I’ve been meaning to post some thumbnails for the comic pages I’m currently working on. The thumbs are from an unfilmed script for Firefly, “Dead or Alive.” I’ve posted the script pages after the jump.

These pages will be portfolio pieces, intended to show some likenesses and done in the traditional animation style that I’ve been toying with for a few months.

The script for these thumbs.

Firefly: “Dead or Alive” Episode #: 1AGE06
Written by: Cheryl Cain
Directed by: Marita Grabiak
WRITERS DRAFT: August 16, 2002
——————————————————————————–

TEASER

Page 1

EXT. SERENITY RAMP - NIGHT

A motley group of immigrant workers walk down the ramp onto the dirt of a border planet. MAL and an equally motley bulbous man, the CASHIER, count them as they walk off.

MAL
Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen.
Seventeen.

CASHIER
(bored)
Sixteen.

MAL
Hey, that beefy guy easily ate enough
for two.

CASHIER
Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen.

Mal points to a skinny guy off to the side of a larger guy.

MAL
I believe we’re up to nineteen.

CASHIER
He was number seven.

MAL
Guess you could be right. Must’ve
forgot his knapsack. Eighteen.

Page 2

ZOE follows the last two guys down the ramp.

CASHIER
Nineteen. Twenty.

MAL
And done.

The cashier hands Mal a wad of bills. Mal starts to count it.

MAL (cont’d)
Not that I don’t trust you… but I
don’t trust you.

Mal counts the last bill. Looks at the Cashier. Beat. The Cashier gives him two more bills. Grumbles, ambles off.

ZOE
Ever full with the customer
relations, sir.

MAL
He works for the Alliance.

Page 3

ZOE
And we worked for him which would
technically mean we also worked for
the Alliance.

MAL
Yep. Have to say not unhappy to be
makin’ a buck off ’em.

ZOE
Ah, change is good. The crew?

MAL
Like the makin’ money off the
Alliance bit, but really don’t want
to push it by takin’ part in their
celebratin’… makes me all twitchy.

Zoe just looks at him.

MAL
Fine, but —

KAYLEE comes running down the ramp. Followed by JAYNE and BOOK.

KAYLEE
We’re goin’ to the fair.

Page 4

MAL
An hour. Sixty minutes. Nothing
more, nothing less, Miss Kaylee.

KAYLEE
No need to do a flippy-hiss, Capt’n.
We gotcha.

Mal gives her money. Then Jayne and Book.

MAL
Don’t spend it all in one place.

Kaylee puts one arm through Book, another through Jayne.

KAYLEE
You can win me stuff.

BOOK
My pleasure. Always have enjoyed
guessing games.

JAYNE
Nope. I win it. I keep it.

Some thoughts

Trying to go for a cinematic approach, using lots of widescreen type panels. That presents some challenges for getting all the information in there, but I personally like the way a series of horizontal panels reads. It’s very smooth.

Only trying one “beat” joke in this set: the moment on page 2 where Mal gives the collector a look and gets handed more money. There’s also a potentially funny moment on page 3 where Mal is giving permission for the crew to go to the fair, and Kaylee is out of there like a rocket. I think with word balloons that moment should have just the right punch.

Feedback is welcome, though I know these thumbs aren’t the clearest images.