End's face.  We can his right arm and fist, and can see that he's got them pulled back ready to punch.  Behind him the background is red with black lines in a radial pattern indicating that he's coming at Fructose with quite a bit of speed.  Somehow through the mask it looks as if he might be smiling.  

Dead End:  Yep

Panel G: A Closeup of Fructose's face, being greatly distorted by the fist pounding into the side of the jaw.  His head is being thrown back and to the side, and his eyes are closed.  

SFX: Ker-runch!

Page 10

Panel A:  An overhead shot reveals Dr. Fructose lying unconscious in the now broken cardboard display box of candy, the candy spilling out of the box and cascading over his lifeless body.  Dead End stands next to it, making a motion of wiping his hands as if to say "Job well done."  Jerry stands behind the counter, finally feeling safe enough to come out from his hiding spot.  He looks simultaneously flabbergasted and frustrated.  He's holding his hand to the sides of his head in disbelief of everything that just happened.

DEAD END 1: Well Jerry, all's well that ends well, I always say.

JERRY 2:  All's well that ends well?!

Panel B: A shot of Jerry, now fully freaking out.  His eyes are bulging and he's pulling on his own hair.

Jerry 3:  When my manager sees the store he's going to cut my head off with a spork!  This is thousands of dollars of damage!

Panel C:  Dead End looking somewhat sympathetic but mostly explanatory, with his right hand on his hip and his left extended in a "let me explain" manner.

DEAD END 4: Well, he did most of it.

Panel D: Back to Jerry, still looking freaked out. He's looking to the left of the panel (his right) looking at Dead End.

JERRY 5:  Yeah, but you didn't help with that gun of yours.  What is that a taser? An electric gun? A modified shock collar?

Panel E: Back to Dead End.

DEAD END 6:  I Call her Vera.

Panel F: Back to Jerry, but this time he's looking to the right of the panel (his left) in the opposite direction of where Dead End is standing.  He looks incredibly surprised.  A speech bubble is coming from off panel right.

Dialogue Balloon 7:  I wouldn't worry about the damage son.


Page 11

Panel A:  We see the mysterious stranger's arm resting on the counter.  The arm is wearing the sleeve of a gray trench coat a gloved hand holds out a business card.  A speech bubble points off panel to wear the man's face would be.

Dialogue Balloon 1:  I think you'll find that the company I work for will cover the expenses.

Panel B:  The same gloved hand is handing another card to Dead End.  Again a speech bubble points off panel toward the mysterious stranger.  Dead End looks a little confused, but is taking the card.

Dialogue Balloon 2:  You should take one to son.  Your friend's right, this was a little messy, but you got talent. We could use someone like you.

Panel C: Back to a shot of Jerry looking confused.  In the foreground we can see the stranger's shoulder.  We can tell he is wearing a trenchcoat. His head however is just off panel so we can't tell who he is.  Yet another dialogue balloon points toward him.

Dialogue Balloon 3:  Now, can I get a pack of smokes.

Panel D: Dead End looks curiously at the card and scratches his head

Panel E:  He looks up.  He raises his right hand with the index finger extended.

DEAD END 4:  Now wait a minute. . .

Panel F: Dead End has now approached the other two gentlemen.  He stands in profile on the left side of the panel looking right.  The stranger's back is still to us and because he is closer to "the camera" his head is still cut off.  Dead End is holding the card up as if this will be the first time the stranger has ever seen his own business card.  Jerry is in the background framed between the two, looking confused.

DEAD END 5:   This is for The Council of Liberty, that's a Hero group.  I'm villainous not heroic.

Stranger:  Well, they say crime doesn't pay.  We'll make you salaried.  Give that number a call. . .

Page 12:  

The last page in the Dead End story, Page 12 is a splash panel.  We finally see the stranger in a dramatic reveal.  We see that he is in full clown costume, with a traditional Humphrey Bogart/Alan Ladd style trench coat and a tiny, clown-like fedora somehow hanging on his head askew.  This is the Greasepaint Gumshoe himself, Johnny Buttons Clown Detective. You can see reference pictures here: fc01.deviantart.net/fs36/i/200… or here: a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto… ) He's smiling a friendly, almost grandfatherly smile.  Behind him we can see that Jerry looks surprised and even in the foreground to the left of the panel we can see half of the back of Dead End's head, but there are thick black lines pointing outward from around his head (similar to Spider-sense), showing his surprise.

Johnny Buttons (In large friendly letters):  Tell them Johnny sent you!

A text box appears in the bottom right hand corner.  It reads as follows:

Will The Greasepaint Gumshoe make
Dead End a hired hero?
Will Dead End Ditch his
Career in Crime?
Be back here in a month for the answers!