by Iain Lowson
Back in 2007, I had the pleasure of briefly bumping into Duncan Fegredo at the Bristol Comic Expo. I'd not been a fan of Hellboy from the beginning, as the books started back when I didn't have much contact with comics (a money thing). I got into it because publicity around the first film interested me, and been an addict ever since, collecting the books, the short stories and a novel, the films and animated stuff, and even a few statues. When I met Mr Fegredo, he was kind enough to decorate one of the Russian doll blanks I carry around at such events. The results are shown here. Completely fantastic.
Of course, I couldn't resist writing a Hellboy thing for long after that. The script, presented below, remains undrawn. If anyone wants to have a go, feel free. I'd love to see the results.
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Hellboy - Still Waters
10 Page Story, set in France. Date undetermined.
PAGE ONE
Panel One
A water lily floats in pond, surrounded by
leaves. Its white petals are beginning
to show the brown spots of rot – past its prime.
Panel Two
Long shot of the pool. It’s wide and deep and still. Thickly surrounded by trees, this is not an
easy place to get to. On one side, a
tall, crumbling bank is where the trees are closest. Their thick, old roots hold the bank
together, trailing down into the water. The shadows between the roots are ominous. On another side, an almost flat, wide and gravelly
slope gently filters one of the two shallow streams that feed the pool. There’s a rock in the gravel, off to one side
slightly, that a person could sit on if they had a mind to. Across the way from that, the second small
stream runs narrow and faster into the water.
The pool is half full of water lilies. There’s something fat, oily and gross about
their leaves. Though the sunlight
filters through the trees, the place has an unhealthy, primal air to it. There’s a cloying, heavy, organic weight to
even the air. This is an old place, an
ancient place. This is not a place to
rest or idle away an afternoon. You
don’t dabble your toes in this pool.
Panel Three
Hellboy is standing
(well, lurking) in the trees near the edge of the pool. This is almost a reverse angle of the last
shot. The result is that the audience
should be clear that no obvious path leads here anymore, though the trees
Hellboy is standing in are thinner and younger than the gnarled relics of the
primal forest that surround them.
Panel Four
Tree roots and water. There’s barely a ripple in the water.
PAGE TWO
Panel One
Hellboy is standing by the water. He has something large and round in his left
hand. He’s watching the water, almost
challenging it to do… something.
Panel Two
The water reflects Hellboy’s grim face. He must be very close now.
Panel Three
Sure enough, Hellboy is squatting down by the water’s
edge. Held carefully in the palm of his
massive right hand is a large loaf of bread - flat, round and home baked. His left hand is rummaging in one pocket.
Panel Four
Now we see a candle in Hellboy’s left hand, the kind
you buy for power cuts. The bread in his
right. Hellboy is pushing the candle
into the crust.
SFX (Breadcrust) >skrunch<
Panel Five
Hellboy turns quickly at the sound of the voice, his
eyes narrowing slightly. This is the
first time we’ve seen his face out of shadow.
Old Man (off) You are too late for that,
monsieur.*
Caption/Footnote (* translated from the French.)
PAGE THREE
Panel One
An Old Man
is walking down the gravelly stream. The
water barely touches his feet, so wide and shallow the stream, so thick and
deep the gravel. This is clearly the
easy way to get to the pool. The Old Man
has paused, his hand on an old tree to support him, the other on an old,
straight walking stick. He looks
friendly, if incongruous.
Old Man They found the bodies. Last week.
She won’t come to that
now.
Panel Two
Long shot.
Hellboy looks down at the loaf and candle cradled in his right
hand. His pose and look are almost
saying “Aww crap”.
Panel Three
Close up. Hellboy looks up at the Old Man.
Panel Four
As the Old Man reaches the rock and starts to sit
down, Hellboy lights the candle with his lighter.
Hellboy It’s all I got.
Old Man That is fair enough then.
>huff<
PAGE FOUR
Panel One
Seen from out in the water, down low looking back to
the shore, Hellboy places the loaf and burning candle into the water – it
floats well. The Old Man, sitting on the
rock, is giving him an odd look – almost predatory, certainly weighing him up.
Panel Two
Water, lilies and reflected candlelight.
Panel Three
The Old Man is sitting, chin resting on his hands
which rest in turn upon the top of his walking stick. He looks like he’s dozing. Hellboy, in the foreground, stands beside him
(not in the water or stream). Both are
watching the pool.
Panel Four
The candle has burned down to half way, and the loaf
is soaking up water as it slips lower in the water.
Panel Five
The Old Man is sitting exactly as before, more or
less, though he is speaking. Hellboy has
sat down. He’s looking a little bored.
Old Man It’s just nature.
Hellboy Not an excuse. Believe me.
I know.
Old Man …mmmm…
PAGE FIVE
Panel One
Reverse angle of Page Four, Panel Five. The Old Man looks wistful. Hellboy watches him, puzzled.
Old Man Gwaernardel was the most
beautiful.
