The Crack Up
46 & 2 Issue 4:
By
Zachary Smith
“In
a real dark night of the soul, it is always three o'clock in the morning, day
after day.”—F. Scott Fitzgerald
PAGE 1. PANEL 1.
Chino
is entering the dreamscape/white landscape that will basically show him all the
negativity that he has experienced and that those around him have dealt
with.
Chino
is younger in this first panel, he is 15 years old. No goatee or shirt on. He is standing outside of his home. He is lighting a cigarette. I only want light coming from the cigarette
lighter and the cigarette being lit. It
will only catch some of his face. Eyes
closed. His eye is swollen, he has dry
blood on his face.
Throughout the issue I will be quoting the song Hurt, by
Nine Inch Nails.
Caption: “I…”
PAGE 1. PANEL 2.
Chino
is moving the cherry of the cigarette towards his right bicep.
Caption: “…Hurt…”
PAGE 1. PANEL 3.
Chino
is putting the cherry on his arm.
Caption: “…Myself…”
PAGE 1. PANEL 4.
Focus on Chino’s
face. He is wincing in pain. He was in a fight earlier, and we see the
results on his face. Dry blood and
swelling.
Caption: “…Today…”
PAGE 2. PANEL 1.
Chino
is five years old, watching his father walk out the door.
Caption: “…To see if
I…”
PAGE 2. PANEL 2.
Chino
is ten years old, he is crying. His
mother stands over him. I want her to be
big, it’s his memory of her, and she frightens him at this age.
Mother: “Why are
crying? Quit being a baby. You’re so damn sensitive.”
Caption: “…still
feel.”
PAGE 2. PANEL 3.
It’s an all black panel.
Caption: “HE’S
SEIZING, WE NEED A FUCKING AMBULANCE.
NOW!”
PAGE 2. PANEL 4.
Back to Chino
putting the cigarette on his arm.
Caption: “I focus on
the pain…”
PAGE 2. PANEL 5.
Black panel.
Caption: “GET THESE
PEOPLE OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY!”
Caption: “The only
thing that’s real.”
PAGE 3. PANEL 1.
Chino,
as we last saw him at Coachella stands in a crowd of people, all huddled in
pain, as if the most painful thing in the world has happened to them and they are
all in shock. Like their trying to avoid
some bomb. This is Chino seeing everybody’s pain, which will
ultimately lead to his crack up/splitting of psyches by the end of the issue. A little boy is standing up too. I want him to have some long hair in the
front covering his eyes. Think young Fei
in Xenogears, I can find a picture for reference.
Chino: “What is this?”
Little boy: “People.”
PAGE 3. PANEL 2.
Black Panel.
Caption: “Get that
needle in.”
“The needle tears a hole…”
PAGE 3. PANEL 2.
Chino
holds his arm right where the syringe would be placed in real life.
Chino: “Ow.”
Little boy: “It’s
going to get a lot worse before it’s over.
Follow me.”
Caption: “…The old
familiar sting.”
PAGE 3. PANEL 3.
The boy has turned around and is walking past the people, Chino is following.
PAGE 3. PANEL 4.
Chino’s
hand brushes past one of the crouching people, a young girl.
Caption: “Tried to
kill it all away…”
PAGE 3. PANEL 5.
Chino
winces.
PAGE 4. SPLASH PAGE.
We have a colidescope image of the many painful events that
the girl has witnessed/slashed experienced in her life. I’ll go into description of what I want to
see, and what will be said, how they will positioned I can leave to you, or we
can talk about it.
I want Chino’s
head at the center of all this as he is seeing the pain that the girl is
experiencing.
Experience 1: The
girl is being hit by her mother.
Mother: “Don’t
fucking tell me lies.”
Experience 2: The
girl is sitting on her father’s lap, she’s younger than the first
experience. He is touching her chest.
Father: “It’s okay
sweetheart. It’s just me. Daddy’s going to show you something.”
Experience 3: The
girl is being laughed at by some other girls, she’s about 12/13, middle school
age.
Girl in the Crowd:
“Nice outfit, goodwill.”
Experience 4: She’s
about 15/16, high school age. The girl is
looking at a boy, the boy is talking with some other guys.
Boy: “Yeah, I fucked
her. She wasn’t that good.”
