‘Lady’

A short comic by Rory Banks

PAGE ONE

[7 panels, page split roughly in two—3 shots showing Elisa and hinting at the cat, as well as showing the alley down by the gym where all the action takes place in the top half. If we can get a back or obscured shot of Grace hitting Elisa in her panel, that’s great, if not, also fine! Bottom of page in a 4 panel grid, simple sequence. No dialogue on the first page, this is the set up and first rung of the ladder]

PANEL ONE:

This shows us a woman taking a very nasty hit to the jaw. Her eyes are clenched, she’s in pain and she’s falling backwards, very off balance. Her mouth guard may have been knocked loose. From the way she’s dressed (sports bra, yoga pants, loose shorts over the top) and the wrappings on her hand, we know this is a structured/professional fight of some kind. The lighting is yellowish-green, unpleasant, and we might be able to see spectators or the back of the woman that’s hit her (we might not be able to, though, and that’s also okay). She has a snake tattoo over her ribs, her brown hair is tightly braided against her skull down to the nape of her neck, and she has olive skin. Caption is in the top left. 

CAPTION:

Friday

PANEL TWO:

Our setting shot. It’s the alley outside the gym. We’ve got the wall of the gym featuring boring brick work, an old sign that says “BOBBY’S GYM” and a lot of posters advertising women’s MMA fighting. There’s a beat up old dumpster against the wall, and next to it is an upturned apple crate, implying a spill of some discarded trash. It’s raining pretty consistently. 

PANEL THREE:

We’ve shifted closer to the dumpster, either to show the dumpster in central frame or just the space underneath. In the dark space, we can see a pair of feline eyes in relief against the black shadows. 

PANEL FOUR:

The woman from panel one is walking down the alley past the dumpster. She’s got a heavy jacket on and her shoulders are hunched from the rain, and a nasty bruise is starting to develop on her jaw. She’s carrying a duffel bag and her shoes are heavy work boots. There’s a loud scratching noise coming from the dumpster, like nails on a chalkboard. 

SFX:

SCRTCH! SCRTCH!

PANEL FIVE:

The dumpster has been pushed aside to reveal the Cat. It’s dirty, sodden, skin and bones, clearly a stray. It’s trapped beneath some heavy stray trash, and the wriggling has caused the awful noises. There’s blood visible on a dirty white paw. 

PANEL SIX:

We have a close up of the woman’s face, illuminated by a crack of lightning. She looks hesitant and unsure, rain slicking back her hair where it’s escaped the braid. 

PANEL SEVEN:

The woman is striding away from the dumpster, cradling the new lump in the front of her heavy jacket. The Cat’s tail is poking out the bottom of the jacket. 

PAGE TWO

[6 panels, page split into two sets of three. First row is two even panels, second a wide shot. Bottom half has a vertical long panel on the left, then two even panels on top of each other on the right.]

PANEL ONE:

External shot of a vets office, indicated to the reader by a neon sign over the doors and windows that says “Emergency Vet 24/7”. The outside is dark, pounding rain is falling, but the inside is lit well as we can see through the glass. There’s a couple of indistinct figures inside near a desk shape. 

TAILLESS:

Some storm, huh?

PANEL TWO:

The woman is dripping a puddle onto the floor in front of the front desk. Her jacket is open now (she put a shirt on over her bra), and her hair is slicked back with rainwater. She’s leaning on the counter to talk to the woman sitting behind it (ponytail, loose sweater), putting information into a computer. 

ELISA:

—A MasterCard, yeah. Oh, uh, that’s Elisa with an “E” and Simmons with two “M”s, sorry. 

PANEL THREE:

We see the front desk of the clinic in a wide shot, from the side Elisa is standing on. To the left is a vet tech gently manhandling a now much cleaner Cat (white and tortoiseshell fur) to take medicine out of an eye dropper. A torn open packet or dewormer is on the counter next to them. Elisa is to the right, talking to the vet, though her head is turned to watch the cat. 

