I’ve been working on and off on a comic script adaptation of
the upcoming Isis series book All That Glitters for the last few months. As
everyone knows, It’s always been my dream to turn the Isis Series novelettes
into Graphic novels. And I believe doing this adaptation is a great way for me
to develop a sample script to submit to comic publishers.
Working on this script I’m realizing there’s a big difference
between comic writing, screenwriting, and novel writing, and each style has its
own quirks. I think my style is a good fit for the comic medium, it’s just
turning the words and dialogue into panels that’s the challenge.
After you read the script, compare it to the sample chapter
of the novelette I posted a few months ago to see the difference between the
styles!
PAGE ONE
SPLASH PAGE
A smiling Isis is teleporting out a flash of light onto 23rd
Street in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood in front of a Chase Bank. The
slender chestnut haired mocha skinned black woman with a mane of long bushy
curls, and straight Egyptian style bangs A cute goddess next door, she’s
dressed in street clothes consisting of faded blue jeans, a white buttondown
blouse, a black leather jacket, and black Chelsea boots. It’s lunchtime on a
cold fall day and there are people on the sidewalk and traffic on the street.
Isis: (Thought bubble) Just got paid-
SFX: BRRRRING!
PAGE TWO
PANEL ONE
Establishing shot
Isis walks into the bank vestibule reaching into her front
jeans pocket with an annoyed look on her face. The vestibule is busy with
people standing at the ATMs.
Isis: Just when I get out of the office…
PANEL TWO
Isis approaching the ATMs holding her iPhone-
Isis: You do know I’m off the clock John boy-
PANEL THREE
Establishing shot
Wide Shot of E’steem standing in the Morris Phillips
Executive Suite in front of a mahogany desk. Wearing a red wrap dress and red
high heels, she’s holding the receiver of a corded phone on a mahogany desk in
an office furnished with luxury furniture and tall picture windows.
E’steem: I’d think it’d be hard to go shopping without a way
to pay for it Princess.
PANEL FOUR
MEDIUM SHOT Split Screen
Isis still holding her phone.
Isis: What’re
you talking about? I just got paid-
E’steem: You left your ATM card on my desk. So you want to
come back here and pick it up?
PANEL FIVE
Establishing shot
A playful smile on Isis’ face as she pushes past the door
and steps onto the bank floor. Isis: Don’t have to. Back in the good old days
of the 1940s we had these people at the bank called tellers-
E’steem (on Phone) They call them customer service
associates these days.
PAGE THREE
PANEL ONE
Isis is standing at a bank table in the back of the busy
bank with a smirk on her face as she writes out a Withdrawal slip.
Isis: Humor an old lady for a minute willya. Now back in
them days we had these little slips of paper called Withdrawals. You’d fill em’
out, present em’ to the teller and they’d give you cash money you could spend
anywhere you liked.
PANEL TWO
Close up of E’steem smiling on hearing the joke.
E’steem: You and your old fashioned ways-
Isis: (on phone) That’s how we used to do it in the olden
days of the Twentieth century.
PANEL THREE
1/4 SPLASH
The slender Isis standing near the door in the near
background is putting her phone in her jacket pocket as Golden Shine a tall,
tanned, beautiful blonde with an hourglass figure wearing a designer White
bikini and a pair of strappy sandals steps through the door. A designer tote
bag slung on her shoulder, she saunters into the bank with a confident stride
and a smug smile on her face.
PANEL FOUR
INSET PANEL
With Isis’ thoughts on Golden Shine’s big entrance.
Isis: (thought) This has to be some sort of reality show
stunt.
PANEL FIVE
WIDE SHOT
Golden Shine walks by the line People on line take out their
Smartphones to record her. She’s glowing as the Bank Manager a stout man in a
pinstripe suit steps out from behind a swinging door Nervous, he’s intimidated
by her beauty.
Bank Manager: Can I help you Miss?
Golden Shine: I’m here to make a withdrawal.
PANEL SIX
MEDIUM SHOT
Beads of sweat on Bank Manager’s forehead as Golden Shine
smiles at him.
Bank Manager: Would you like a Withdrawal slip?
