THE ROCKETEER: ON THE AIR! (Patreon)

A few years ago I almost wrote a Rocketeer story for an IDW anthology. The job got to the point where my verbal pitch was accepted, and I wrote a fairly detailed plot breakdown for the story. And that...was the last it was ever spoken of again. You can read the plot concept below, but first, a quick bit of background -- this is how jobs can happen in comics, and how they can also disappear. Sometimes for no discernible reason whatsoever.

I was asked about writing a story featuring Dave Stevens' Rocketeer character during the New York Comic Convention. The editor asked me about pitching something while we were talking shop with another creator, a friendly conversation that resulted in a potential job offer. Always a nice situation, which doesn't happen all that often in my career. And I was into it, I like the Rocketeer character enough, I like writing short stories, and I like invoicing a company for a check. I will admit another reason I was up for the job was that many top-tier creators were being approached for the project, and it's always nice to be in good company. It's like Pinky Caruthers of the Blue Blaze Irregulars getting to do the walk with the big shots of the Hong Kong Cavaliers at the end of Buckaroo Banzai. You're not a big deal. But you're there. 

Anyway, here's what happened. That night I came up with an idea for the eight-page story. I'm a fan of old time radio, and The Rocketeer takes place during the medium's golden age of the medium. Eight pages isn't a lot to shoehorn a big story into, but using the radio broadcast angle allows some jumping around with the pacing and storytelling, and provides us with a "book-end" to set things up and give what might be a routine action set piece some spark.  I like book-ending stories so there are dual narratives, someone telling a story or some device setting things up that's actually part of a separate, but related story. I use this tactic pretty often (Hellboy: Weird Tales, "Story Time" in Beasts of Burden) and I find it a nice way to pack in content and information. 

The radio broadcast also provides us with an interesting location for the action, a rooftop dinner club with a live big band, dancing couples, ritzy clothes, champagne, a radio remote with announcer, all that stuff. Things for the artist to draw, for the reader to be interested in, to jazz up the proceedings (literally, in the case of the band). We tie this into a fifth column plot that reflects the nature of Dave Steven's original Rocketeer stories, toss in some business between Cliff and Betty, and eight pages later, we have a lot of action, some comedy, a lot of period details and opportunities for the artist to go to town. Always consider the visuals. This is comics. If your artist isn't engaged by the script and the visual opportunities, the readers likely won't be engaged by the final comic.

The next day I went back to NYCC and verbally pitched my idea to the editor. He liked it, and asked me who I might want for an artist. My first choice was Cliff Chiang, who as you might know -- or should know -- is a terrific cartoonist and storyteller. I thought he could pull everything off, the action, the style, the period. 

Cliff was actually at the convention, so I asked him about it, feeling pretty comfortable about approaching him because we knew one another from kicking around the business. Unfortunately, Cliff turned me down, because he was exclusive with DC at the time. Dagger in me heart! But that's the way things usually go, especially when you are asking popular creators who are in demand to throw in with you. And your lot. 

As it turned out, I never needed an artist. After the convention I was asked to write up a plot breakdown to get everything going. I admit, I was pretty excited, geeked up to be part of the book. And like I said, it was work. Work is good. And I had a very specific idea for the character, one I couldn't just re-paint for another project. It's not a Spider-Man story, or a Predator plot idea. I try to come up with stories tailored to characters and concepts, like you're supposed to according to Stan Lee back in the day (so, of course, it's bullshit). I wrote it up, sent it in -- and then nothing. I mean, literally nothing. I checked in from time to time, but the line was dead. I was ghosted. Dry roasted. Toasted. I don't know what happened, if I was bumped to make room for someone else, if someone higher up hated the pitch --? The project was literally never spoken of again. No notes, no "sorry, but --"...no nothing. It wasn't the editor turning on me, we're still friends. I'm pretty sure he was embarrassed it fell through and didn't want to bring it up afterward, or there was a massive screw-up -- who knows? After a gap of radio silence, I shrugged and moved on, and figured it was just one of those things. The Rocketter anthologies came out, and I made a boo-boo face and felt bad whenever I saw an issue. I still haven't spoken to the editor about it, even after he called me with an offer to write a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot (!). So, I guess I wasn't blackballed by IDW (although I'm 0 for 3 on doing anything for them, and have given up on the idea). We've hung out at cons and events several times since -- in fact we had a nice discussion just a few days ago at this year's NYCC. It has never come up between us. We have pretended it never happened. Like DC's Impact line. Kind of weird.

