Rat Queens Valentine’s Day Cards
Inside the Mind of Kurtis J. Wiebe
Month: February, 2014
February 10, 2014
Today I Proposed to your Mother
February 8th, 2014
Today I Proposed to your Mother
I know what you might be thinking. Isn’t that supposed to happen before my other letters to you? Well, yes. Generally that’s the way the world works, but let me explain.
See, both of us had different spouses in a life before we met each other. Sometimes we make big life choices without understanding the full weight of them, or before considering what we really want out of our lives.
In fact, these choices led to a lot of pain for both of us. And pain leaves an indelible mark, something that hides away and surfaces in the strangest of ways. For me, and for you mother, we were afraid of repeating a similar mistake. We were jaded and certain that there was only sadness and disappointment in relationships. And we came to that thinking honestly.
That’s what is pretty wonderful about our story, that we crashed into each other’s lives when we simply weren’t looking. We were surprised and terrified. Afraid because we made a lot of sense together very early on. To be honest, we ran from it at first. We found reasons to be alone. But, the more time I spent with your mother, the more I knew I couldn’t deny it.
I loved her.
Want to see something amazing? I captured the moment I knew I loved her on camera. The second I saw this picture I knew. I loved your mother.
Why it took me another few weeks to tell her is something you’ll understand when you fall in love for the first time. It’s absolutely terrifying and nobody wants to be the first to admit it.
It wasn’t long later that we moved in together. We were tentative, it was a huge step, and at this point both of us had sworn off ever getting married again because our experience with it was the stuff of nightmares. This was our testing ground.
And you know what?
It was… normal. I know that sounds boring, but one day, when I tell you about my life, you’ll understand why I appreciated that more than anything else.
And not long after that, we started talking about children. See, we knew inherently that this was it. That we’d spend our lives together. And we both knew what we wanted beyond just the two of us. We wanted you. You just happened a bit… quicker than we expected. And that’s wonderful! Really! And for your sake, I won’t go into any more details than that.
But, as I’ve spent more time with your mother, and we’ve both become more excited every day about you, everything is becoming perfectly clear:
This is my life. And I will spend it with you and Shannon as long as I live.
Look. You’re starting to make an impression!
We’re not sure when this marriage is going to happen. There’s so many things happening with my career, lots of life is still uncertain, but we will figure this out in the time that works best for the three of us. Until then, stay healthy and strong. We love you.
Dad
PS: She said yes by the way.
February 4, 2014
Bits of Script: Rat Queens Teaser
Had a private message asking if I had any sample scripts from an artist looking to practice sequential work. Reminded me I used to post pieces of script for people to check out as a way to show my process. Here’s the very first five pages of Rat Queens I ever wrote, initially meant to be the actual intro in the first issue but ended up being used for promo material.
PAGEONE (5 Panels)
Panel 1. The focus of the intro to our first issue is a bait and switch. This large panel will be of Hannah in a dark room, setting the tone and mood to look as though things are grim and scary, like she’s been caught and tossed in a dark pit somewhere. In reality, she’s waking up in the aftermath of massive party at their house. The party was a massive all night with dozens and dozens of people passing out on the floor. Here, Hannah is sprawled out on the floor, the side of her face on the ground. We want all the following panels to be dark, lots of shadow, mostly outlines so the reader is unable to tell where she is but still able to get a small sense of character and space. We’re on the floor, level with Hannah, she’s unconscious and looks ROUGH. Again, painting a picture of doom here.
Panel 2. Push in on her eyes, one is narrowly open and she’s wincing a bit.
Hannah 1
Ughhhh
Panel 3. On her hands and knees, rubbing her head with a hand, facing the floor, hunched over. Still in quite a bit of pain.
Hannah 1
What happened?
Panel 4. She’s crawling along the floor. She’ll be making her way to the front door but there’ll be overturned tables and unconscious. I think we should stay close in on Hannah the duration of this scene.
Hannah 1
Where… guh, it smells like troll ass in here.
Panel 5. She crawls over a few bodies all crunched up together. Still dark, can see enough to know what she’s crawling over.
PAGE two (5 Panels)
Panel 1. Behind Hannah, she’s foreground looking ahead and we can see the piles of bodies, arms and legs sticking out. Real grisly. It’s all darkness ahead, we can’t see an end to the room. It’s cramped, enclosed. The darkness crushing down on her.
Floating bubble 1
H-h… help. Me.
Panel 2. Hannah, squinting her eyes as she crawls forward.
Hannah 1
Let’s just avoid that disembodied voice.
Panel 3. She crawls over more bodies.
Panel 4. A hand rises from the bodies and grabs her wrist.
Panel 5. A face appears close to hers, a human male, in his 40’s, almost ghoul like with long hair but bald on top. He looks terrible, missing a few teeth.
Man 1
I… need… wat-
PAGE three (6 Panels)
Panel 1. Hannah punches him in the face.
SFX 1
Crack
Panel 2. She crawls over his face and continues on.
Hannah 1
Everyone’s got needs, old man.
Panel 3. Hannah finds the wall with her hand.
Panel 4. Her hand as it touches the bottom of the handle to the door.
Panel 5. She’s leaned against the door as she turns the handle. She looks desperate, her eyes half closed and like it’s taken everything just to get up onto her knees. Her weight is heavy against the door.
Hannah 1
*hurk* Ughhhh, my guts are burning. Poison.. it’s-
Hannah 2
Ok… that’s a little vomit bubbling up…
Hannah 3
*huff* Just *huff* keep it *huff* together, Hannah.
SFX 1
Click
Panel 6. Small panel, the outline of the doorframe lit by hot white light.
PAGE four(splash)
Panel 1. Behind shot of Hannah on her knees, shielding her eyes from a giant blistering white light that is washing over her, blasting away the darkness.
Hannah 1 *large yell, words shaping the balloon*
Gahhhh! N’Rygoth’s ballsack!
PAGE five(5 panels)
Panel 1-4. Side by side panels of Hannah, crawling across grass, in pain, suffering. Panel 3 will show Betty’s feet and Panel 4 will show Hannah grabbing onto them for dear life.
Hannah 1
Must..
Hannah 2
Escape..
Hannah 3
Black pit of..
Hannah 4 (Panel 4)
Ohhh, thank the goddamn gods for these little lady feet.
Betty 1 (Panel 4)
Dude-
Panel 5. Large panel. Betty, hands on her hips, looking healthy and ready to go and dressed for adventuring. Behind her, the other two girls, also dressed for adventuring but look as worse for wear as Hannah. Violet is in her metallic armour, rubbing her head leaning against the house and Dee is leaning against a tree, barfing her guts out.
Betty 1
You got SO drunk last night.
Inside the Mind of Kurtis J. Wiebe 