Golden Shine: No thanks, I’ll get it myself.
PAGE FOUR
PANEL ONE
A dumbfounded look on the Bank Manager’s face in the
background as Golden Shine walks through the door he came out of to approach
the tall, steel silver bank vault door in the distance-
PANEL TWO
A smiling Golden Shine grabs front of the Bank Vault’s safe
door and tears it off the wall like cardboard as-
SFX: CRRRRUMP!
PANEL THREE
CLOSE UP
A shocked Isis has a wide eyed gasped look on her face
watching Golden Shine tear the vault door off its hinges.
Isis: (thought bubble) Looks like bikini babe is turning her
reality show stunt into a Bank robbery-
PANEL FOUR
WIDE SHOT
Ripped off vault door on the side of the wall. There’s a
gleeful smile on Golden Shine’s Face in the foreground as she steps into the
Vault filled with stacks of dollar bills.
Isis in the farthest background as customers in the midground are
holding up Smartphones to record the robbery as-
Isis: (Thought bubble) And everyone is too busy being a part
of the live studio audience to do anything.
PANEL FIVE
MEDIUM SHOT
Isis is about to go into action. An elderly Security Guard
patrolling the vestibule and ATMS rushes past her with his .38 revolver drawn
as Golden Shine stuffs her designer tote bag with stacks of dollar bills.
Isis: (Thought bubble) Maybe I can stop this before anyone
gets hurt-
Guard: D-Drop the money Miss.
PAGE FIVE
PANEL ONE
Medium Shot
With A bag full of money slung over her shoulder, Golden
Shine nonchalantly looks over at the guard pointing his gun in the distance.
Golden Shine: You better put that thing away before you hurt
yourself. You’re not man enough to take on this much woman.
GUARD: Don’t come any closer-
PANEL TWO
CLOSE UP
of the guard firing his gun
SFX: BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
PANEL THREE
CLOSE UP
Bullets bounce off Golden Shine’s large breasts like jell-O.
PANEL FOUR
The nervous guard’s gun is out of bullets. Golden Shine
scowls at him as she snatches his gun away.
Golden Shine: Looks like you shot your load big man. But it’s
not enough to do me any damage.
PANEL FIVE
CLOSE UP
Golden Shine Crumples up his .38 like tissue paper in her
manicured hands.
SFX: CRRRRUNCH!
PANEL SIX
Golden Shine nonchalantly walks through the door and drops
the crumpled gun in the dumbfounded Bank manager’s hands as the old guard
clutches his chest.
Golden Shine: Something to remember me by.
PAGE SIX
PANEL ONE
ESTABLISHING SHOT
The guard falls over in the far background as Golden Shine
saunters past the dumbfounded bank manager towards the door as. Isis starts
making moves toward it.
Isis: Excuse me miss, can I see a receipt for that
withdrawal-
PANEL TWO
CLOSE UP
A serious Isis confronts Golden shine at the door. Golden
Shine rolls her eyes.
Golden Shine: Don’t tell me you’re gonna play hero concerned
Citizen-
Isis: Goddess.
PANEL THREE
¾ MEDIUM SHOT
The taller Golden Shine has her hands on her hips ad a
contemptuous look on her face as she looks the shorter skinnier Isis up and
down.
Golden Shine: I look more the part than you stringbean.
Isis: That’s what you think Goldilocks-
Golden Shine: That’s Golden Shine. And you’re gonna find out
there’s more to this beach body than meets the eye.
PANEL FOUR
MEDIUM SHOT
Isis swings on Golden Shine who catches her fist.
Isis: Tell it to the cops in Central booking-
PANEL FIVE
CLOSE UP
Golden Shine has an evil grin on her face as she looks down
and holds Isis’ fist in her hand.
Golden Shine: You’re good Beanpole. But you just can’t beat
perfection.
PANEL FIVE
WIDE SHOT
Golden Shine judo tosses Isis’ body-
PAGE SEVEN
PANEL ONE
ESTABLISHING SHOT
From the back Isis is seen crashing through the exploding
glass door of the entrance into the vestibule of the bank.
SFX: CRRRRASH!
