EMPOWERED AND THE GIANT-SIZE ISSUES #2 thumbnails & script, pt.2 (Patreon)

(You can check out the previous part of this serialization here.)  

Wellp, we're continuing serialization of my page roughs and scripts for Empowered and the Giant-Size Issues, a never-published, two-issue miniseries intended to be drawn by a Special Guest Artist. 

As mentioned previously, I wrote the two-parter back in 2015 with the excellent artist Rob "Robaato" Porter in mind to draw the story; later on, I ran the proposal by the likewise excellent artist David Lafuente. Alas, the project proved unworkable for reasons addressed in detail earlier.

As you'll see, much of the material to follow was repurposed from the defunct, Twitter-format prose experiment I Am Empowered, and like that project, Giant-Size Issues leans heavily on a relentlessly self-doubting, low-self-esteem vision of Early Emp.

So, this project will almost certainly never exist as a real comic; this is the only form in which it's ever likely to be seen.  Let's continue, shall we? Time to alternate my thumbnailed page roughs with script excerpts for each page!

EMPOWERED AND THE GIANT-SIZE ISSUES issue #2 script

PAGE 6

PANEL 1

With pages 6 and 7, we're back to the "VIGNETTE" format of pages narrated by EMP about her body-image issues. As in the issue before, these pages either feature loose images "collaged" against open BGs, or more structured panels separated by open white gutters without any black-line borders. 

Here, a full-figure shot of EMP kicks off the page at left, against an open (white?) BG. She's wearing whatever civilian-clothes outfit you gave her on page 4 of issue #1, and addressing the camera with a rueful expression.

EMPOWERED

Truth is, as a little girl, I lived in the shadow-- the, um, skinny shadow-- of my Mom's unintentionally intimidating radiance.

(cont)

See, my Mom was-- and still is, nowadays-- incandescently hawt.

(cont; extends into next panel)

I doubt she ever gained a pound since earning her B.F.A. degree in Dance back at Julliard.

(cont)

(Small) Tough being a klutzy, awkward girl with, well, a goddess for a mother.

PANEL 2

Metaphorical shot of a very young EMP, age range 5-7, seen literally in the shadow of her MOM. EMP'S MOM is in the FG at right, her upper face unseen as her head bleeds off-page, though we can see her smile. Important: We never see the full faces of either EMP's MOM or DAD. She's blonde like EMP, though her hair's shorter, more in the shoulder-length range. She's in her early 30s, extremely attractive (from what we can see), and is notably more slender and considerably less zaftig than GROWN-UP EMP. YOUNG EMP is in her pajamas, holding her oft-seen sock monkey, "MELLOW MR. MONKEY" (and possibly sucking her thumb), while staring wide-eyed at her beautiful MOM, who's wearing a nightgown or other sleepwear. For extra emphasis of her MOM's intimidating beauty in YOUNG EMP's eyes, add some sparkling "glitter FX" around her.

YOUNG EMP

Whoa.

PANEL 3 

Shot of a costumed EMP's MOM and YOUNG EMP out trick-or-treating on Halloween; some autumn leaves drift by for emphasis, and we might see other costumed trick-or-treaters in the BG as well. Both of them are wearing versions of the same superheroine costume, "AWESOME GIRL," yet another version of which is worn (in "onesie" form) by AGE 4 EMP on pages 3 and 10. The costume is mainly red, with the winged "AG" logo on the chest, over a belted (like the aforementioned onesie) skirt in turn worn over red leggings. Also included in the outfit is a cape and mask (with goggles or glasses) sufficient to hide EMP'S MOM's face. The point, here, is that EMP's MOM, slender and graceful as she is, looks great while cosplaying as this real-life superhero. She's smiling down at young EMP, who's pushed back her own mask (one of those cheap, plastic, full-face masks seen with kid's costumes) to look up at her MOM with a awed expression; note that YOUNG EMP is holding her MOM's hand while carrying a trick-or-treat bag with the other. At upper right, an insert headshot of GROWN-UP EMP addresses the camera.

EMP HEADSHOT

One Halloween, Mom dressed up as Awesome Girl with me...

(cont)

...and, I swear, she looked way better wearing that costume than the real Awesome Girl ever did.

(cont)

To me, Mom modeled everything that a real superheroine should look like.

PANEL 4

Down-angled close-up on YOUNG EMP looking up and over at her off-panel MOM, an awed expression on her face (below the upraised, tilted-back Halloween mask).

CAPTIONS (AT BOTTOM OF PANEL)

Strong, graceful, confident.

(cont)

And, um, skinny.

(cont)

A lean, sleek, gymnast-y body, not an overstuffed, voluptuous one. 

PAGE 7

PANEL 1

INSERT HEAD-SHOT of EMP at upper left, popping in to address the camera with an eye-rolling, exasperated expression. The rest of the big, panoramic panel features a flashback image from EMP's teenage years. At FG left, a miserable-looking, 16- to 18-year-old TEEN EMP is seated on a living-room couch, hunching furtively over a tube of RAW COOKIE DOUGH as, in the BG at right, the slender figure of EMP's MOM walks by. While hiding her snack from her MOM's view, EMP is wearing something that makes it clear her maturing body is soft, full and plump compared to her MOM's; could be summer wear, such as T-shirt (tank?), shorts and flip-flops, helpfully clarified with something to convey the season, such as a fan on an FG coffee table. 