A few years after this happened -- or didn't happen -- I got a gift from the editor in question which was very, very cool and is much treasured. And, I believe, a mea culpa for the whole bizarre thing. I still would have liked to see this story drawn and published. It would have been neat, I think. 

See what you think after reading the plot breakdown. I thought I had a done deal here, a solid idea, a solid breakdown, but as things sometimes turn out, the project crashed and burned anyway.  Besides the story itself, I hope this gives you an interesting look at my process (at least at the time) and how ideas spin off more ideas when you're brainstorming quickly. It's very train-of-thought and there are questions and notes baked in, but it flowed really well and I think it could be fleshed out fairly easily on a writing pass (why do the slam dunk gigs always seem to dissolve?). As always, there's more material than we could fit in eight pages. But it's always better to have things to cut than scramble for ideas. Padding is always worse than editing.  

Anyway, here's what I sent in for the job I didn't get. Please excuse the formatting issues, I'm going to have to figure out how to format and post this material in a more practical way. But I wanted to get something out there for you folks to take a look at while I'm working on catching up post-NYCC 2019. 

THE ROCKETEER: ON THE AIR 

8 pgs 

OPEN ON HOUSE, EXT, NIGHT, w/radio broadcast   

ANNOUNCER: This is station WKRB, Los Angeles, bringing you the lilting sounds of (x) orchestra, live from the hotel (x)'s rooftop dance floor, in lovely downtown (place). Thirty minutes of modern music meant to, etc 

ON RADIO INSIDE HOUSE, cont 

WIDER, LIVING ROOM cont FATHER, MOTHER, TEN-YR OLD SON. Reading comics section. 

Boy: This is boring. Why can't we listen to Calling All Cars (ck for correct show/time/best program title).

Quiet, you. When you're old enough to buy your own radio, then you can listen to Calling All Cars.   

Listen to your father, that trash strains my nerves, etc.   
No one's making you listen to it.   

HOTEL ROOFTOP – ANNOUNCER – orchestra behind him 

WIDER, NIGHT CLUB 

ON TABLE – BETTY and DATE kibbitz. 

OUTSIDE HOTEL ENTRANCE, CLIFF runs into hotel and is stopped by DOORMAN. Cliff urges him to call the police, he has to get into the building and to the roof, a matter of life and death, etc. Don't ask me how I know this, I know it sounds wild. My girl's up there and doesn't know she's in danger -- 

Actual Doorman is tied up and stashed nearby. Doorman hustles him off or hits him? Or there are gunsels in lobby and he knows he can't get past them to house detective? Cliff races to car and Rocketeer gear. Pal's there? Can pick them up with car afterward? Whatever.
Cut away to party or kid, allow time for getting in gear. One panel, leading to: 

Rocketeer blasting off. If space allows, and warranted, transition panel of Cliff donning helmet, then blasts off. Whatever. 

Might want to quick-cut to build some tension in the sequence, nightclub, kid, whatever, if room for it. Otherwise just have him zip up top. No one hears due to band playing, maybe a bit where someone thinks a horn player hit a rum note. Space probably won't allow much business, but better to have and yank than not. 

Nice shot as Rocketeer streaks past windows and some nice architectural details as he climbs toward the rooftop. Maybe startles a hotel guest, business. 

Shoots up past the roof, startling the crowd. Waiter's trays upset, toss in business to pep up action/reaction solidly.
Bad landing? On their table. Whatever. 

He tells her her date is head of spy ring/mobster/fifth columnist –?
Betty infuriated, believes he's just grandstanding to ruin her date.
Guy pulls gun, some evidence besides. Waiters pull guns, reveal, business ensues. Gunfire, chaos over radio, SFX. 

