DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? - Comic Book script
Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:49 pmBack in 2006, a comic book publishing company from Poland (that was doing very well at the time) was looking for some strong material, preferably backed by a license of some sort. Nothing fancy, a book, an old TV show - something that wouldn?t be very expensive, but at the same time had at least a little bit of recognition and a cult following. Being a long time fan of Philip K. Dick?s ?Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep??, I asked if an adaptation would be a possibility.
Turns out I hit the jackpot. The book is a separate entity from the movie, yet it would obviously garner interest of Blade Runner fans. We had agreed on distancing ourselves from the film as much as possible and present the comic as its own thing, just in time for the DADOES?s 40th anniversary (which is 2008).
The editor-in-chief was to establish communication with the powers that be while I worked on the script. It was to be a comic in European style, large format, with 46 pages of story.
Just as I turned in my work, it became apparent that PKD Trust has no interest in the project. I had feared as much ? there was never a comic based on Dick?s writing before ? but stayed hopeful through the whole process.
2008 is fast approaching, the publisher I worked with is closing its doors and there had been no movement on the project at all since 2006. Therefore, I want to sort of throw the script out there, and what better place to do that than the BladeZone forum.
One thing you should know ? this is what I call a ?rush draft? (which comes even before the first draft). I?ve spent most of the time on figuring out how to structure the comic, what to cut, what to include and how to lay the plot out on 46 pages, so by the time the script was due, I only had enough wiggle room to produce what you can read below. There are typos, some bad English, and frankly, were the project ever to move forward, I would probably rewrite most of the dialogue.
Not to clutter the board with what is understandably a rather long piece of text, I will post only the first six pages now, and then continue with 10 page long chunks. Any comments (good or bad), questions and opinions will be much appreciated.
Please note, that characters aren?t described in much detail ? their appearance was something I wanted to leave to the artist.
All right, here we go:
Also, if you have any pointers on how to format the text so it reads better, be sure to let me know. Thanks.
Turns out I hit the jackpot. The book is a separate entity from the movie, yet it would obviously garner interest of Blade Runner fans. We had agreed on distancing ourselves from the film as much as possible and present the comic as its own thing, just in time for the DADOES?s 40th anniversary (which is 2008).
The editor-in-chief was to establish communication with the powers that be while I worked on the script. It was to be a comic in European style, large format, with 46 pages of story.
Just as I turned in my work, it became apparent that PKD Trust has no interest in the project. I had feared as much ? there was never a comic based on Dick?s writing before ? but stayed hopeful through the whole process.
2008 is fast approaching, the publisher I worked with is closing its doors and there had been no movement on the project at all since 2006. Therefore, I want to sort of throw the script out there, and what better place to do that than the BladeZone forum.
One thing you should know ? this is what I call a ?rush draft? (which comes even before the first draft). I?ve spent most of the time on figuring out how to structure the comic, what to cut, what to include and how to lay the plot out on 46 pages, so by the time the script was due, I only had enough wiggle room to produce what you can read below. There are typos, some bad English, and frankly, were the project ever to move forward, I would probably rewrite most of the dialogue.
Not to clutter the board with what is understandably a rather long piece of text, I will post only the first six pages now, and then continue with 10 page long chunks. Any comments (good or bad), questions and opinions will be much appreciated.
Please note, that characters aren?t described in much detail ? their appearance was something I wanted to leave to the artist.
All right, here we go:
[UNTITLED]
DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP
Based on a novel by
PHILLIP K. DICK
Adapted by
RADEK SMEKTALA
FIRST DRAFT 08-08-2006
***
PAGE ONE (TWO PANELS)
PAGE 01, PANEL 01. Large. A wasteland created by heat and radiation. Desert full of metal scraps and crumbing hills. In the background, a cityscape of faraway San Francisco. A silhouette of NICK ECKHARDT can be seen here, sitting on a convertible devoured by rust. Another figure approaches him.
NO COPY
PAGE 01, PANEL 02. A close-up of NICK. For the first time we can see his features ? receding hairline, sad grey eyes set deep in the sockets and all the injuries he is to have before the last page of the book. He rests, lost in thought.
NO COPY
PAGE TWO (FIVE PANELS)
PAGE 02, PANEL 01. Someone approaches NICK from behind. We can?t see the man yet, but in the final pages, he will turn out to be WILBUR MERCER.
(01) WILBUR
What brings you here, pilgrim?
(02) NICK
Huh?
(03) NICK
I guess-- I guess I just wanted to be left alone for a while.
PAGE 02, PANEL 02. The figure passes NICK some of his liquor filled tin container.
(04) WILBUR
Does my presence annoy you?
(05) NICK
I?m not sure. There?s so much going on in my head right now.
(06) WILBUR
Then put everything in order. Look at your problems from perspective.
(07) NICK
Fair enough. Let me tell you about my day.
PAGE 02, PANEL 03. Wide. A panorama of the 2021 San Francisco. Hovers ? essentially what one would call ?flying cars? - swoosh by, advertisements catch our eye. The air is filled with radioactive fallout. To us, it looks like a 1960s postcard issued in a world gone horribly wrong.
(08) CAPTION
San Francisco, 2021
(09) CAPTION
Twenty four hours earlier.
PAGE 02, PANEL 04. A large apartment building. It seems that for every taken apartment, two are vacant. Sounds of a TV set can be heard through one of the windows.
(10) BUSTER
(electric)
--ho, ho, folks!
PAGE 02, PANEL 05. BUSTER FRIENDLY, a joyful, hyperactive presenter, speaks. A title card under BUSTER reads: ?BUSTER FRIENDLY AND HIS FRIENDLY FRIENDS?.
(11) BUSTER
(electric)
Time now for a brief note on today?s weather.
