Gunslinger: Birth of a Gunfighter, Issue #1 Chance Ruggeroli pg#1
PAGE ONE (two panels)
Panel 1. Medium length view from lowered perspective looked up facing Gunslinger stood within the interior of a wood constructed bar nearby seven ill-reputedly dressed men’s lifeless bodies strewn about the floor around him as he holds a refurbished “LeMat” revolver in right hand aimed over a man’s head who’s lying on the ground beneath him (edged on lower area). Gunslinger’s a tall man with a burly rust colored beard that covers his chin/jaw and a short stubbly moustache. He wears an “opened” double breasted dark khaki brown duster coat hung to shins with heavy stitched elbows, and heavy stitched “lose-fit” cargo pants to match, lengthened over blackish work boots. On hands, he wears full fingered blackish gloves padded by carbon fiber knuckling. A midnight blue bandanna tied round head and “Juliet” style sunglasses with plasma/grey frames, mirrored fire iridium lenses over eyes. Over torso, a contour fitted body armor with a hardened carbon fibered carapace over sternum’s length and a raised collar wrapped from sides to back of the neck over a midnight blue undershirt. A dark leather gun belt fastened around his waistline with holster on right hip, and tactical thigh holsters strapped to outer thigh holding twined silver colt45 pistols. He looks down at the man, expressed by cooled clam comfortable with fire enveloping the scene as its aura reflects off him. The man beneath him reaches a hand up towards the revolver seemingly for “mercy”. Backdrop looks out over the room’s subsequent expanse as it’s filled by thickened black smoke, flames consuming its walls causing burning embers to rain down from a flame clouded ceiling.
CAP:
Fire stirs a man’s quality. Before it, true merit cannot be hidden. For one man, a stranger, fire has both taken and given a path… A path led far from home…
CAP/GUNSLINGER:
Smell smoke, see fire, and in that one time you’ll never fail to recall it. Its nostalgia’s one of nightmares. One I can’t wake from.--
Panel 2. Close up looked down length of the revolver held in Gunslinger’s right hand, aimed ahead at the man lying on the ground. The man’s Ray Dumont, middle aged with dark medium length hair accompanied by a goatee and thinned moustache. He wears a dirty grey “relaxed fit” officer’s uniform and speaks with uncaring candor. His “aching” eyes widen at sight of the revolver’s aim, outstretched hand’s fingers tremble due a bleeding wound on right collar bone, and another on left shoulder. Fiery aura envelops scene, gleams off revolver’s silver metallic sheen while backdrop details the soot covered bar floor surrounding him as embers rain.
CAP/GUNSLINGER:
--It didn’t feel right, too much burden to bear. Death… killing. Doesn’t see fair, love, or mercy. It’s constant, constant as time.
RAY [comment]:
Do it…
Gunslinger: Birth of a Gunfighter, Issue #1 Chance Ruggeroli pg#2
PAGE TWO (two panels)
Panel 1. Close up from lowered perspective looked up length of the revolver’s barrel where its handle’s held in Gunslinger’s right hand, angled up the distance of his outstretched arm, and facing his torso. He whispers to himself, gently pulls revolver’s trigger with index finger. The revolver’s hammer clacks igniting gunpowder in a vivid flash as flame spurts from its barrel. Backdrop details the bar’s flame consumed ceiling meshed within a thick black smoke as burning red embers rain down and reflect a fiery aura over the scene.
GUNSLINGER (whisper) [response]:
This’s for you…
SFX:
Clack!
Panel 2. Close up from subtly lowered perspective looked up facing Gunslinger’s head, focused in on his sunglass covered eyes, as flames surrounding him mirror off their lenses while their gunmetal frames soak up the light. His head’s slightly lowered, expressed by somber recollection, as sweat soaks into bandanna’s cloth along the rim just above his brow. Backdrop of an all-consuming inferno encompassing him while flames surmount above through the residual black haze clouding the ceiling while burning red embers rain down from above.
CAP/GUNSLINGER:
Not a moment’s passed that I’d forgotten that night. The night death held me down on my knees… took who I was, my life… and destroyed it. But for some unjust cause… kept me living.