EMP's MOM is apparently on her way to work out at a gym, toting a backpack (and/or yoga mat under one arm) as she gracefully lopes by; she's wearing body-revealing, summertime workout gear, most notably a pair of YOGA PANTS that shows her slimness and athleticism in contrast to TEEN EMP's fleshiness. To avoid showing her face, she might be turning away from the camera as she leaves the scene; or her hair, pulled back in a ponytail, might be flopping around to help hide her eyes.

EMPOWERED HEADSHOT

Never once felt like I could even aspire to her effortless grace and unselfconscious gorgeosity.

(cont)

And that feeling got way worse when my body, um, plumped up and overfilled out as a teenager.

CAPTION 

I'd be shame-snacking out of disgust with my big, softening, booty-fying new body...

EMP'S MOM

I'm off to the gym, Emp.

(cont)

Love you.

CAPTION

...and Mom would just casually lope by, looking like a gazelle in yoga pants.

PANEL 2

INSERT PANEL in the larger panel 1, featuring an African-savannah-set image of a leaping GAZELLE, which happens to be wearing YOGA PANTS over its lower torso. The panel's (white, open?) outline features an arrow pointing over to the YOGA PANTS worn by EMP's MOM.

CAPTION

Resemblance between Emp's mom and actual gazelle in yoga pants: Strong 

PANEL 3

Big panoramic panel. At FG center, up-angled shot of civilian-garb EMP, hands visible in the shot making a "what can ya do?" gesture as she speaks, rolling her eyes with a rueful expression. At left, an image of EMP's MOM, her hair (a bit longer than shoulder-length, but shorter than EMP's) flowing in a silky, shampoo-commercial-worthy image, complete with glitter FX sparkling around her swirling mane. She'd probably be seen from behind, so as to highlight her hair and not show her face fully, but you could go for a different angle, just as long as her eyes remain obscured by her hair.

At right, a shot of EMP'S DAD, seen from roughly knees to nose; like EMP's MOM, his upper face is obscured, possibly cut off by the top of the panel. The view, here, emphasizes that he is (well, was) a fair bit pudgy and husky, with a tendency towards fleshiness that EMP apparently inherited. To indicate his body's beefiness, here are several possibilities for what he's wearing: 1) boxers and undershirt; 2) beach or pool wear, with an inflatable float or the like tucked under one arm for clarity. 

EMPOWERED

I inherited my Mom's hair, no pun intended, and that's about all, y'know?

(cont)

Um, yay, me.

(cont)

The rest of my body, it seems, I inherited from my pudgy ol' Daddy's DNA.

(cont)

>Sigh<

EMP'S DAD

Uh, little respect for the dearly departed over here, Emp?

PAGE 8

PANEL 1

Back to the real-world setting for a panoramic panel, where SUPERSUITED EMP is taking a running jump off the roughhewn rock at the base of the tilted HEADSTONE (still rammed into the side of the building, debris skittering over its stone face), an "impact flash" indicating the point where she leapt from. Her hair streams back as she leaps into the FG, hurtling toward whatever lies off-panel right. She's lifting her "telephone-gesturing" hand away from her face as she flies, the gesture hopefully implying that she's ceasing the phone call to her mother. 

EMPOWERED

Gotta go, Mom--

(cont)

--'Bye, okay--?

SFX (BY JUMPOFF POINT)

THAPP

PANEL 2

Big panel. Reverse angle, the camera now behind the leaping EMP as she hurtles toward another building, which the sprawling foliage, limbs and roots of the giant BACKYARD TREE manifestation have wound around and "grown" atop. In fact, she's leapt directly at the evil TREE itself, whose limbs and leaves surge and roil ominously, seemingly prepared to catch her.

EMPOWERED

Get ready, uppity tree--

(cont)

--'Cause I'm about to kick your leafy butt--! 

TREE

("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) You dare challenge the unbeaten nemesis of your teenage fatty years 

(cont)

The fearsome backyard tree

PANEL 3

EMP crashes in through the TREE's flowing foliage and slams awkwardly into one of its limbs, body flailing about (and seen full-figure) as she struggles to pull herself upright. She's gasping with the impact, an intense look on her masked face.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

(h-b)>WHOOF<

TREE

("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) Long ago, slender, lightweight girlchild Emp scampered among my branches with ease

PANEL 4

Grimacing, leaves in her hair, EMP bats aside leafy branches clawing and scratching at her, as she springs up onto the think TREE limb she landed on. Sun-dappled (animated!) foliage as a BG.

TREE

("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) But soft, heavy, grown-out Emp could scamper no more

(cont)

or have you forgotten 

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

(H-b) >HFF<

(cont)

Nope. 

