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The Sandman Presents: Marquee Moon by Peter Hogan Second Draft (1997), Pages 49-56
PAGE FORTY NINE Panel 1. Medium. Similar to last panel, except that he's now standing, backing/staggering away from the bed—and her—in horror/disbelief. She's still in sleepy/sexy mode, but now puzzled as well. Kimono pretty much adrift in the middle—the effect is very sexy, if you like furry girls. CAPTION: I HADN'T PLANNED TO CHANGE. IT JUST HAPPENED... VIC (small): wha... CAPTION: BUT I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE WAS ACTING SO WEIRD ABOUT IT... Panel 2. A two-shot: she's sitting up, reaching out towards him, and he's hysterical, freaking out. All we need of her is her hand/arm, stretching out and looking vaguely clawlike. TAMARA: VIC? VIC: NO. (TODD: Please make this big and doubly bold—it's practically a scream.) Panel 3. Medium. And enter our other werewolf, in transitional form—humanoid but very furry (and unrecognisable), with a wolflike head. Wearing just a pair of jeans. He's just bashed in the door (which flies open, maybe with the entire lock taking a chunk out of the doorframe) with his left arm, and is framed in the doorway, impressive and menacing. His features can be in semi-darkness, but an impression of eyes and teeth would be good. CAPTION: AND THEN I FOUND OUT WHY. SFX: BAMM. Panel 4. Large panel. Vic is now caught between two werewolves, and is pretty much frozen in his tracks. Tamara is regarding the other werewolf curiously, and he in turn is focussed on Vic, baring his fangs and growling. Have you seen Wolfen? If not, do—it's the one werewolf movie that you might find helpful here (plus, it's great). I enjoyed Wolf as well... OTHER WEREWOLF: Grrrrrr PAGE FIFTY Panel 1. Small facial close-up of Vic, pale but sweating, in shock. VIC (small): oh VIC (small): fuck. Panel 2. Large panel: Vic is making calming gestures, his arms outstretched. Both werewolves are now in front of him (the new arrival still growling, but looking a little less vicious), and he's walking backwards, trying to circle round to the doorway. He's nearly there... VIC (small): it's all right... VIC (small): See? I'm just gonna go now... OTHER WEREWOLF: rrrrr Panel 3. Smallish. A rear view of both werewolves watching Vic's departure through the open door—he's running full pelt, cornering into the corridor. Tamara is still sitting/kneeling on the bed, the other werewolf is approaching/nearing the door. Panel 4. Smallish. Angling this could be quite difficult, but here's what we want. At right of panel is Tamara, still kneeling on bed but in human form once again. She's looking up at her furry friend and looking really surprised. To left of panel, the other werewolf (also now furless once more) is reaching out with his left hand, pushing the door shut. We don't—if possible—want to receive any clues as to identity, so maybe you could shoot this over his shoulder, thus avoiding his head/hair. Actually, that aspect doesn't really matter, because the truth will be revealed in the very next panel. DOOR SFX: clik TAMARA: YOU. VOICE OFF (at left): TAMMY? YOU ALRIGHT? But first, for the benefit of those of you reading this for the first time, and as a hommage to a truly crap horror film (The Beast Must Die), we're going to have... A WEREWOLF BREAK In which you have to guess who the werewolf is. If this was a film you'd see the hands of a clock ticking away for thirty seconds, superimposed over the faces of all the suspects... Ah, but did you get it right? Let's find out... Panel 5. It's the Weasel. Make this a medium panel. In the foreground is Ray, flinging the door open to reveal the scene beyond. Ray stunned and embarrassed by what he sees and the fact that his intrusion is evidently just that (and not a rescue mission after all). And what he sees is: Tamara, still sitting on the bed, her kimono still somewhat adrift. And facing Tamara but turning his head and torso in Ray's direction is Weasel. The duo could indeed be mistaken for lovers, on the grounds of undress alone. RAY: WE HEARD SHOUTIN' AND... RAY: oh. RAY: ah. SORRY—MY MISTAKE. PAGE