Gunslinger: Birth of a Gunfighter, Issue #1 Chance Ruggeroli pg#3
PAGE THREE (three panels)
Panel 1. It’s night time. Short length view within a truck interior from behind the driver’s seat (leftwards) and passenger seat (rightwards). Gunslinger drives while his nine year old son Alex sleeps in the passenger seat. Gunslinger stretches right hand towards the stereo tune dial past the tucks center console and looks over at Alex and speaks. A LED light on the stereo reflects outwards over characters and scene. Backdrop looks out the truck’s front windshield over an emptied and long stretching freeway lined with shallow concrete barriers rimmed by to light the way as the truck drives down the left lane. Note Gunslinger’s changed appearance. He wears a grey “DFD” firefighter shirt, navy work pants, and’s clean shaven. Note Alex’s short strawberry blonde hair as they’re both wearing fastened safety belts.
CAP/GUNSLINGER:
I’d just gotten off a three day shift, wanted to feel a cool pillow scented by my wife’s perfume. But Alex always got to me first. He’d wait up for me. That night, more excited than usual, reminded me of a promise. Said I’d take him to a ballgame… so, I did.
RADIO (static burst):
Fiscal period is… off… today in… twenty four to sevente…
GUNSLINGER (soft) [comment]:
Damned a.m.… Alex?
ALEX (snore) (soft) [response]:
Zzzzz…
Panel 2. Short length view facing Gunslinger’s left as he’s sat on driver’s seat with left hand atop steering wheel as he pulls right hand away from stereo tuner towards grip underneath the wheel and looks across his right at Alex who’s asleep in the passenger’s seat. He smiles “paternally” as he whispers. Backdrop looks out the truck’s passenger side window at the empty freeway over its middle to right lanes where a shallow concrete barrier whips by along with overarched street lights rimmed past it (left to right) due truck’s momentum, noting its front windshield’s angularly edged leftwards. Note the street light’s shine into the truck’s interior mixed with stereo’s LED light.
GUNSLINGER (whisper) [comment]:
Nice co-pilot…
Panel 3. Short length view from truck’s exterior looked through its driver side window facing Gunslinger’s left as he’s sat on driver’s seat, hands on steering wheel, and looked ahead “driving” while Alex’s seen past him, sleeping in the passenger seat with head slumped to right shoulder. Backdrop looks out the truck’s passenger side window at the empty freeway over its middle to right lanes where a shallow concrete barrier whips by along with overarched street lights rimmed past it (left to right) due truck’s momentum. Note the street light’s reflected “glimmering” off the truck’s exterior, streaked left to right due its forward momentum, as the truck’s LED stereo light radiates within its interior.
CAP/GUNSLINGER:
It’d been days since I’d gotten to see him. Cherished every instant I did. Only slept a few hours during rotation, holidays were hell. Was used to being tried, but … it got to me.
Gunslinger: Birth of a Gunfighter, Issue #1 Chance Ruggeroli pg#4
PAGE FOUR (five panels)
Panel 1. Close up facing Gunslinger’s torso sat on driver’s seat behind the wheel. His eyes begin growing heavy “sleepy”, head drifts off/down towards left shoulder matched to his indolently wandering left hand steering the wheel along with his posture. Note steering wheel extended from lower edge before him. Backdrop of driver seat’s head/backrest outlining him looked out the truck’s rear windshield over an empty freeway while it’s apparent the truck rides towards outside line of the left lane foreshadowing the freeway’s shallow concrete barrier rimmed by overarched street lights drawing nearer. Note the street light’s shine into the truck’s interior mixed with stereo’s LED light.
CAP/GUNSLINGER:
Time’s value wasn’t plain to me then. I hadn’t stopped to envision how expensive seconds could be.
Panel 2. Short length view from lowered perspective atop the freeway’s street surface behind the truck’s rear and front driver side wheels as they ride on outside line of the left lane nearing caution bumps lined between it and the freeway’s shallow concrete barrier rimmed by overarched street lights (edged angularly leftwards). Backdrop looks ahead past the trucks forward area where as seen through/under the truck’s underbelly the freeway’s curving sharply rightwards at a moderate distance down its length. Note street lights shining over the scene and casting shadow underneath the truck’s underbelly.
No Dialogue
Panel 3. Short length view along outer side of the truck’s rear driver side tire (edged rightwards) with angle looked angularly across it to front tire as their treads rumble off caution bumps outside the freeway’s left lane while the truck’s nearing a shallow concrete barrier rimmed by overarched street lights (edged leftwards) and’s run parallel with tires. Backdrop looks ahead past the truck’s front bumper where the shallow concrete barrier’s curvature veers sharply rightwards and’s drawing dangerously close up ahead while the street lights shine down over scene, note light casts shadow under trucks underbelly.