Boy: Wow!
Father coming into the room with tray or drink or whatever. Thinks son switched to gangster/cop shows. What is this trash? Did you put on (x)? 

Aw, gee, pop, I never even went near it!
Mother: He's telling the truth, Howard – all of a sudden BOY: Shhh! Listen! That's a machine gun! (maybe a typewriter or some hard slang kid picked up from radio/pulps, business) 

Cut directly into the middle of machine gun attack on Cliff, weapon's arc following him rocketing past bandstand, the bullets chop up everything in their wake, send musicians scattering. If possible – put this on a two-pg spread, reader's eye follows the gunfire across both pages, below is a row of regular panels. 

Color commentary by radio announcer as fight goes on.    

ANNOUNCER DIAL, EARLIER AND THROUGHOUT: Ladies and gentlemen, this is incredible – the most amazing thing – a man, I assume it's a man, dressed in some kind of rocket suit, has just landed on the rooftop --describes scene, Rocketeer, gunfight, send police! Maybe he sneaks in a sponsor plug like on Burns and Allen, right in the middle of story. Maybe he mentions bullet hole in clothes or that sound you just heard was the microphone getting hit. 

FIGHT STUFF. Maybe R flies around hotel, too “short” a space, he circles, punching into thugs, unable to turn quickly enough, maybe pulls something off hotel rooftop as weapon, map it out, look at some period photos and see what found objects might provide business.   

CUT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN ACTION, ANNOUNCER FOLLOWING ACTION, AND FAMILY LISTENING. VILLAIN'S PLANS RUINED, BUT DANGER STILL EXISTS. Doubt there's time for thugs to carry off their heist or whatever the hell they're doing. No need for too much detail, it's a given, only have 8 pgs.   

If doorman character's involved, he shows up and gets thumped. COPS arrive downstairs after announcer's call. Can also deal with arrested doorman here if necessary.

Maybe chief thug in standoff, threatens to toss kid (or little radio performer – Walter Tetley-type/Philip Morris guy?) or lady off roof unless Rocketeer clears out, or hand over rocket pack so thug can escape. Maybe Betty? Would he have a realistic shot at saving someone tossed? Guiding them into a swimming pool of another hotel or through a window or –? Don't think so. Probably no space for it. Something else, most likely. Work it out. Maybe involving found object/rooftop “geography”, or some trick that can be pulled off with what Cliff is equipped with, maybe Betty unbalances the scales. Blah blah blah. Cliff ends the threat, defeats the enemy, etc. 

Whatever it is, announcer can mop brow while whispering the situation to audience. Family hushed, rapt. 

ANNOUNCER: We will return with music by...uh...it looks like the clarinetist, Sleepy Gil Slater is still up and around...but first, this message from (sponsor).   
Maybe father thinks it was a fake, like the “martian bit”.   

BOY: Oh, boy! That was the best show ever! Even better than the Witch's Tale! Mom: And since when have you been up late enough to listen to the witch's tale, young man? Boy: Um...uhhh. Gee, whiz.   

Epilogue: Week later, BULLDOG CAFE, or whatever makes sense at night -
Cliff all banged up. Betty, etc. 

ANNOUNCER: And now, ladies and gentlemen, we here at WKRB have read all of your letters and cards, we've listened to your phone calls, all asking about how much you enjoyed last week's broadcast, and we're happy to announce that starting tonight KRB will be bringing you the adventures of that hero of the air– Dick Raymond, the Rocket Man!   

What the –
Yes, thrill to the adventures of the startling, speeding Rocket Man, who fights the underworld and all who would oppose freedom with rocket pack, helmet and rocket gun – The Rocket Man, daredevil of the skies, hero of the air WHOOSH – on the air!   
Oh, for corn's sake! Ha ha! What's so funny? Turn it off! 

End hearkening back to the kid? Maybe the show stinks. Or the kid's enthralled. Work it out. 

The end!