Editorial Intrusion #2

Sometime early in the new year (or it could've been late in the old year for all I can remember), the second draft of the first script segment arrived. Christian had tightened up a good deal of the script -- the introductory scene of the principal bad guy, for example, comes across far more powerfully than in the first draft. Whereas the villain seemed to lack substance in the previous version, he now feels tangible with real menace to him. You get the impression that he could take The Kid out whilst also mirroring certain aspects of The Kid's own character.

I still harbour concerns about the density of dialogue per panel, and the characterisation of one of the minor players -- and again, these concerns have been put to Christian and I now await the next draft.

Editorial Intrusion #1

Mr Read, true to his word, delivered the first 20 pages of the new 'Eldritch Kid' script to me earlier this week and, as one of his Dark Masters (as he prefers to call me - I'm sure it is a term of respect), I was somewhat buoyed by its receipt. You see, from my experience with comic creators, it can be quite rare for them to meet a deadline, even when that deadline has been self-determined. Christian said he would get it to me, and he did. Dedicated and professional. That is surely how to win a Ledger.

But enough of that.

As per the intention of this site, I'm going to give a brief commentary on the script-to-date and my editorial response to it. Prior to receiving this script draft, all I had read was a 3-paragraph synopsis of the storyline.

In first draft, the script was promising at first read-through. There was sufficient exposition from early character dynamics to introduce the Kid to new audiences without spoon-feeding or boring those already familiar with his slight character flaws into submission. The supporting cast was starting to shape up nicely from interplay among themselves, although there was still something of an anticlimax that was working to undermine the overall narrative progression. Yet without a solid grasp of where the characters and story were headed, this anticlimax could simply be a subtle manoeuvre to unveil aspects of the central 'villain of the piece' over time, to wring out the sordid details and use his lack of a moral centre as a mirror to our anti-hero, the Kid. How to be sure? Ask the writer.

Notes made, sent to Christian, yet to hear back.