Experience 5: She is
talking to another girl, just outside the festival camp area. She is wearing the same clothes that she was
in the dreamscape so that we know it was that day, or at least the day before.
Girl: “Yeah, my
boyfriend’s friends have an extra ticket.
But you need to see what they want in exchange.”
Experience 6: The two
boys hold open the tent flap. One points
in, the other beckons the girl. She
walks towards them.
Caption: “…but I
remember everything.”
PAGE 5. PANEL 1.
Chino
has fallen to the ground. The boy has
stopped and turned around.
Chino:
“What…what was that?”
Little boy:
“People. Come on.”
PAGE 5. PANEL 2.
Chino
gets up.
Chino: “Where are we going?”
PAGE 5. PANEL 3.
Chino
passes four boxes, behind them is a mirror, next to the mirror is the Weltall
symbol.
Little boy: “You’ll
see.”
Chino: “Am I dead?”
PAGE 5. PANEL 4.
The little boy has turned around and is smiling. All we can see is his mouth.
Little boy: “Not
yet.”
Chino: “Then what’s going on?”
PAGE 5. PANEL 5.
The little boy continues to walk.
Little boy: “Follow
me, you’ll see. If you see a mirror, I
would recommend avoiding it.”
PAGE 6. PANEL 1.
Chino
turns slightly, out of reflex, to look at the mirror.
Chino: “But I just saw one, nothing happ—“
Caption: “And you can
have it all…”
PAGE 6. PANEL 2.
A younger Chino
and Chi, about 7, play outside. Chi’s
dad is calling the boy’s in.
Chi’s dad: “Come in
boys, it’s getting late.”
Chi: “’Kay dad. Come on Fei.”
Chino: “No.”
Chi: “Why not, don’t
you like us?”
Chino: “Forget you and your dad.”
PAGE 6. PANEL 3.
Chino
is about 13, he’s in a convenience store, he is stealing a candy bar.
PAGE 6. PANEL 4.
Chino
is talking to his mom. He’s close to his
current age.
Chino: “Fuck you.
You’re just a mean, manipulative bitch.”
Mom: “You’re a
selfish, hateful piece of shit. No
wonder you’re dad never came back.”
Chino: “Look in the mirror.”
Caption: “…My empire
of dirt…”
PAGE 6. PANEL 5.
Chino
comes to, by the mirror, the little boy is shouting at him.
Little boy: “GET
UP. COME ON.”
Chino: “What…”
PAGE 7. PANEL 1.
Chino
get’s up.
Chino: “The fuck was…”
Little boy: “People.
How many times do I have to say it.
Let’s keep going.”
PAGE 7. PANEL 2.
Chino
is walking past another group of hunch over people. He trips over the foot of a young man.
Calidescope effect again.
Experience 1: The boy and his father sit in a counciler’s
office. The boy is about seven.
Councelor: “I think
you’re son is dyslexic.”
Caption: “I will let
you down…”
Experience 2: The boy see’s an F on his paper.
Boy: “But I
tried. I tried so hard.”
Experience 3: The boy
is getting yelled at by his father.
Father: “You call
these grades? You’re never going to be
as good as you’re brother.”
Experience 4: The
boy’s brother is opening a gift, it’s car keys.”
Boy’s brother:
“Thanks dad.”
Father: “No problem,
we’ll have to pull back on other stuff, but it was worth it.”
Experience 5: The boy
opens a gift, it’s a shirt that says: I’M WITH STUPID.
Father: “Hope you
like. Maybe it’ll make you feel better.”
Experience 6: The boy
is holding tinfoil and a pipe to inhale the smoke from the burning heroin, an
older man is urging him along.
Boy: “I don’t know
man.”
Man: “Makes the pain
go away.”
Experience 7: The boy
is stealing his brother’s car.
Boy: “Fuck you, I
need this more than you.”
PAGE 8. PANEL 1.
Chino
is staggered, but hasn’t fallen this time.
Caption: “I will make
you hurt…”
Little boy: “You’re
getting stronger, but I don’t think you’ll be able to last much longer if they
get a hold of you.”
Chino: “Who?”
Little boy: “These
ones. The ones around you.”
PAGE 8. PANEL 2.
The crowd is stirring.
Little boy: “They can
sense how…empathic you are, and they are so eager to share their pain with
anyone who will listen.”
PAGE 8. PANEL 3.