PANEL TWO
A stunned Isis is lying on the floor as we see the sexy legs
and pedicured toes of Golden Shine strolling through the shattered
doorframe.
PANEL THREE
Golden Shine is getting closer as Isis stirs out of a daze.
Isis: (Thought Bubble) …Okay, she got a lucky shot.
PANEL FOUR
Golden Shine is halfway about to step over her when Isis’
manicured hand is seen grabbing her ankle.
Isis: (Thought Bubble) She’s just a mortal. You’re a
goddess. You can still take her.
Isis: I didn’t see your receipt.
PANEL FIVE
Isis trips up Golden Shine. She lands to the floor on her
backside with a-
SFX: THUD!
PANEL SIX
A fallen Golden Shine points daggers at Isis who is getting
to her feet.
Golden Shine: Still want some more of this Princess?
Isis: You’re not leaving here with that money.
PAGE EIGHT
PANEL ONE
Golden Shine nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders as she looks
over at Isis.
Golden Shine: Guess I gotta show you why you don’t mess with
the beautiful people.
PANEL TWO
Isis swings on Golden shine and misses.
Isis: Prepare to get that pretty face messed up-
Isis: (thought bubble) Did she just move fast enough to
dodge my punch?
PANEL THREE
Golden Shine hits Isis in the jaw taking sending her
reeling-
Golden Shine: Told you were out of your league Stringbean.
PANEL FOUR
Golden Shine grabs the shocked Isis by the back of her
jacket and the waistband of her jeans and
Isis (thought bubble) Crap, I wasn’t expecting SunTan Malibu
Bimbo to pack that kind of power in her punch. She hits as hard as E’steem.
Gotta regroup before-
Golden Shine: You think you can hang with me Stringbean-
PANEL FIVE
WIDE SHOT
Hoists a shocked Isis in the air above her head. There’s an
evil grin on her face as she looks over at the bank’s picture window She-
Golden Shine: But I’m just too fabulous for you.
PAGE NINE
PANEL ONE
¼ SPLASH WIDE SHOT
Hurls Isis through the Bank’s front window.
Isis: CRAAAAP!
SFX CRRRRASH!!!
PANEL TWO
ESTABLISHING SHOT
People holding Smartphones to record the carnage on the
street as a dazed Isis on the sidewalk shakes out the stars in her eyes while
Golden Shine strolling out of the bank’s front door pointing a key fob at
a-
Isis: Come on, get it together Goddess! If you don’t take
this blonde bimbo down you’re gonna get laughed out of the New Heliopolitan
Pantheon.
PANEL THREE
Bentley parked on the corner. Golden Shine grabs the handle
as Isis gets to her feet in the background.
PANEL FOUR
CLOSE UP
Of Golden Shine sitting in her car. She smiles as she flips
Isis a bird-
Golden Shine: Better luck next time Stringbean.
PANEL FIVE
Driving off leaving a pissed off Isis in the dust.
Isis: Oh No, she’s not getting away from me.
PANEL SIX
Isis runs off the sidewalk into-
PAGE TEN
PANEL ONE
ESTABLISHING SHOT
Midtown traffic. Cars, buses trucks and Yellow cabs. Running
at super-speed Isis is ahead of all of them as-
PANEL TWO
Golden Shine’s sees Isis in her rearview mirror.
PANEL THREE
Isis has her manicured hands on the bumper as-
PANEL FOUR
A nonchalant Golden shine presses a button on her Bentley
Dash.
PANEL FIVE
Isis eyes grow wide and her chestnut curls are standing on
end from receiving an electric shock from Golden Shine’s secret weapon.
PANEL SIX
Isis’ hands fall away from the bumper as-
PANEL SEVEN
WIDE SHOT
Golden Shine drives off leaving Isis laying in the street.
Midtown Traffic is seen barreling down in the direction of her unconscious
body.
I’m just starting on this script and I hope to have it
finished soon. And I’m hoping to get the Isis: All That Glitters paperback
& eBook out sooner rather than later (If I can get the funds to pay for the
cover). But right now you can pick up the two newest books Isis: House of Isis
coming out on March 27th and Isis: Escape From Transylvania coming
out in late April/Early May!