Hellboy How’s that?
Panel Two
The Old Man keeps talking. Hellboy is smiling slightly now, looking back across
the water.
Old Man Though Donseillas was
close.
Hellboy Ahhh… Yeah, she was that. So I heard.
Panel Three
The water.
Old Man They showed more class than
those of Moselle and Coges.
Hellboy Each to their own.
Old Man Exactly! Each to their own.
Panel Four
The Old Man is scowling at Hellboy, who is lighting a
cigar.
Old Man Why are you here, monsieur?
Hellboy For her.
Old Man She has done nothing to
you. Why are you here?
Panel Five
Hellboy waves his cigar vaguely at the water.
Hellboy Your lady here ate up some
folks. That’s not nice.
Old Man Maybe they were not nice.
Hellboy Not an excuse. ‘Sides, what’s it to you?
PAGE SIX
Panel One
The Old Man, his old green eyes wet, looks mournful. Hellboy is standing up.
Old Man I have known her a long
time. Man and boy.
Hellboy How come she never got
you?
Panel Two
Hellboy looks down at the Old Man.
Old Man I wish her no harm. And I was careful.
Hellboy Yeah, well... She shoulda stayed quiet.
Old Man She will be again.
Hellboy Not good enough.
Panel Three
The Old Man looks angry. There are tears on his face. He holds out his hand to be helped up. Hellboy looks a little sheepish.
Old Man Then damn you, monsieur! I will not stay here to watch you destroy her.
Hellboy Whatever.
Panel Four
Hellboy pulls the Old Man up with his left hand. He’s looking down, not at the old man.
Hellboy I’m just doin’ my…
Panel Five
View from the ground up. Hellboy looks shocked, his cigar falling from
his mouth. The Old Man’s arm has turned
into a long, eight-fingered, scaly horror. It grips fiercely.
Hellboy …job…
PAGE SEVEN
Panel One
Big panel. The
male groac’h has Hellboy by the hand. Hellboy is leaning back, as though trying to
pull free. He looks shocked still, but
angry too. We can discuss the creature,
but it’s basically described as a revolting thing – “Terrifically ugly: fat
myopic larvae, with flaccid, transparent skin revealing a distended and
grumbling stomach. Green teeth…” The arms extend forward as though exuded from
the body like pus. They eyes are small
and green. The tail of the body extends
down into the water of the pool, like a trailing shit. It looks eager and evil and angry and
hungry. All at the same time!
Hellboy …aww
crap…
Panel Two
Long, narrow panel. The water of the pool explodes as Hellboy and the groac’h hit it hard. Lilies fly, their trailing leaves, roots and
stems adding to the confusion. The soggy
loaf has disintegrated, and the candle has broken.
PAGE EIGHT
Panel One
Under the water, bathed in murky green, Hellboy and
the groac’h battle. Broken lilies are
around them. The beast is dragging
Hellboy down, both hands around his fleshy left hand. It’s clear from his determined and angry
expression that Hellboy isn’t beaten.
Panel Two
The stone of Hellboy’s right hand is doing its work,
connecting with the groac’h’s head in an explosion of bubbles, broken teeth and
muck.
Panel Three
The creature swims down, trailing ‘blood’ and
clutching its head. Now Hellboy is
floating free, but he’s not done.
Panel Four
Hellboy snags the groac’h’s tail and is dragged down.
Panel Five
Looking back, the creature snaps its tail, flipping
Hellboy free in a flurry of bubbles.
Panel Six
Hellboy hangs in the green murk, his heavy right hand
pulling him down. Bubbles and ichor
trail up from the depths.
PAGE NINE
Panel One
Hellboy touches the bottom of the pool, his right
hand and feet touching first. The bottom
is covered in rotten trees and muck. No
bones. An ancient stone, marked with
Celtic whorls, lies half-buried in the mud.
Panel Two
Hellboy is trying to gather himself as the groac’h
looms out of the darkness behind him, revolting, broken maw gaping open,
bubbles streaming from it.
Panel Three
Hellboy is struck from behind, some of the groac’h’s
teeth thrusting into his back. Mud
whirls in the water
Panel Four
Hellboy smashes back with his right hand, breaking
more teeth and ripping himself free.
Panel Five
Hellboy turns in the water, his face grim,
determined, furious. Behind him, dark
blood – his own – stains the murky water.
PAGE TEN
Panel One
Back on the surface, the water boils and bubbles.
Panel Two
Hellboy breaks the surface in an flurry of spray.
Panel Three
Hellboy climbs out of the water, which is calming
behind him. He’s trailing lilies.
Panel Four
As Hellboy walks off, the broken belly of the
creature bobs up.
Panel Five
Small panel. The body sinks, leaving just bubbles.
Panel Six
In the water, an old woman is partly concealed by the
roots of the trees by the high bank. She
looks sadly to where the bubbles are fading.
Panel Seven
She weeps silently.
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