Chino
looks stunned as the crowds begin to stir.
Chino: “No…I can’t take all of it.”
Little boy: “Then you
better keep moving, before they share with you.”
PAGE 8. PANEL 4.
Black panel.
Caption: “WHEN’S THAT
AMBULANCE GETTING HERE?”
PAGE 8. PANEL 5.
Chino
runs to catch up to the little boy.
Chino: “I keep hearing things. Like somebody’s having a conversation in
another room.”
Little boy: “They’re
just trying to keep you from...”
Chino: “Keep me from what?”
PAGE 8. PANEL 6.
The little boy smiles.
Little boy: “God.”
PAGE 9. PANEL 1.
Chino
runs after the boy again, the crowd is stirring more.
Chino: “God?
I don’t believe in god.”
Little boy: “But you
go to church.”
Chino: “The Reverend’s a friend. ‘Sides, he doesn’t believe in god either.”
Little boy: “Heh.”
PAGE 9. PANEL 2.
Chino
is looking at the boy as they walk.
Chino: “Do I know you.”
Little boy: “I’m just
a stranger.”
Chino: “Don’t pull that comic book crap on me, do
you know who you’re talking to?”
Little boy: “Do you
know?”
PAGE 9. PANEL 3.
Chino
stares at the boy, he is reaching out to touch him.
Caption: “I wear this
crown of shit…”
Little boy: “I
wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
PAGE 9. PANEL 4.
Chino
has pulled his arm back.
Chino: “I’m not afraid.”
Caption: “Upon my
liar’s chair.”
PAGE 9. PANEL 5.
They pass what looks like a black curtain.
Chino: “What’s in there?”
PAGE 9. PANEL 6.
The little boy smiles.
Little boy:
“Something that you’re not ready for.”
Chino: “I’m sick of this cryptic shit.”
PAGE 10. PANEL 1.
Chino
is pulling the curtain aside.
PAGE 10. PANEL 2.
Chino’s
hand is grabbed by a black gloved hand that is flaming.
Caption: “Full of
broken thoughts…”
PAGE 10. PANEL 3.
Chino
has pulled back. A billowing trench coat
and legs enter the panel, full of flame.
PAGE 10. PANEL 4.
The MAN looks at Chino,
head and body emitting flame.
Caption: “That I
cannot repair.”
PAGE 10. PANEL 5.
The MAN continues to look at Chino,
Chino is
terrified.
Little boy: “Leave
him be, or you will deal with me.”
PAGE 11. PANEL 1.
The MAN comes face to face with the little boy. The boy’s eyes begin to glow.
Caption: “Beneath the
stains of time…”
PAGE 11. PANEL 2.
The MAN is walking away, into the curtain.
Caption: “The
feelings disappear.”
PAGE 11. PANEL 3.
The little boy begins to walk again. Chino
follows behind him, while the crowds are walking towards them.
Little boy: “We
better keep moving, they’re getting closer.”
PAGE 11. PANEL 4.
The little boy and Chino
are walking past another crowd, there are four boxes again.
The Weltall sigil appears again.
Chino:
“Who is that man? I keep seeing him.”
Little boy: “Does
everything have a purpose?”
Chino: “What do you mean?”
Little boy: “Does everything
perform an action, and serve a purpose?
Is everything functional?”
Chino: “I don’t know.”
PAGE 11. PANEL 5.
The little boy walks past a design of two overlapping
circles, while four boxes sit beneath it.
Little boy: “You
better find out, because he’s already made that decision. And it does not bode well.”
PAGE 12. PANEL 1.
Chino
has caught up to the little boy and is walking beside him.
Chino: “Where are we?”
Little boy: “How can
I put this…You ever read comics?”
Chino: “Do I?”
PAGE 12. PANEL 2.
The little boy starts making gestures with his hands towards
the panel wall.
Little boy: “There
are gutters, that separate the panels, right?”
Chino: “Yeah.”
Little boy: “We’re
basically in a gutter, but instead of separating panels, it
separates…dimensions.”
PAGE 12. PANEL 3.
Chino
looks around him.
Chino: “Is that why it’s all white?”
Little boy: “Don’t
you find it very convenient that I’ve explained dimension hopping to you by
using your favorite art form?”
Chino: “I just figured that was the easiest.”
PAGE 12. PANEL 4.
