I love one-shots. There's so much you can do with a single issue. It tells a story and often times leaves readers wanting more. One of the things I like about one-shots is they can be just about any length. To me, when they're about this length (15 pages) it gives the artist plenty of room if he or she wants to throw in extra pages of art, like a guitarist taking an extended solo live showing other skills. I know that's probably a weird way of looking at it.
This story, Gunslinger's Remorse, started off as an idea for a short film I wanted to do but, like most of my projects, I never got to. Once I was realizing I wasn't going to be able to film it as I saw it, I wrote it as a comic. That's usually what I do if I know I'm not going to be able to do a film project or get to it as a book, I'll write it as a comic; and having the script, I know someday I'll find an artist interested in it enough to supply the artwork. So here's my comic script for a short, Gunslinger's Remorse; a dry and serious western of a man's haunted life. I hope you enjoy.
Gunslinger’s Remorse
A one-shot by Christopher Michael Carter
Art notes: Preferably black and white. I want it to feel old & cold. Sketchy even.
Page 1
Panel 1: Black background with falling bullets (the kind that belong to a six shooter) over it.
Panel 2: A countryside hill. It’s cold and dreary outside.
Panel 3: An empty trail in the woods.
Panel 4: Horse’s legs walking through the trail.
Panel 5: A cemetery.
Page 2
Panel 1: Whole page, the gunslinger on his horse. With title and credits on this page.
Page 3
Panel 1: The graveyard at the bottom of the panel with a man on his horse strolling in the background.
Panel 2: A grave next to a tree.
Panel 3: The man off of his horse, to the side of it having just gotten off of it.
Panel 4: The lone grave in the foreground with the man, facing the grave (and us for that matter) in the background.
Panel 5: Close-up of his hip with the gun and holster.
Page 4
Panel 1: His hand sweeping leaves and dirt from atop of the tombstone.
Panel 2: He’s crouched down in front of the grave.
Gunslinger: It’s been awhile since I’ve been here…
Panel 3: The gunslinger’s taking his hat off.
Gunslinger: Life’s been grim, dear brother. I know I can’t act like I didn’t have a hand in that.
Page 5
Panel 1: Him digging in the grave.
Gunslinger: Some nights I think about coming up here and digging you out…
Panel 2: The coffin opened with the skeleton inside.
Panel 3: The gunslinger with a large potato sack of his brother’s bones over his shoulder.
Gunslinger: …And taking you with me.
Panel 4: Back to reality, the gunslinger’s face with his mouth scrunched a little.
Gunslinger: But I know that’s crazy.
Panel 5: His hand on the RIP.
Gunslinger: Wouldn’t change anything.
Page 6
Panel 1: Close-up of his hand reaching for his gun.
Panel 2: Close-up of his hands with the gun.
Panel 3: He’s still crouching down and his hand has six bullets and he’s dropping them on the grave.
Panel 4: Close-up of the falling bullets.
Panel 5: Far away shot of the man, the grave, and the horse.
Gunslinger: Things got out of hand.
Page 7
Panel 1: The gunslinger’s weathered face, looking somber.
Gunslinger: You end up in a gun fight with your own flesh and blood, you’re not exactly thinking straight, you know?
Panel 2: Two men, the gunslinger and his brother, facing off. Hazy flashback look to the panel.
Page 8
Panel 1: His head is hung with his hand on the back of his head.
Gunslinger: I know I’ve messed things up.
Panel 2: The two brothers as young boys together.
Panel 3: His hand holding an old photo that’s the same pic of them as boys.
Gunslinger: This isn’t what we had planned for a life.
Page 9
Panel 1: The gunslinger in the foreground (just partially in panel with his back towards us) while his brother lies dead in the arms of his love, she’s crouched down holding him.
Panel 2: The gunslinger’s face still and emotionless.
Panel 3: Her tear soaked face looking up angered.
Page 10
Panel 1: The outside of a chapel.
Panel 2: The woman now in a wedding dress holding flowers.
Gunslinger: Betsy’s remarried now.
Panel 3: The woman, almost in the same shape and stance as previous panel only she’s in a different dress and holding a baby.
Gunslinger: She’s got a little boy she’s named after you.
Panel 4: The little boy dressed like a cowboy.
Page 11
Panel 1: The gunslinger knocking on a door.
Panel 2: Her face with the door slightly open. She’s looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
Gunslinger: She still won’t talk to me.
Panel 3: He’s backed up quite a bit and she’s out on the porch pointing a shotgun at him.
Gunslinger: Won’t forgive me…
Page 12
Panel 1: Back to him talking to the grave.
Gunslinger: …I don’t blame her.
Panel 2: Graveside services for the dead brother. Everyone’s surrounding the grave.
Panel 3: The widow in all black looking down.
Panel 4: The casket deep in the cold ground, seen from above.
Gunslinger: I killed the man she loved.
Page 13
Panel 1: The gunslinger drunk sitting at a bar/saloon.
Panel 2: The gunslinger appearing to be stumbling down the road with a bottle of whiskey in hand.
Panel 3: The bullets falling down over the black background.
Panel 4: The gunslinger’s lying in bed crying, looking up.
Gunslinger: I don’t sleep well anymore.
Page 14
Panel 1: The gunslinger curled up in the fetal position in his bed.
Panel 2: Close-up of his eye bloodshot and strained with a pistol firing in the black center.
Panel 3: He’s on his knees at the grave with his hands covering his face.
Panel 4: His hand pressing against the front of the tombstone.
Gunslinger: I need your forgiveness.
Page 15
Panel 1: Bullets on the ground on the grave.
