The Dread Pirate Revisions

I tend to take my time when revising scripts, partly due to avoidance. If I don’t start it, I don’t have to do it. Of course, that’s a horrible way of looking at things and nothing will get done that way. This past weekend, I went through the notes on Project Pirates from my buddy, Phil Butehorn and started making edits. The comments he shared were valid and backed up my nervous feeling that the first issue was rushed. It also confirmed that some of the reactions from the characters weren’t big enough. There’s a major event on page 7 that any normal person would have a major reaction to and these two characters moved on a bit too quickly.

Project Pirates is an action / comedy story. I need to let some of the jokes breathe so they can land properly. If they’re sent out rapidly, their effect is diminished. To accomplish this, I took a big scene that was made up of about 8 pages and moved it into the second issue. That left me with a big gap to fill. Fortunately, I was able to do that by giving some more space to the jokes and the reactions. I found myself chuckling as I was typing up the new pages. The words were flying as I imagined what these characters would do next and how I could increase the stakes and the laughs.

As it stands, I still have two pages to fill, but I think I know what those look like already. I just have to add them towards the back where we reveal the villain and setup the second issue. I already have the outline for this written. I’m planning this as four issues. These moves establish a baseline and I can build up from there to make everything more over-the-top and ridiculous. I want to write out the next three chapters to ensure I’m hitting all the right points before I start searching for an artist. I have one in mind, however I have not made an approach. I think the style would work well with the tone of the story.

In other news, preparation continues for Clean Up Crew #1. I’m getting a few items in order through the ComixLaunch course to ensure the campaign is set up for success. Micah should be wrapping up the letters soon so we’ll have the main book all ready. There are two other covers in the works as well as some extra pages like credits, bios, etc.

What really excites me about this book is the smile I see when I explain the premise to people. It’s always met with enthusiasm. I’ve felt so strongly about this comic and it’s so great to hear people get into it with just a few words and a quick glance at artwork. I cannot wait to get this book out there. If you want to be prepared for the launch, be sure to follow the campaign by clicking the button below.

Thanks to Hoopla and my local library, I read through the whole Robotech series from Titan Comics. I will always have a soft spot for the TV series as it was one of the first anime series I had seen. I know my buddy Nate Streeper feels the same way as he had shared similar feelings in a previous newsletter. When I started the first chapter of the comic, I was a little disappointed at first as it appeared to be a straight retelling of the anime. That quickly changed by the end of that chapter as it took some wild turns, ending up in some places I would have never guessed. It definitely presented a new spin on the series.

Robotech starts with a harrowing event that unites the world. It’s kind of like the end of The Watchmen in that regard. In this case, a big alien spaceship crash lands on Earth. All the countries on the planet put aside their differences to figure out what this is and eventually rebuild it. The series follows the crew of the SDF-1, a massive battle fortress as they head out into space. They’re not all soldiers though as the initial launch ends up grabbing Macross Island with them along with the civilians on it.

The series has some great space battles with some of the coolest designs for ships I’ve ever seen with the Veritech Fighters. One of the first action figures I got for display only was Rick Hunter’s ship. Check it out below. Seriously, how cool is that?

Anyway, the series has some highs and lows, but it hits an abrupt end after 24 issues. It’s clear there was more meat on the bone so the ending feels rushed. I am very curious as to what the original plans were for the series. There were some big, crazy concepts thrown in there including an entirely separate alien race, clones, and special powers. They feel glossed over in the rush to the big finale.

There is a sequel series called Robotech Remix that I need to check out. Maybe some of those elements are picked up there. In any case, this is an example of a great way to modernize a franchise, breathing new life into it without losing the core of what made it so fun in the first place.