VET:

Her paw is only strained, that scrape should scab right over. She’s malnourished, but otherwise fine, maybe 4 years old? No microchip, but she’s been neutered. Safe to take her home. 

ELISA:

Thanks.

PANEL FOUR:

Elisa is standing in the doorway of her lit apartment. One hand is raised, resting on the light switch, keys dangling. The other is clutching a brand new cat carrier, price tag still attached to the handle. She’s got a packet of cat food clenched between her teeth and her jacket is still hanging open. 

PANEL FIVE:

Worm’s eye POV of some kitchen cabinets, we’re following the Cat right now. Elisa is filling a small bowl with the cat food, only her ankles and hand are visible though she’s speaking. The cat looks on expectantly, standing next to her. 

ELISA:

This is only temporary, you understand?

CAT:

Mrrt?

PANEL SIX: 

The Cat is going in on the food eagerly with little noises. Elisa has left the frame, but her voice carries regardless.

SFX:

Mlem, mlem, mlem

ELISA:

One night!

PAGE THREE

[6 panels—wide shot across the top, four panel grid in the centre, wide across the bottom]

PANEL ONE:

Elisa is taking up the length of her couch. She’s leaned back against a cushion on the right, and her leg’s propped up in front of her, having stopped lacing her work boot half way through. Her hair is braided again, neatly this time, and the yoga pants are back (no shorts though), this time with a fitness compression shirt. She’s speaking on the phone, face neutral. There’s an open window in the background (it’s sunny out), and there’s little details around the couch—a crocheted blanket over the back, a fern on a side table. She’s comfortable here, and more than that, she likes it. Caption is in the top left. 

CAPTION:

Saturday

PHONE:

…Completely out of shelter space, sorry. We can call our foster network, but it may take a couple of weeks to find someone who can take her. 

ELISA:

Mhmm. Thanks anyway. 

PANEL TWO:

We return to the Cat’s eye. The Cat and Elisa are standing by the closed front door. Elisa is seen from about the knees down, duffle bag hanging around her knees. The Cat is looking up at her expectantly. 

ELISA:

…Don’t wreck the place while I’m gone. 

PANEL THREE:

Same shot of the door, but it’s closing behind Elisa, only an inch or two left to swing shut. We can hear her keys, and the Cat has taken a step towards the gap, head tilted. 

SFX:

Jingle jingle

CAT:

Mew?

PANEL FOUR:

A shot of the open window over the kitchen sink. Light blue curtains are wafting very slightly. 

PANEL FIVE:

The same shot, but the Cat has jumped up. Her back paws are braced on the counter, and her front are up on the window sill. Her ears are perked up, tail up and curled at the end a little. 

PANEL SIX:

On the left we see the cat trotting along a footpath, alert. Ahead of her are a variety of pedestrians going either way, all seen from the knees down. On the right of the panel we can see Elisa’s legs and duffle bag walking off frame, unaware of her follower. 

PAGE FOUR

[4 panels. The top half of the page is a single panel, a breathing/lull moment of peace before the end of act II. The bottom half has a single vertical on the left, and then two on top of each other to the right of equal size.]

PANEL ONE:

A full, straight on view of a wide and tall window with a small brick sill running along the bottom. The Cat is sitting on the sill in the right hand corner, watching what’s happening inside. There’s delicate lettering in an arc across the glass that says “FIVE SPIRITS DOJO”. Inside a class is being taught. Elisa stands to the left, wearing a white gi with a black belt, demonstrating a fighting stance to a small group of 8-12 year olds. All of them are mimicking the stance, dressed in white gis as well. 

PANEL TWO:

Three kids are squeezed up against the glass, looking at the cat excitedly. 2 girls, 1 boy (pigtails, white belt; pink hair, yellow belt; wrist in cast, white belt). 

PIGTAILS:

She’s so cute!