The little boy smiling.
Little boy: “This is
how you see it. Other’s may see it
differently.”
Chino: “Oh.”
PAGE 12. PANEL 5.
The little boy and Chino
pass a Movie theatre. A FIGHT CLUB
Poster is displayed.
Chino:
“I remember this.”
Little boy: “So
easily influenced in this state.”
Caption: “You are
someone else…”
PAGE 13. PANEL 1.
Chino
approaches the poster, and can see his reflection in the window.
Caption: “I…”
PAGE 13. PANEL 2.
Flashback. Chino is younger, same
age as at the beginning of the comic when he is burning his arm.
Chi (off panel): “All
singing, all dancing crap of the world.”
PAGE 13. PANEL 3.
Chino
is getting up.
Chino: “Hit me again.”
Chi: “Only after
disaster can we be resurrected.”
Caption: “…am still…”
PAGE 13. PANEL 4.
Chino
is getting hit in the face again.
Chi (off panel):
“It’s only after we’ve lost everything, that we’re free to do anything.”
Caption: “…right…”
PAGE 13. PANEL 5.
Chino
gets up again.
Chi: “…Not special.”
Chino: “Again…”
Chi: “…Same decaying
matter as everything else.”
Caption: “…here.”
PAGE 14. PANEL 1.
Chi has calmed down.
He is looking at Chino,
his bloody face, and nose.
Chi: “I don’t know,
this is getting outta hand.”
Chino: “’Hitting bottom’s not a weekend retreat,’
right?”
Caption: “And you…”
PAGE 14. PANEL 2.
Chi hits Chino
again.
PAGE 14. PANEL 3.
Chino
is standing up again.
Chino: “Come on.
More.”
Chi: “I don’t think
that’s—“
Chino: “’Shut up! Our fathers were our models for
God. If our father’s bailed, what does
that tell you about God?’”
Caption: “…could have
it all…”
PAGE 14. PANEL 4.
Chi is standing, guard down, looking at Chino.
Chi: “But…”
Chino: “’Listen to me! You have to consider the
possibility that God does not like you.
He never wanted you. In all
probability, he hates you. This is not
the worst thing that can happen to you.’”
Chi: “If this is all
about what happened with Breanna, look I get…”
PAGE 14. PANEL 5.
Chino
is punching Chi in the stomach.
Chino: “Fuck that.”
PAGE 14. PANEL 6.
Chino
is walking away, smoking. Chi lies on
the ground.
Chino: “Don’t understand shit. Perfect mom and dad, girlfriend. Fuck you man.
I’m going home.”
Caption: “My empire
of dirt.”
PAGE 15. PANEL 1.
Chino
is crying.
Chino: “Oh, I am such an a—“
Little boy: “I knew
we should have kept moving.”
PAGE 15. PANEL 2.
The crowd has caught up to them, and is reaching for Chino.
Various crowd members speak, but they only say the words
“Save Me!”
PAGE 15. PANEL
3. This morphs into the rest of PAGE
16. It’s like a flood opening.
Chino
is experiencing multiple fits of pain, and this is unraveling into the next
page.
Throughout each of the experiences please insert 4 boxes, or
packages, or parcels. These are his
other personalities waiting for him.
Caption: “I will let
you down…”
Experience 1: A young
man hits someone with a car.
Young man: “Cant’
find out.”
Experience 2: A young
woman is smothering her baby.
Young woman: “It’s
better. No pain for you.”
Experience 3: A young
woman is getting severely assaulted by a group of women.
Member of group:
“Fucking dyke.”
Member of group:
“Quit looking at our tits.”
Experience 4: A young
man is being forced to give another man oral sex at gun point.
Man with the gun:
“Come on cuz, you know you like this.”
Experience 5: A young
woman at a funeral.
Young Woman (thought bubble): “I’m free now.”
Experience 6: A man
is reading a letter, and is talking on the phone. The letter read’s: H.I.V. Test Positive.
Man: “No love, it’s
nothing. Just a bill.”
Experience 7: A woman
in her 20’s is touching a young boy’s penis, the boy is crying.
Woman: “Don’t you
like it when Aunt Julie does that?”
Experience 8: An overweight man is masturbating to porn.
Man: “No one will
love me.”
Experience 9: A woman
steals money from a drawer at work.
