NUCLEAR FAMILY
Danny Nolan 2015
Panel arrangement is at discretion of the artist.
PAGE ONE
Panel 1
The establishing shot centres on a letter box and a picket fence. Both are damaged. Behind them is a car tipped onto its side. This car obscures the view beyond the fence. The whole scene is void of colour, in a black and white comic the scene would be decidedly grey. There is no grass just soil and any traces of foliage are represented by bare branches and twigs. There may be an ornamental boulder or small rocks scattered about on a path just visible leading up the letterbox. Behind the overturned car it is completely black. The border of this scene is slightly oval to represent it being viewed through a periscope or modern binoculars.
CAPTION: (Father): Still no change.
Panel 2
POV looking towards a man (Father) staring into a periscope similar to one from Voyage to the bottom of the sea. It is like a large rectangle box with handles sticking out from each side. His face is obscured and his hands hang limply over the handlebar type struts.
Father: If only this damn thing would rotate, then I could get a decent look up there.
Panel 3
Father has lifted his head from the viewer and slams the handles upward so the fit neatly against the viewer. We now see his face. Father is roughly fortyish skinny with a neat beard and long hair that is tied back into a pony tail. He is wearing a loose fitting windbreaker and loose fitting cotton trousers. He has a look of resignation on his face.
Mother (OFF): And “ if onlys” were wishes you’d get the same results dear.
Panel 4
Larger panel
Pull back to reveal Father is standing near the periscope that is fitted to the ceiling. He has pushed it a few inches higher indicating that he has just finished with it. His little corner has a desk with a collection of books and an open note book. There are a row of four gauges visible above the notebook attached to the wall. The room is a bomb shelter with a small kitchenette in the other corner where Mother is opening a can. Behind her tapering off to a third corner is a neat row of shelving with cans and a water purifier. Some plants can be seen growing in a hydroponics bath that has lights overhanging. In the centre of the panel is a small table. Two children one about 6 another four both boys are playing with colouring books and a simple jigsaw. Like Father. They are dressed in lose fitting clothes. Their footwear looks like slippers. Mother also looks 40ish skinny and a bit tired. Her hair is also tied back. She is also dressed similar to the other family members except she is wearing a floral apron.
The overall feel of the bunker is 1950s-60s retro all concrete and stainless steel. Every corner of the bunker is a study in well used space. Mother and Father are looking towards each other.
Father: I know, but if I had a better view…
PAGE TWO
Panel 1
POV from Mother towards Father. We get a better idea of the area of the bunker not seen in the previous panel. The right of Father’s desk is a metal rung ladder leading upward. Beyond that is a doorway that leads to another section of the bunker. Along the walls are more shelves filled with spare parts, books and more cans.
FATHER: ..we wouldn’t have to guess if it was safe to go outside. The visual data could back up the working instruments.
Panel 2
Father is looking down at the notebook and tapping one of the gauges on his desk wall.
FATHER: Even if the temperature gauge did work, we still have the radmeter operational. Thank goodness. It’s been coming down to acceptable levels since that last tremor months ago.
Panel 3
Mother is pouring contents of can into a pot. She has a compact but very efficient kitchen area.
MOTHER: Well it has been near four years, we anticipated the nuclear winter effect to last five. If we were as far from the blast site as you calculated.
Link
Maybe we might be getting closer.
Panel 4
Mother and Father are standing closer together now Mother looking hopeful. Father is still rather serious.
Mother: Maybe it’s time we took a chance, put on suits and went outside.
PAGE THREE
Panel 1
Father is looking at a chart next to the door near his desk. Inside the door we can see old fashioned radioactivity suits hanging. The chart though unreadable has a line in deep decline. Father looks worried.
FATHER (whispered:) But what will we find up there?
Panel 2
A small room used for sleeping quarters. Father and Mother are in a small bed on the floor. Beside them are the two children in bunk beds. Near the bunks on the wall hang some of the children’s drawings. There are also pictures ripped from magazines of beautiful scenery such as open fields and mountains. Father is still awake and thinking. The following panels represent what’s on his mind as he recollects the past.
Panel 3
Mother standing in an entrance/doorway holding a baby and toddler has wrapped himself around her legs, she is watching Father run towards the house passed the letter box and picket fence. Behind the panicked looking Father we can see down the residential street forming over the houses is a mushroom cloud. In the distance are two smaller ones.
Panel 4
In the families backyard is a heavy duty lid similar to a vault that is opened outward. This is the entrance to their personal bunker Father is handing down a blanket to Mother as several men come running into the backyard. There is another mushroom cloud a bit closer rising in the distance.
Panel 5
The hatch has been closed and several men, some crying, others angry but all trying to open the hatch. The mushroom cloud is larger.
Panel 7
The men are blown across the yard by the blast shockwave.
PAGE FOUR
Panel 1
Return to Mother and Father in bed. Mother has woken and is looking at Father with concern. Father’s face is sporting a serious expression.
Mother: Are you thinking about the surface again?
Father: Yeah. I think it’s time.
Panel 2
Mother and Father embrace but both look scared.
Panel 3
Father is trying on the suit and Mother is inspecting it for tears or wear.
Panel 4
Father is now talking to Mother with the suit on and the helmet tucked under his arm. The children are either side of them. Both parents have a half happy half worried look on the face.
Father: We know the radiation levels are acceptable but we have no idea of the surface temperature, which I believe shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
Link
I’m still concerned about other dangers.
Mother: I’m quite happy to have you just have a peek to begin with.
Father: We still have to step out someday. I’m still worried about those that were left up there.
PAGE FIVE
Panel 1 + Panel 2 are inserted into a larger panel 3
Panel 1
Father is now climbing the ladder into an upper section that leads to the hatch.
Mother is holding the children tightly watching him as he climbs.
Panel 2
Close up of Mother with a hopeful look this time as the inner door to the exit chamber is closed.
Mother: Good luck dear.
Panel 3
Pull back to reveal as Father is opening the hatch we find the family’s true predicament. *
They are actually part of a large piece of rock that has been hurtled into space. (Thus the earthquakes mentioned earlier) We can see that the periscope has a large appliance possibly a washing machine (even a broken satellite) resting against it so that it remains trained on the letterbox and front fence. The over turned car is one of many that sit on the edge of what is now an asteroid.
A cut away section further reveals where the family have been living. This is a good chance to give some detail to the bunker. It will also show how the bunker barely fits onto the chunk of rock. The house above is basically a fascia and everything else has been blown away. Several skulls or human remains surround the hatch.
When Father opens the hatch, he will die when he will be sucked out into deep space.
*(SEE REFERENCES)
FIN
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