FIFTY ONE Panel 1. Close-up of the Weasel, a little embarrassed/sheepish. Door now closed behind him. DOOR SFX: clik WEASEL: er, SORRY 'BOUT BUSTIN' IN... WEASEL: BUT IT, um, SOUNDED LIKE YOU WAS IN TROUBLE... Panel 2. Smallish two-shot: in the background, Tamara's still kneeling on the bed, still stunned by the revelation. Pulling her kimono tight around her, a little self-conscious (and feeling somewhat foolish, no doubt). In the foreground, Weasel's rubbing his neck, a bit embarrassed. TAMARA: THEN...IT WAS YOU THAT GAVE ME THE RABBITS? WEASEL: er, YEAH... TAMARA: BUT...THOSE SONGS...HOW DID VIC KNOW THE 'PEOPLE'S LAMENT'? Panel 3. Smallish close-up of Weasel—self-conscious, avoiding her gaze. WEASEL: I TAUGHT HIM. AN' I WROTE 'ON THE PROWL.'.. WEASEL: I'M NOT MUCH COP AT SINGIN', MESELF. Panel 4. Close-up of Tamara: she's exasperated, and upset, and generally very vulnerable emotionally. Thumping a pillow? TAMARA: WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST TELL ME IT WAS YOU? TAMARA: MY NOSE IS ALL FUCKED UP. I DIDN'T KNOW. Panel 5. Two-shot. Weasel's now sitting on the edge of the bed, sort of facing her. This is all difficult and painful for him. And she still looks upset, but also sympathetic. WEASEL: I WAS...FUCKIT, I WAS SHY... WEASEL: AND YOU DIDN'T SEEM TO BE INTERESTED... PAGE FIFTY TWO Panel 1. Small/medium close-up of Tamara. Smiling, but also nervous and embarrassed and shy. In a sexy kind of way. TAMARA: NO...I MEAN, I WASN'T... TAMARA: BUT...MAYBE I AM. Panel 2. Medium/small panel. Ray re-entering his own room, where Judy is sitting up in bed. He's pushing the door shut behind him with an I-know-something-you-don't-know grin on his face. Judy's topless, and is reading something by Desmond Morris. Her hair's let down, and she also has bat-winged Dame Edna style reading glasses (maybe she's adjusting them, or lowering them slightly and peering at him over the frames). RAY: YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT I'VE JUST SEEN. Panel 3. Large, pin-up type shot: two wolves playfully romping on Hampstead Heath (or in one of the parks) at night. And we want this to be sexy—her tongue hanging out, him nibbling her ear. Time to bone up (arf, arf) on doggy courtship rituals. CAPTION: SO, THAT WAS THE START OF ME AND WESLEY GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER. AS IT TURNED OUT, WE WERE BOTH VIRGINS...THOUGH THAT DIDN'T LAST FOR LONG. CAPTION (at bottom of panel): AND WES TALKED ME INTO QUITTING SPEED. HE EXPLAINED WHAT DRUGS DID TO OUR KIND. GOING NOSEBLIND AND LOSING CONTROL OF SHAPESHIFT WAS JUST THE START. IT'D ONLY GET WORSE AS TIME WENT ON... Panels 4 & 5. Two tiny panels—maybe even done as...not inserts, exactly, but sort of framed supports to the big panel above. Panel 4 is them in human form in her room—Weasel's holding/cradling her, looking serious but supportive; she's sweaty, and looks terrible. Panel 5 is a small rear view of two wolves looking up at the full moon (thus implying that a month has passed since our story began)—very romantic. . PANEL 4 CAPTION: GETTING STRAIGHT AGAIN WAS PRETTY ROUGH, BUT WES HELPED ME THROUGH IT...AND GETTING MY SENSES BACK WAS WONDERFUL. PANEL 5 CAPTION: BUT IT WAS JUST AS WELL I STOPPED, 'CAUSE I GOT PREGNANT LIKE, IMMEDIATELY. PAGE FIFTY THREE Panel 1. Take this panel back to previous page, if that makes more sense roomwise (and it might). We want a medium shot of the band (in Sunday Best attire) posing for a photographer (in extreme foreground) outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. They're just standing/slouching about—no smiling, these guys are trying to look moody and magnificent. Weasel and Tamara are sort of slouching against each other, or just standing closer to each other than to the others. The photographer should be a skinny woman in her late twenties, with long hair. Angle it however you want. CAPTION: AS FOR VIC, HE NEVER SAID A WORD ABOUT THAT NIGHT. I GUESS HE JUST PUT IT ALL DOWN TO BAD SMACK... CAPTION: AND SINCE WESLEY AND I WERE OBVIOUSLY AN ITEM, VIC KEPT HIS DISTANCE FROM BOTH OF US...BUT THE BAND CARRIED ON. Panel 2. Small panel: their