Panel 2: The gunslinger’s leaning down and the spirit of his brother is placing his hand on the tormented man’s shoulder. (The only thing we see of the ghost is the hand on the shoulder, so we won’t be seeing the full specter or anything.)
Panel 3: The gunslinger’s face looking up, weathered, but relieved, with tears.
Gunslinger: Thank you.
Panel 4: The gunslinger leaves on his horse in the background with his brother’s gravestone in the foreground.
Gunslinger’s Remorse
A one-shot by Christopher Michael Carter
Art notes: Preferably black and white. I want it to feel old & cold. Sketchy even.
Page 1
Panel 1: Black background with falling bullets (the kind that belong to a six shooter) over it.
Panel 2: A countryside hill. It’s cold and dreary outside.
Panel 3: An empty trail in the woods.
Panel 4: Horse’s legs walking through the trail.
Panel 5: A cemetery.
Page 2
Panel 1: Whole page, the gunslinger on his horse. With title and credits on this page.
Page 3
Panel 1: The graveyard at the bottom of the panel with a man on his horse strolling in the background.
Panel 2: A grave next to a tree.
Panel 3: The man off of his horse, to the side of it having just gotten off of it.
Panel 4: The lone grave in the foreground with the man, facing the grave (and us for that matter) in the background.
Panel 5: Close-up of his hip with the gun and holster.
Page 4
Panel 1: His hand sweeping leaves and dirt from atop of the tombstone.
Panel 2: He’s crouched down in front of the grave.
Gunslinger: It’s been awhile since I’ve been here…
Panel 3: The gunslinger’s taking his hat off.
Gunslinger: Life’s been grim, dear brother. I know I can’t act like I didn’t have a hand in that.
Page 5
Panel 1: Him digging in the grave.
Gunslinger: Some nights I think about coming up here and digging you out…
Panel 2: The coffin opened with the skeleton inside.
Panel 3: The gunslinger with a large potato sack of his brother’s bones over his shoulder.
Gunslinger: …And taking you with me.
Panel 4: Back to reality, the gunslinger’s face with his mouth scrunched a little.
Gunslinger: But I know that’s crazy.
Panel 5: His hand on the RIP.
Gunslinger: Wouldn’t change anything.
Page 6
Panel 1: Close-up of his hand reaching for his gun.
Panel 2: Close-up of his hands with the gun.
Panel 3: He’s still crouching down and his hand has six bullets and he’s dropping them on the grave.
Panel 4: Close-up of the falling bullets.
Panel 5: Far away shot of the man, the grave, and the horse.
Gunslinger: Things got out of hand.
Page 7
Panel 1: The gunslinger’s weathered face, looking somber.
Gunslinger: You end up in a gun fight with your own flesh and blood, you’re not exactly thinking straight, you know?
Panel 2: Two men, the gunslinger and his brother, facing off. Hazy flashback look to the panel.
Page 8
Panel 1: His head is hung with his hand on the back of his head.
Gunslinger: I know I’ve messed things up.
Panel 2: The two brothers as young boys together.
Panel 3: His hand holding an old photo that’s the same pic of them as boys.
Gunslinger: This isn’t what we had planned for a life.
Page 9
Panel 1: The gunslinger in the foreground (just partially in panel with his back towards us) while his brother lies dead in the arms of his love, she’s crouched down holding him.
Panel 2: The gunslinger’s face still and emotionless.
Panel 3: Her tear soaked face looking up angered.
Page 10
Panel 1: The outside of a chapel.
Panel 2: The woman now in a wedding dress holding flowers.
Gunslinger: Betsy’s remarried now.
Panel 3: The woman, almost in the same shape and stance as previous panel only she’s in a different dress and holding a baby.
Gunslinger: She’s got a little boy she’s named after you.
Panel 4: The little boy dressed like a cowboy.
Page 11
Panel 1: The gunslinger knocking on a door.
Panel 2: Her face with the door slightly open. She’s looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
Gunslinger: She still won’t talk to me.
Panel 3: He’s backed up quite a bit and she’s out on the porch pointing a shotgun at him.
Gunslinger: Won’t forgive me…
Page 12
Panel 1: Back to him talking to the grave.
Gunslinger: …I don’t blame her.
Panel 2: Graveside services for the dead brother. Everyone’s surrounding the grave.
Panel 3: The widow in all black looking down.
Panel 4: The casket deep in the cold ground, seen from above.
Gunslinger: I killed the man she loved.
Page 13
Panel 1: The gunslinger drunk sitting at a bar/saloon.
Panel 2: The gunslinger appearing to be stumbling down the road with a bottle of whiskey in hand.
Panel 3: The bullets falling down over the black background.
Panel 4: The gunslinger’s lying in bed crying, looking up.
Gunslinger: I don’t sleep well anymore.
Page 14
Panel 1: The gunslinger curled up in the fetal position in his bed.
Panel 2: Close-up of his eye bloodshot and strained with a pistol firing in the black center.
Panel 3: He’s on his knees at the grave with his hands covering his face.
Panel 4: His hand pressing against the front of the tombstone.
Gunslinger: I need your forgiveness.
Page 15
Panel 1: Bullets on the ground on the grave.
Panel 2: The gunslinger’s leaning down and the spirit of his brother is placing his hand on the tormented man’s shoulder. (The only thing we see of the ghost is the hand on the shoulder, so we won’t be seeing the full specter or anything.)
Panel 3: The gunslinger’s face looking up, weathered, but relieved, with tears.
Gunslinger: Thank you.
Panel 4: The gunslinger leaves on his horse in the background with his brother’s gravestone in the foreground.
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