PAGE THREE (FIVE PANELS)
PAGE 03, PANEL 01. Pull back to reveal a relatively tidy apartment. BUSTER continues.
(01) BUSTER
(electric)
The Moongose satellite reports that fallout will be especially pronounced towards noon and will then taper off, so all you folks who?ll be venturing out--
PAGE 03, PANEL 02. Reverse shot. NICK ECKHARDT ? fully dressed for work sans jacket ? sits on the edge of his bed watching the TV. Behind him, IRAN ECKHARDT sits up covering herself with a quilt. She?s just awoken and is irritable.
(02) IRAN
Turn it off, cop. You know I can?t stand TV before breakfast.
PAGE 03, PANEL 03. NICK turns to her, unpleased. IRAN seems determined to start an argument.
(03) NICK
How many times do I need to tell you? I?m not a cop.
(04) IRAN
Yeah, you?re worse--
PAGE 03, PANEL 04. NICK jumps to his feet, gesticulating wildly. IRAN, unmoved, prepares to get off bed.
(05) IRAN
--you?re a murderer hired by cops.
(06) NICK
Iran, for God?s sake! I never killed a human being!
(07) IRAN
Just those poor andys.
PAGE 03, PANEL 05. On NICK, as he changes his stance to a more aggressive one.
(08) NICK
I notice you?re much less compassionate when spending the bounty money I bring home on clothes and jewelry.
PAGE FOUR (SIX PANELS)
PAGE 04, PANEL 01. IRAN speaks with a mocking tone. NICK has his back turned to her.
(01) IRAN
Instead of what? Cigarettes and booze?
(02) NICK
Instead of a real sheep, to replace that fake electric one upstairs.
PAGE 04, PANEL 02. NICK has a point and IRAN can?t help to acknowledge that. He sees that and twists the proverbial knife.
(03) IRAN
Oh.
(04) NICK
Don?t you see? For us to have no animal--
(05) NICK
--that violates the basic theological and moral structure of Mercerism!
PAGE 04, PANEL 03. IRAN knows NICK is right, but she desperately tries to paint the world in brighter colors. Her husband, however, is unconvinced.
(06) IRAN
Nick, fake or real, we do have an animal.
(07) NICK
It?s not the same!
(08) IRAN
But almost! You feel the same caring for it. You have to keep your eye on it exactly as you would with an actual sheep.
PAGE 04, PANEL 04. NICK walks toward the front door. IRAN follows him, trying to change his point of view.
(09) NICK
Because if it breaks down, everyone in the building will realize it?s synthetic. That?s the only reason!
(10) NICK
It?s anti-empathic, Iran!
PAGE 04, PANEL 05. NICK has no desire to continue this conversation. He opens the door with one hand, and takes the jacket off the coat-hanger with the other. IRAN is ashamed.
(12) NICK
I have to get to work.
(13) IRAN
But Nick--
PAGE 04, PANEL 06. IRAN bites her lip, feeling guilty, as NICK loudly closes the door.
(14) IRAN
--I?m sorry.
(15) SFX
Slam!
PAGE FIVE (SEVEN PANELS)
PAGE 05, PANEL 01. Establishing shot. A forgotten district of the city. Burnt down buildings and wrecks of old-fashioned cars litter the area.
NO COPY
PAGE 05, PANEL 02. From over the shoulder of JOHN ISIDORE, a tenant of one of these buildings, we can see, through the window, an old and dusty billboard with these words written on it: ?EMIGRATE OR DEGENERATE: THE CHOICE IS YOURS?.
NO COPY
PAGE 05, PANEL 03. Same angle. JOHN turns to us ? we can see his face now. He?s physically ugly and slightly mutated due to the fallout. Though harmless, he is not the kind of person you would like to meet in a dark alley.
NO COPY
PAGE 05, PANEL 04. JOHN approaches a big black box with handles sticking out that stands in the middle of his messy apartment.
NO COPY
PAGE 05, PANEL 05. JOHN grabs the handles--
NO COPY
PAGE 05, PANEL 06. --and suddenly, his surroundings turn into a series of digits flying past--
NO COPY
PAGE 05, PANEL 07. ?only to finally change into something resembling a ravine in the base of a mountain, although rendered in a surreal way. JOHN is still in the same position as he was in the last two panels, but instead of handles, he is now holding hands with a long haired, bearded man ? WILBUR MERCER.
(01) WILBUR
John Isidore. You have come to me again.
(02) JOHN
Of course I did, Mister Mercer. I always do.
PAGE SIX (FIVE PANELS)
PAGE 06, PANEL 01. WILBUR points at the mountain wall which JOHN begins to climb.
(01) WILBUR
Then let?s once again begin our climb, from this pit of sorrow, which I had been thrown into, towards the salvation that awaits on the top.
PAGE 06, PANEL 02. JOHN climbs higher. A rock falls, missing him by inches. WILBUR is here too, but the ascent seems to be effortless for him.
(02) WILBUR
You and I are one now, John Isidore. Us and thousands of people, who are grasping the handles of an empathy box just as you are at this very moment.
PAGE 06, PANEL 03. JOHN looks up to see black silhouettes with wide smiles and silver fangs throwing the rocks at him.
(03) WILBUR
Our enemies are numerous, and the perils lethal, but only through suffering can we achieve bliss.
PAGE 06, PANEL 04. ISIDORE gets hit in the hand by one of the stones and the background begins to blur.
(04) JOHN
Ugh!
(05) WILBUR
Do not be afraid, for-- krzzt--
PAGE 06, PANEL 05. JOHN is once again in his apartment, holding his injured hand.
(06) JOHN
Ouch.
Also, if you have any pointers on how to format the text so it reads better, be sure to let me know. Thanks.