PAGE 9

PANEL 1

Four vertical panels take up the bulk of this page, illustrating EMP's climb up the sinister (and gigantic) manifestation of her childhood BACKYARD TREE. Here, a full-figure shot of EMP vaulting up the TREE, springing up off one TREE limb while grabbing another above her and flinging herself upward, yelling back in response to the TREE's dialogue as she does so. (If possible to show, smaller, leafy branches are still clawing at her.) Loose leaves fly about in the FG, while (out-of-focus) sun-dappled foliage provides a BG; some vertical speed lines would be nice, too. 

TREE (AT TOP) 

("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) Your adult body is no match for my arboreal heights, silly cow

(cont)

Feel the old terror wash over you once more 

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

Not this time, barkface--!

SFX

SKRSHH

PANEL 2

Vertical panel. Close-up on EMP yelling back at the TREE as she vaults and climbs and springs upward through a blur of foliage and branches (and speedlines).

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

'Cause this pudgy girl is scampering like a motherf**ker, right now--!

TREE

("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) Nooooo

PANEL 3

Vertical panel. A long-shot view from just outside the towering TREE's canopy of foliage, giving us glimpses of (multiple images of?) EMP's wee figure springing and vaulting her way up the TREE, blonde hair and sparkling SUPERSUIT popping out of gaps in the roiling foliage.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

Besides-- (h-b) >Hff<

(cont)

--Mom had you cut down ten years ago, dumbass--!

TREE

("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) This cannot beeeee

PANEL 4

Last vertical panel. In the upper half of the panel, EMP bursts free of the TREE's foliage (in the lower half of the panel), flying up into the air after final super-strength jump carries her clear of the TREE in a burst of flying leaves (and a snapped branch or two.) Framed against a BG of blue sky and white, fluffy clouds, hair flowing in emphasis of her motion, she's yelling jubilantly as she hurtles upwards, arms raised in a triumphant gesture.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

Ha!

(cont)

This grown-ass body was way more than a match for your arboreal heights, you overgrown sapling--! 

SFX

SKRSHH

PANEL 5

"Narrow" (well, "short," technically) panel at the bottom of the page. At left, EMP's head snaps around to face panel right with a startled expression; her hair is billowing about as she reaches the limit of her upward trajectory. The rest of the panel features the onesie-clad right arm of AGE 4 EMP (from page 4 of issue #1) reaching over towards grown-up EMP, pudgy hand opening up to grab her adult incarnation. Blue sky, white clouds as BG. 

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

AAA

SFX

WHOOOSH

PAGE 10

PANEL 1

Big panel. At left, EMP in mid-jump is grabbed by the huge, pudgy paw of the gigantic, flying AGE 4 EMP, who's flown over to seize her; EMP appears roughly about the size of a Barbie doll in relation to her hulking (though younger) counterpart. As first seen on p.4 of issue #1, AGE 4 EMP wears the one-piece, superhero-patterned "onesie" with the winged "AG" logo and hero-belt design. She wears the same fluffy blanket as an ersatz cape, knotted at her throat to keep it in place as it flows and flaps in the wind. She's yelling at EMP, her missing front tooth prominent as she appears fairly disgusted to be grabbing her.

BG: Below regular-sized EMP, the leafy top of the BACKYARD TREE is visible. Beyond AGE 4 EMP, some view of the city skyline, with the upper portions of one or two high-rise buildings prominent in the middle ground.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

(h-b) >NGKK<

AGE 4 EMP

("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) Ewwww

(cont)

Yoah all soft an' squooshy, gwown-up me

PANEL 2

Regular-sized, SUPERSUITED EMP at FG left, struggling mightily in the firm grasp of AGE 4 EMP's giant hand, gritting her teeth and flinging her head back (with streaming hair). AGE 4 EMP's face looms in the BG as she yells at FG EMP in an accusatory manner.

AGE 4 EMP

("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) I can't bewieve I gwow up to look like you

(cont)

Don'cha know supahhewoines aw s'posed to be skinny

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

(h-b) >HNNGH<

PANEL 3

Zoom-in from the previous panel, with EMP in profile at FG left, yelling over at AGE 4 EMP, a partial view of whose face looms in the BG at right.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

H-hey, dummy--

(cont)

--You can fly, can't you--?

(cont)

(H-b) >GKK<

AGE 4 EMP

("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) Um, yeah

PANEL 4

Camera shifts to a steeply up-angled shot framing FG EMP's head and shoulders (still in AGE 4 EMP's grasp) against a panorama of blue sky and white, fluffy clouds as she yells, hair streaming wildly about her masked face. AGE 4 EMP's face looms in the BG, perhaps only visible as a wide, startled-looking blue eye, blonde hair streaming around it.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

So why don't you fly up and see if Daddy was wrong about clouds, then--?

AGE 4 EMP

("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) !

TO BE CONTINUED! 

<And that's it for pages 6-10 of Empowered and the Giant-Size Issues #2, folks! I'll likely post more roughs and script from issue #2 either later this month or early next month, assuming I don't forget to do so once again. >

TOMORROW ON THIS HERE PATREON: The DISTRESSED DAMSELS Wednesday feature for the $5+ tiers rolls on, though I'm not yet sure exactly what damsel-y content I'll be posting. Might kick off serialization of another commissioned story, or post some similarly commissioned con sketches (including recent Patron art requests of a DiD nature).