album cover (held in someone's hand)—or a flyposter advertising it, posted up on a wall. Suggest you make the cover the photo from the session in the last panel, with suitably lurid lettering. Album is titled CRASHING THE GATES WITH THE UNINVITED. CAPTION: OUR ALBUM CAME OUT, AND THE FIRST SINGLE—'NOTHIN' DOIN'—WAS KIND OF A MINOR HIT... Panel 3. Medium. Another live show. Band dressed better (or just more expensively), and the audience is now largely 14 and 15-year-old kids. CAPTION: SO WE TOURED FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE AUDIENCES KEPT GETTING YOUNGER—ALL THESE KIDS FROM THE STICKS WHO LIKED DRESSING UP AS PUNKS AT THE WEEKEND... CAPTION: IT WAS OKAY, BUT IT WASN'T THE SAME. Panel 4. Medium: a scene in Les's office (plush, deep carpeting, nice chairs, flash desk, gold discs on the walls). He's explaining to the band that they've signed it all away, too bad. The news is not going down well—lots of frowns. Maybe Ray being restrained by Weasel and Vic. CAPTION: BUT DESPITE THE SALES, WE NEVER SAW MUCH MONEY. LES EXPLAINED HOW IT ALL WORKED, AND THEN WE ALL WISHED WE'D TAKEN NIGEL'S ADVICE ABOUT GETTING THAT LAWYER... CAPTION: SO WE THOUGHT, 'FUCK 'EM', AND BROKE UP THE BAND. RAY GOT SOME SESSION WORK, AND VIC WENT SOLO—HE HAD A NOVELTY HIT IN THE EIGHTIES—BUT THAT WAS THE END OF MUSIC FOR ME AND WES. Panel 5. Large panel: a punk wedding, outside a registry office (definitely not a church). Tamara is the not so blushing bride, dressed in white lacy mini-skirt. She's about three or four months pregnant—so no bulge, but a bit of an inner glow. She and Weasel are dodging confetti thrown by the others—she's grinning broadly, Weasel smiling but looking vaguely uncomfortable in a suit. Jimmy, Ray, Judy and Nigel are all there (dressed smartish—which can still be pretty stylish and/or scruffy), and so are Vic and Debbie (she's hanging onto him tightly). Also there are a half dozen other punks (they'd have other friends, after all), Weasel's parents (a very tweedy couple in late middle age), and Vassily and Anya. The two fathers are chatting to each other casually, while both the excited mothers are lobbing confetti. It's Spring. CAPTION: BUT A NEW START. MY PARENTS WEREN'T TOO HAPPY ABOUT THE WAY WE'D DONE THINGS, BUT THEY CAME ROUND IN THE END... CAPTION: ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT WESLEY CAME FROM A VERY GOOD FAMILY. BUT DAD WANTED TO MAKE A FUSS, SO... PAGE FIFTY FOUR Panel 1. Large panel, and another wedding scene—this time, it's a gathering of the People. It'll be at night (naturally), but maybe there could be lighting from flaming torches, or from lanterns strung on tree branches. You could set this in a forest clearing, or by a group of standing stones (or combine the two—check out some books on standing stones and see if there are any like that. Don't even think about Stonehenge—it wouldn't be possible). Tamara and Wesley would be in wolf-form, as would many of the guests. But the People are a pretty diverse bunch, so we could have other kinds of were-animals (foxes, a bear, a tiger), plus others in human form who look like they might be vampires or wizards or other kinds of magical beings. Exotic clothes for all the humanoid ones (maybe one in robes covered in astrological symbols). Two of the humanoid ones are holding crowns above the heads of the happy couple, just like in a Russian Orthodox wedding (an example of which you'll find early on in 'The Deerhunter'). CAPTION: AFTER THE REGISTRY OFFICE, WE HAD AN ORTHODOX WEDDING AS WELL, JUST TO KEEP THE FAMILIES HAPPY... CAPTION: GREAT-AUNT TASHA DRANK TOO MUCH PUNCH AND BIT WESLEY'S DAD, BUT OTHERWISE EVERYBODY HAD A GREAT TIME. And we end with an update/postscript, just like in American Graffiti, Animal House, The Commitments, etc. The next couple of panels are a couple of months later, and then we're jumping twenty years to the present day; in those decades all our characters will have matured somewhat, and will display a lot more self-confidence than in their youth. Panel 2. Smallish: Tamara in a hospital bed, a few hours after giving birth (so she looks happy but washed