Woman: “Need this
more than them.”
Experience 10: A man
is talking to a girl in her young teens.
Man: “We can be
friends. Special friends.”
Experience 11: A hand
holds a gun at someone’s head, the sex of the victim and perpetrator are
indetermineant.
Victim: “Why?”
Perpetrator: “I was
told to.”
At the bottom of the page I want a very small blip, a red
bubble, blinking, so put a couple in there.
One word is being uttered:
“Help!” But this should be as
small as you can make it, yet still can be read.
PAGE 17. PANEL 1.
The little boy stands over Chino, the crowd is still covering him. There is a red glow coming in from just off
panel.
Little boy: “He’s here.”
PAGE 17. PANEL 2.
The crowd is beginning to disperse, in fear.
Chino: “huh, huh, huh…”
Little boy: “Now
we’ll see if you’re ready.”
PAGE 17. PANEL 3.
Chino
is crying, holding his head.
Chino: “OH GOD!
I CAN’T TAKE ANYMORE OF THIS!”
Little Boy: “Our god
is not a merciful god.”
PAGE 17. PANEL 4.
Chino
looks up, afraid, tears in his eyes.
Chino: “Oh no…not him…”
PAGE 17. PANEL 5.
The Demiurge has taken the form of an elderly preacher, with
glowing red eyes.
Demiurge: “SEE”
Caption: “If I could
start again…”
PAGE 18. PANEL 1.
Chino
is sitting underneath some bleacher’s at a school campus. It is evening, twilight. He is wearing the same shirt he was when he
was fighting Chi. There is a girl
sitting next to him, a young Hispanic woman, the same age as he is (15). They are drinking beers. It is evening, not a lot of light. This is Breanna, who was mentioned earlier,
but we haven’t seen yet. I imagine a
girl with short black hair, kind of wavy.
Sweater and top, and skirt. There
is an open back pack where the beers are coming out of.
PAGE 18. PANEL 2.
It’s a little darker.
There are more beer bottles on the ground. Breanna is sleeping on Chino’s thigh, while he sits Indian style. Chino
is looking down at her.
PAGE 18. PANEL 3.
A small inlaid panel, Chino’s
eye.
PAGE 18. PANEL 4.
Another small inlaid panel, Breanna’s breasts.
PAGE 18. PANEL 5.
Chino
is toughing Breanna’s breast above her shirt.
PAGE 18. PANEL 6.
Chino
begins to tough his crotch.
Caption: “A million
miles away…”
PAGE 19. PANEL 1.
Chino
tries to move his hand beneath Breanna’s shirt.
PAGE 19. PANEL 2.
A small inlaid panel.
Breanna’s hand is stopping Chino’s.
PAGE 19. PANEL 3.
Breanna is standing, with tears in her eyes. She is covering herself. Chino
looks away, ashamed.
PAGE 19. PANEL 4.
Breanna is yelling at Chino. He continues to look away.
PAGE 19. PANEL 5.
Breanna is storming off.
There are four trash cans that she passes, once again symbolizing Chino’s split. Another Weltall symbol appears on one of the
trash cans.
Voice, very small (off panel): “help”
PAGE 19. PANEL 6.
Chino
looks over to see who said that.
Caption: “I would
keep myself…”
PAGE 20. PANEL 1.
Back in the white space, there are glowing eyes over Chino, the little boy stands to Chino’s
right, and Captian Blicero, in silhouette, holds a gun, pointed at Chino, and holds a girl,
with red hair, but we can’t see her face.
There are four boxes behind Chino
that begin to open up.
PAGE 20. PANEL 2.
Chino
looks to his left, tears in his eyes. The
boxes behind him are fully opened and four shadows are arising out.
Chino: “Who…
PAGE 20. PANEL 3.
Captain Blicero fires his gun.
Blicero: “White
death.”
PAGE 20. PANEL 4.
Chino
smiles, tears in his eyes. The shadows
are descending into Chino.
Chino: “Yes, please.”
Caption: “HE’S
STABILIZED.”
PAGE 20. PANEL 5.
Chino’s
eyes have spring open in a hospital room, doctors hover over him.
Doctor 1: “He’s
awake.”
Doctor 2: “I didn’t
think he was going to make it. Never
seen such an adverse reaction to hallucinogens.”
Caption: “I would
find a way.”
THE END