SFX (tire treads hitting caution bumps):
Bumbbumbbumbbumbbumb--
Panel 4. Short length view looked through the truck’s front windshield into its interior cabin to face Gunslinger sat asleep on driver’s seat behind the wheel with left hand further steering left, nearing the freeway’s shallow concrete barrier rimmed by overarched street lights (edged rightwards) as insides of truck’s driver side tires run directly over the left lane’s caution bumps. Backdrop looked though truck’s rear windshield and over/past its backend detailing the emptied freeway’s subsequent expanse. Note street lights shine over scene and reflect out/over the truck’s body and streak across its front windshield.
SFX:
--bumbbumbbumbbumbbumb…
Panel 5. Close up behind Gunslinger’s head/shoulders as he’s sat in driver’s seat before the wheel. Note seat’s head/backrest. His head jerks up from left shoulder, looks straight ahead out the front windshield over front hood of the truck where just several feet away its momentum impends a head on collision with the freeway’s shallow concrete barrier as it curves sharply rightwards and off edge as backdrop. Note stereo plays low disrupted audio with LED light reflected over scene.
RADIO (soft) (static):
Fields was two for…three RBI’s…
Gunslinger: Birth of a Gunfighter, Issue #1 Chance Ruggeroli pg#5
PAGE FIVE (four panels)
Panel 1. Intense close up fixedly facing Gunslinger’s torso, sat in driver’s seat behind steering wheel. He’s expressed by abrupt and utter shock as he clutches the steering wheel with both hands, tightened to “veer” the wheel to turn right and avoid collision. His eyes widened, mouth gaped open as he yells over screeching tires. Backdrop of the driver seat’s back/headrest outlining him with marginal depth given out the truck’s rear windshield looked out over the empty freeway. Note stereo’s LED meshed with (exterior) street lights shining over scene.
GUNSLINGER (yell):
Shi-
SFX:
Eeeerrr!
Panel 2. Close up from slightly overhead perspective looked down at the truck’s front hood/bumper (stretched off upper area) collapsing in on itself as it smashes through the freeway’s shallow concrete barrier, severely damaging its construction, while the collision’s force dislodges bits of concrete debris outwards as it begins to crumble. Note barricade’s curvature ran sharply off side edges as impact initiates the truck’s backend to pick up off the street.
SFX:
Crraaaccck!
Panel 3. Short length from subtly lowered perspective looked up facing outer walls of the freeway’s concrete barrier crumbling as the truck’s wrecked front hood/bumper rips through it and jut dislodged concrete debris out towards view while the truck bed lifts up, tilting its inner cabin pointed straight down over the lofty embankment. Seen through the front windshield Gunslinger (sat on driver’s seat) and Alex’s (sat on passenger seat) bodies are violently jolted around within its interior cabin while somewhat restricted by fastened safety belts around them.
SFX:
Verroom!
Panel 4. Medium length view from outer walls of the freeway’s shallow concrete barrier where the truck’s launched through and out over the embankment becoming airborne as the barricade’s utterly demolished. Truck bed flips up “end over end” beginning to fall upside down accompanied by large chunks of concrete debris broke from the barrier and surrounding it. The truck’s underbelly scrapes against the barrier’s jagged broken base and’s ignited by a flash as the gas tank’s severed open, spilling gasoline. The fall’s distance is unknown as the truck descends with no bottom in sight. The barrier’s ran off right edge and curves off left edge, embankment’s decline stretched to darkness off lower area, support pillars under the freeway edged on lower/side areas, while backdrop looks past the truck to other side of the freeway where overarched lampposts rimming the barrier light the scene.
SFX:
Srceeheeak!
Gunslinger: Birth of a Gunfighter, Issue #1 Chance Ruggeroli pg#6
PAGE SIX (four panels)
Panel 1. Short length view from within the truck’s inverted interior looked behind Gunslinger left and Alex right as they’re risen up from their respective seats with heads/shoulder thrown against cabin’s ceiling. Alex’s awakens, arms slung about uncontrollably, and caught in an expression of utter panic while Gunslinger braces his hands against the ceiling to keep his head from hitting it. Note safety belts strapped around them. Backdrop looked out the truck’s front windshield beyond its destructed front hood/bumper detailing a chaotically overturned display of the freeway’s support pillars and a narrowly approaching pavement as the truck’s falling around a cascade of crumbled concrete debris and dust.
No Dialogue
Panel 2. Medium length view facing the truck’s driver side impacting upside down with the pavement, collapsing its roof inwards, protruding crunched/shattered glass outwards from passenger side window/rear windshield/cracked driver side window/cracked front windshield reverberated off the immediate area. Truck’s front hood becomes dislodged, slams off the pavement. Its bed comes down overtop it, sliding along pavement igniting sparks between frictions of the two grinded against one another. Backdrop details the surrounding area as a fenced enclosure (ran off side edges) far below the freeway’s support pillars stood outside the fence.