CAST:

Does she have a collar? What’s her name?

PANEL THREE:

Hands have grabbed the Cat around the middle from behind, picking her up from the sill. Her ears are flat, her tail is straight out, and she’s arching to stay where she is like cats do. The kids are looking up expectantly. 

PANEL FOUR:

Two shot, Elisa is holding the cat up to her head, meeting her eye with a stern expression. 

ELISA:

She doesn’t have one. Names are for pets.

CAT:

Mew?

PAGE FIVE

[8 panels—four rows, two panels a row. Width of the panel could vary to make the page flow, but I’d like all the panel height to be even. To Elisa, our POV, this is a mundane sequence of events. Nothing is unusual, nothing has drawn her attention, by extension nothing about the framing or pacing here should tell the reader that it’s unusual either. In the same vein, the gutters should also be even and matching, and possibly the framing of the characters as well.]

PANEL ONE:

Elisa is shutting the window in her apartment, looking annoyed. It’s evening now, and she’s wearing the clothes she was in on page one again. 

PANEL TWO:

Elisa is back next to her door, ready to go, duffel bag over her shoulder. She’s looking down at the Cat sternly, arms crossed over at her chest. The Cat is sitting on the floor, looking up at her. 

ELISA:

This time, stay!

PANEL THREE:

We’re back at the gym, front door this time. There’s a similar sign reading “BOBBY’S GYM” again over the top of the door, and it’s open on stairs leading down. Elisa is going down the stairs, we see her talking on the phone from behind. 

PHONE:

Damn! I’d love to take her, hun, but I’ve got 3 already. I’m in enough shit with my landlord as is.

PANEL FOUR:

Elisa’s entered a locker room. It’s got that kind of green/yellow light from her first panel, and there’s one or two women standing at the rows, also dressed to fight. Elisa’s still on the phone, talking clearly. One of the women might be looking at her to indicate they can hear what she’s saying?

ELISA:

I figured. I just didn’t think it would be this hard to rehome one cat though, she’s friendly enough.

PANEL FIVE:

Elisa is putting her phone and duffel bag into an open locker, next to another woman, GRACE. Grace is shorter than Elisa but visibly more muscled. She’s got short blond hair in a men’s crew cut and matching barbed wire tattoos around her biceps, and she’s wearing a tank top and basketball shorts. 

GRACE:

You found a cat, ‘Lis?

ELISA:

Yeah, a stray. She’s a bitch to deal with—you know how I feel about pets.

GRACE:

Ha!

PANEL SIX:

Grace and Elisa continue talking as they move onto wrapping their hands for punching. 

GRACE:

My sister loves cats.

ELISA:

Yeah?

GRACE:

Yeah! She’d love to take it off your hands.

PANEL SEVEN:

They’ve stepped away from the lockers, ready to go. Elisa looks a little hesitant. 

ELISA:

Uh—

GRACE:

Seriously! C’mon, I’ll even give you $50 to make up for whatever you had to buy for it.

PANEL EIGHT:

Elisa is smiling, a little weakly. Grace is also smiling, more broad, maybe a little mean. 

ELISA:

…Yeah. Sure.

GRACE:

Great! It’s a deal!

PAGE SIX

[6 panels—wide shot, two stack, wide shot, two stack. This is the build to the climax, the set up and the reveal need space to land.]

PANEL ONE:

We’re back in the alley by the gym. There’s a car parked at either end of the panel, facing each other. Grace is on the left, walking towards the middle from a sleek muscle car. Elisa approaches from the right away from her little hatchback, cat carrier clasped in one hand. It’s harshly sunny out, and they’re both wearing sunglasses, dressed casually. Muscle tank and cutoffs for Grace, skinny jeans and a red t-shirt for Elisa. Elisa’s hair is braided back again. Caption is in the top left. 

CAPTION:

Sunday

PANEL TWO:

We see the mesh front door of the cat carrier as it changes hands. A cash bill also swaps between Elisa and Grace, and the Cat is looking up at their hands, ears twitched down a little. 