out). She's cradling the baby Celeste, Weasel's sitting on the bed by her side (looking proud and stunned). On the far side of the bed are Vassily and Anya, Vassily dangling his fingers over the baby's face. Anya very proud and emotional. CAPTION: AND I'M GLAD I WAS PREGNANT THEN, 'CAUSE AT LEAST MY MOM GOT TO SEE CELESTE, AND ADORED HER. CAPTION: MOM DIDN'T LIVE TOO LONG AFTER THAT... VASSILY: kootchy Panel 3. Medium: Weasel, as he is now (balding and bearded). He's in the office of a construction company, so there are a couple of desks, lots of paperwork, a drawing board with blueprints or plans on it, and several other people to be amused by Weasel pouring vitriol into a phone receiver. He's dressed casual but very clean and tidy (a check shirt and jeans would suffice). CAPTION: WE MOVED BACK TO THE STATES JUST BEFORE CELESTE WAS BORN, 'CAUSE THINGS WERE JUST GETTING WORSE IN ENGLAND, AND WES COULDN'T GET A JOB. CAPTION: OVER HERE HE WENT INTO CONSTRUCTION, AND EVENTUALLY SET UP HIS OWN COMPANY. HE'S MATURED A LOT...BUT SOMETIMES THE OLD WEASEL STILL POPS TO THE SURFACE. WEASEL: WHADDAYA MEAN, "TOMORROW?" WEASEL: TOMORROW'S NO FUCKIN' GOOD TO ME—I WANT 'EM YESTERDAY. Panel 4. Smallish: two old men playing chess, seen in profile. On the right is Vassily, gloating in victory over his opponent (on the left)—a stiff-backed gentleman with white hair and a monocle, very Eastern European. If it wasn't daylight, we'd suspect him of being a vampire (and we'd be right). They're playing on a New York street corner, underneath some trees and just to one side of the New York Public Library (visible behind them, and as seen in the first Ghostbusters film). ALISA: Send someone out with a camera, quick! CAPTION: DAD REFUSES TO MOVE UPSTATE NEAR US, BUT HE VISITS A LOT. THE REST OF THE TIME HE STAYS IN THE CITY, AND SEEMS TO KEEP REALLY BUSY DOING OLD PEOPLE STUFF. VASSILY: CHECKMATE, NU? PAGES FIFTY FIVE & FIFTY SIX PETER: I leave it up to you how to divide this (though I'd go for four or five panels maximum on p.55). Panel 1. Medium: Tamara as she is now—quite a glamorous woman of roughly 41. Lots of makeup and jewellery, but otherwise dressed for comfort and practicality—just a sloppy top and leggings. A white streak or two in her hair (which is probably quite short). We're in her photographer's studio, and looking at her in profile, as she looks down into her camera (which is on a tripod) at her subjects (who we also see in profile). I don't care who they are, but there should be at least three of them—a mythical pop group, or dance group, or supermodels—whatever you fancy. They're posing against some kind of backdrop (plain, probably). CAPTION: AS FOR ME...I WENT BACK TO COLLEGE AS SOON AS I COULD, TO STUDY PHOTOGRAPHY... TAMARA: OKAY, EVERYBODY SAY "POST-MODERNISM." CAPTION: AND I'M PRETTY SUCCESSFUL THESE DAYS. I'D DONE A FEW FASHION COVERS, AND THEN SOMEONE REALIZED WHO I USED TO BE...SO THIS NEW STYLE MAGAZINE ASKED ME TO DO A FEATURE ABOUT THE BAND... Panel 2. Medium. This is one of Tamara's photographs (as are most of the panels that follow), so maybe you could give it a border of some kind. This one's Nigel—who's put on a fair amount of weight, and is posing across the street from the Houses of Parliament (in the place where MPs always stand to pose—watch the news). He's grinning happily, left hand gripping the lapel of his expensive suit. It's a sunny day, but...DANIEL: maybe Tamara's photos should be in black and white? Or sepia? CAPTION: SO WE CAME BACK TO LONDON FOR A VISIT. ENGLAND'S LIKE A DIFFERENT COUNTRY NOW. IT'S FUN, AND NIGEL'S AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF IT. CAPTION: HE'S A BACK BENCH MP (WHATEVER THAT MEANS) IN TONY BLAIR'S LABOUR GOVERNMENT. Panel 3. Small. Ray, exactly as we knew him then, in an old photo (a creased snapshot), raising a glass to the camera and looking young and happy and full of life. Maybe with Tamara by his side (looking happy, or making some mad face). DANIEL: If we're making the other photos black & white, maybe this one should be in colour. CAPTION: OF COURSE, THE ONE PERSON I REALLY WANTED TO SEE THERE, I COULDN'T. CAPTION: POOR RAY DIED IN A CAR CRASH IN 1984... Panel 4. Medium, and another photo: Judy as she is now, in her late forties and very academic-looking—she wears glasses full-time now. She's posing with daughter (about nineteen, looks like she has a wild streak) and grand-daughter (a toddler). I leave the setting up to you (a picnic in the park), but everybody's laughing. CAPTION: BUT JUDY'S A SURVIVOR—AND A GRANDMOTHER NOW. SHE AND RAY HAD SPLIT UP A YEAR OR SO BEFORE HE DIED...BUT NOT BEFORE THEY'D HAD A DAUGHTER. AND NOW SHE'S HAD A DAUGHTER, AND SO IT GOES ON... CAPTION: JUDY TEACHES ANTHROPOLOGY AT LONDON UNIVERSITY, BUT NEXT YEAR SHE'S MOVING TO COLUMBIA, SO WE SHOULD GET TO HANG OUT AGAIN. AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WE'LL GET UP TO? Panel 5. Smallish, and another photo: Vic, who's almost completely bald and hasn't aged that well. Sitting in a very boring looking office (computer, lots of phones, piles of paper). Other (younger) males making faces in the background. CAPTION: VIC HAD THAT ONE HIT IN THE EIGHTIES, AND THEN BECAME A PERSONAL FRIEND OF BETTY FORD. CAPTION: HE WORKS IN TELEMARKETING NOW, AND HE'S STILL SINGLE. Panel 6. Small/medium: Jimmy's panel. He's a big movie star now, and so we want something like him arriving at a premiere in Leicester Square, getting out of a limo and waving to the crowds, a starlet on his arm, a hundred paparazzi flashbulbs going off in the background. He's tanned, grinning (great, and probably expensive, teeth) and wearing impenetrable sunglasses. He should look like he makes his living as a dashing leading man and gets incredibly well paid for it—think Daniel Day Lewis, Hugh Grant, Pierce Brosnan... CAPTION: JIMMY'S THE REAL SURPRISE, OF COURSE. HE WENT TO DRAMA SCHOOL AND ENDED UP BECOMING OUR VERY OWN SEX SYMBOL! CAPTION: TOO BAD I'M AN OLD MARRIED LADY... Panel 7. Smallish: another photo, this time almost a surveillance shot, taken from across the street. John Constantine, as we know and love him, leaving an occult bookshop (PETER: nudge me, and I'll send a reference shot), a bag of books in one hand. He's already smoking. CAPTION: THE MARQUEE SHUT DOWN YEARS AGO, AND EVEN THE BUILDING GOT TORN DOWN. I COULDN'T FIND LES, EITHER...BUT I DID FIND JOHN CONSTANTINE... CAPTION: THOUGH I MADE SURE HE DIDN'T SEE ME. SOMEONE TOLD ME HE'D BEEN IN MENTAL HOSPITAL... Panel 8. Large: the largish, modernish living-room of Wes and Tamara's house (and they're certainly comfortable, if not actually rich). Tamara (same style of clothing but different clothes) is blissfully dancing her socks off in the middle of the room; to the right of panel her daughter Celeste (aged about 21, and more geeky than stylish) has entered the room, clutching a book to her chest and looking (a) pissed off and (b) embarrassed. CAPTION: ANYWAY, I STILL SAY WE WERE A BETTER BAND THAN MUCOUS MEMBRANE. WE WERE NEVER FAMOUS, NEVER EARNED MUCH, AND OUR ALBUM ISN'T EVEN OUT ON CD YET...BUT 'NOTHIN' DOIN' IS INCLUDED ON SEVERAL PUNK ANTHOLOGIES... CAPTION: AND IF I SAY SO MYSELF, WE STILL SOUND GOOD. STEREO (with musical notes, please): YOU CALL THIS WOOIN'? THIS RACK 'N' RUIN? THERE'S NOTHIN' DOIN' WITH YOU... CELESTE: MOM, CAN YOU TURN THAT RACKET DOWN? CELESTE: I'M TRYING TO STUDY HERE. CAPTION: THOUGH OF COURSE, NOT EVERYBODY THINKS SO. THE END A few thanks: to Allan Jones, Charles Shaar Murray and Patrick Humphries, for letting me raid their libraries and/or memories; to Pennie Smith and Tricia Ronane, for making some connections; and an extra big thanks to the Clash—and especially Joe Strummer—for letting us include them in our little fable. This one’s for Michael McDonough-Jones, for giving me ‘Anarchy In The U.K.’—and for so many years! Peter Hogan, London, 1998
Thanks to Peter Hogan for providing the script and artwork, Peter Doherty and Hogan for answering my interview questions, and Adrian Brown at the Voices From Beyond forum for helping make it possible. An excerpt of this script originally appeared on John McMahon's Straight to Hell site. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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