SFX:
Krack!
Panel 3. Short length view from heightened perspective looked down facing the truck’s passenger side as its come to a rest “upside down”, balanced between its bed and cabin, as its destructed front hood/bumper is raised up from the pavement. Its hood’s opened wide narrowly pinned its shattered front windshield while the engine smokes and leaks fluid onto the pavement below. The interior cabin’s heavily disfigured nearly beyond recall. The trucks underbelly leaks gasoline from gas tank and’s laden by crumbled concrete debris while it’s surrounded by shattered glass strewn about the pavement. Through “shattered” passenger window Alex’s seen with back bent up awkwardly upside down against its doorframe. His head’s pinned uneasily between it and his shoulders. From within the cabin an emergency operator speaks with Gunslinger who’s seen upside down with hands pressed against interior cabin’s ceiling. Backdrop of pavement enclosed by glass shards encircled the truck.
EMERGENCYOPERATOR [comment]:
Mr. Thorsten? This is Jane from Pin-Point. You’ve been in a collision, are you ok?
GUNSLINGER (soft) [response]:
Uuhhh… send help.
EMERGENCYOPERATOR [counter-response]:
Help’s already on the way Sir, emergency services should be arriving shortly.
Panel 4. Close up looked across Gunslinger’s left where Alex’s seen past/adjacent his right as they’re within the truck’s upside down/disfigured interior cabin. Gunslinger’s (on diver’s side) lying with shoulders against cabin’s ceiling, propping himself up with palms pressed on it, head turned looking at Alex who’s bent up against passenger doorframe looked back at Gunslinger with waning eyes, bloody cut on forehead, struggling to speak. Backdrop looks out busted passenger side window detailing glass shards strewn about the surrounding pavement.
ALEX (soft) [response]:
Daddy, my neck hurts… I can’t move.
Gunslinger: Birth of a Gunfighter, Issue #1 Chance Ruggeroli pg#7
PAGE SEVEN (four panels)
Panel 1. Close up facing Alex’s tangled upside-down body, strapped by fastened seat belt, with neck pinned against cabin’s roof rested between dislocated shoulders. Cut on his forehead bleeds a slim trail of blood into his hair, staining his hairline. Broken passenger side window’s edged on lower/left area past him as he’s surrounded by broken glass shards while passenger seat’s edged rightwards. He’s utterly dazed/confused looked ahead with waning eyes in reference to Gunslinger (OP) and struggles to talk with Gunslinger. Backdrop looks out the broken passenger side window where broken glass shards are strewn about the pavement as further depth’s given across its surface to the chain link fence enclosing the area.
GUNSLINGER (OP) [comment]:
Hang on Alex, Daddy’s gonna’ get you out. You’re ok, nothings bad, you’re gonna’ be just fine.
ALEX (soft) [response]:
What happened?
Panel 2. Close up on the safety belt buckle lock securing Gunslinger as his hands grip round it and right thumb pressing its button in “unlocking it” as the buckle’s head comes undone and begins separating. Backdrop of Gunslinger’s left hip (upside-down) noting the driver seat’s cushioning beside door.
SFX (safety belt unlocking):
Click.
Panel 2. Short length view facing Gunslinger fallen free from driver’s seat with safety belt pulled back off him lying on backs of his shoulders while Alex’s seen past him in respective posture on passenger side. He brings his feet down towards the cracked (not broken) diver side window while he picks his head up looking at his feet. Note his movement displacing fragments of broken glass littering cabin’s ceiling. Backdrop of the cabin’s ceiling noting dashboard ridden along bottom area to upper/left edge.
SFX:
Thud!
Panel 3. Short length view behind Gunslinger’s head/shoulder with the top of his head pointed to view as he lies back first on the trucks ceiling. His head’s pick up looking ahead at cracked driver side window where his left foot’s pressed up against it and retracts right leg to torso while stabilizing his posture with hands sprawled at sides atop broken glass. Driver windshields angularly seen on lower/right edge beneath dashboard with backdrop of area outside driver side window noting its distortion via cracked glass.
ALEX (soft) (OP) [comment]:
Eenh…
Panel 4. Close up atop the truck’s underbelly edged leftwards while the driver side windshield’s busted out by Gunslinger’s right foot crashing through it from inside shooting broken glass out rightwards across the pavement.
SFX: Clash!