CAT:

Mew?

PANEL THREE:

We close up on Grace holding the cat carrier up level with her face. The Cat is looking at her, confused. Grace has a small smile on her face, and Elisa’s back is turned in the background behind them. 

GRACE:

Later. 

PANEL FOUR:

We see Grace from behind on the right, talking on the phone, voice carrying. Elisa is on the right in the foreground, seen face on chest up. Her hand is raised, pulling the sunglasses down her nose a little, and her eyes are wide. She looks horrified at what she’s hearing. 

GRACE:

Yeah I got it. Skinny, but looks old enough. 

GRACE:

Ha!

GRACE:

Yeah, well, if it doesn’t pop out a litter it’ll make good bait for the dogs, huh?

PANEL FIVE:

Grace is bent to put the cat carrier in her car seat, but her head is turned to look up at Elisa, who is standing next to her, holding the bill back out towards Grace. 

ELISA:

I changed my mind.

GRACE:

What? Fuck off—

PANEL SIX:

Grace’s head up close, as Elisa’s fist collides with her jaw. 

PAGE SEVEN

[7 panels—three stack, close up action shots, large middle panel for the beat to land, then another three stack of close ins on action.]

PANEL ONE: 

Close up on Grace’s face. Her sunglasses are gone in the wind, her eyes are wide, her lip is split, and she looks surprised and pissed off. 

PANEL TWO:

Grace from the torso up in the middle of a forceful punching lunge, fist extended. 

GRACE:

Bitch!

PANEL THREE:

Close up on Elisa’s face, Grace’s fist colliding with her nose. It’s a hard hit, and Elisa’s head is jerked back uncomfortably, reminiscent of the hit she took on page one. 

PANEL FOUR:

Backed the hell out, our rallying point in this conflict. Grace is in the foreground on the left, seen from behind in silhouette, looking down at Elisa. Elisa is sprawled on the ground sitting on her ass, knees bent, hands propping her up behind her. She’s got a bloodied nose to match the two day bruise, and she looks equally pissed. 

GRACE:

Fuck! What the hell!

GRACE:

Is this payback for Friday?

GRACE:

No one likes a sore loser, ‘Lis…

PANEL FIVE:

We see Elisa’s legs as she climbs to her feet, knees bent, one hand pushing her up off the ground.

PANEL SIX:

Grace, wide eyed and bowed, out of breath, as she takes Elisa’s boot to the stomach, recipient of a nasty push kick.  

PANEL SEVEN:

Close up of Grace going down as Elisa’s fist connects with her jaw in a right hook. 

PAGE EIGHT

[5 panels—two stack and wide shot to finish, and then a half page panel with right bottom corner inset for our moment of denouement and title callback.]

PANEL ONE:

Grace is on the ground, looking wrecked, braced with one hand holding her up straight down from the shoulder, while her other arm is wrapped around her middle. She’s not getting up anytime soon. Elisa is standing over her, fists clenched by her side, blood down her face. 

ELISA:

I’m keeping the damn fifty. 

PANEL TWO: 

A hand, Elisa’s, clasping the handle on the cat carrier where it sits on the seat of Grace’s car. 

PANEL THREE:

Grace is watching from where she’s slumped in the foreground as Elisa’s back walks away from her with the cat carrier, middle finger on display in the air next to her head. 

PANEL FOUR:

Elisa’s car is parked out the front of the dojo from page four. She’s standing next to the car, hair down, face wiped, open cat carrier by her feet. The Cat is sitting obediently on the roof of the car as Elisa puts a collar around her neck. 

PANEL FIVE:

Close up on the face of the cat. Her eyes are closed and she looks pleased as Elisa’s hand (scraped and swollen knuckles) rubs at her ears. Her new collar is black with little rhinestones, and the front of the round tag reads “LADY”.

—fin