Indiana Wants Me

Yesterday it was 65 and sunny; today about 25 and snowy. That's Indiana, in a nutshell.

I had my eye on a big stack of RAIJIN comics at the shop; a weekly Japanese-style manga that reads right to left and the whole nine yards, but had kind of a steep price point. Well, it just showed up on the discount shelf, and I snagged a huge shopping bag full of it. Later I thought, what am I going to do with this many pounds of comics? But it's been a fun read.

Mark Polonia spoke to my scriptwriting class today. I always get a charge out of hearing his stories from the trenches. They have a big chunk of PETER ROTTENTAIL edited already. For better or worse, Mark said that about 95% of my rewrite ended up in the final project.

Here's a bit more from PETER ROTTENTAIL:

CUT TO:
EXT. GRAVEYARD -- NIGHT
Feature Peter Krigstein's grave.
Lightning STRIKES the ground in front of it.
A moment later, a hand bursts from the ground.
Someone, something, claws through the ground and stands, silhouetted against the night--a figure in top hat and tails.
Another lightning FLASH.
This flash reveals Peter's transformed face. He is now a monstrous rabbit--the embodiment of Peter Rottentail.
Low angles show Peter trudging through the graveyard, lightning flashes pulling him forward.
CUT TO:
EXT. TEJEDA'S HOUSE -- LATER
Todd and Kevin come outside, sweeping their flashlights back and forth.
KEVIN
Your dead uncle was bogus, dude.
TODD
Yeah, so's your moms, yo.
Suddenly both stop cold.
From their POV, we see a dark figure in the shadows.
Kevin squints his eyes.
KEVIN
Who's there?
The figure waits.
TODD
This is private property, straight up!
The figure watches.
KEVIN
Don't front up in here, dude! You got to have a warrant! It wasn't like we was looking for his dead uncle's weed or nothing!
Slowly, the figure raises his hand. A brass horn FLASHES in the moonlight.
The figure HONKS the horn.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
Okay, now we gonna chafe.
Kevin starts to move forward. Todd grabs his arm.
TODD
Dude. Do you know what that is?
KEVIN
Somebody who's about to get a beat-down.
TODD
No, dude. That's so totally my demonic slave.
KEVIN
What?
TODD
Didn't you hear the shit that was in that book?
KEVIN
I zoned out during that part, dude.
TODD
Here, check it. Let me lay some death metal on it.
(booms out)
Come to me, my evil puppet! Come to me!
Peter lurches forward.
KEVIN
Whoa, dude!
TODD
Thank you, Dark Lords!
Peter lurches into view, rabbit ears and all. He HONKS his horn.
Kevin furrows his brow.
KEVIN
That demonic slave is whack, dude.
Todd smacks him.
TODD
Dude, this ain't some demon off a Black Sabbath album cover, this is the real dealio. I'm going to take him to school and get some paybacks on some motherfuckers.
KEVIN
Shit, my grams could whip his ass, G.
TODD
Shut up!
(to Peter)
Come to me! Come!
Peter shambles closer. Closer.
Soon he is standing before the two boys.
Again, he HONKS his horn.
KEVIN
Dude, seriously.
TODD
Dude, you may be right. I wonder if I could send this reject back and get something real kickass. Like with bat wings and hooves and shit.
KEVIN
Now that mutha would rock!
TODD
Okay, let me lay this shit out there.
(to Peter)
Go, slave of shadows! Go, I say!
KEVIN
That is so Marilyn Manson, dude.
TODD
Cool.
Peter begins to rummage around in his magician's coat, coming out with a variety of offbeat magician's tricks and tools.
Finally Peter reaches into his dented top hat and roots around.
In a moment, he produces a carrot.
KEVIN
Oooh, look out! Demon with a carrot!
TODD
Shut up, dipshit! Where's your demon at, dude?
KEVIN
Whatever, dude!
Todd looks frustrated. He turns on Peter.
TODD
Dude! I told you to get outta here!
Peter stares.
TODD (CONT'D)
Get the fuck outta here, yo! Weak-ass motherfucker!
Peter looks at his carrot, then at Todd.
Then drives the carrot right into his chest.
KEVIN
Whoa, dude!
Todd falls, blood burbling from his mouth.
Kevin puts his hands up.
KEVIN (CONT'D)
I didn't mean that shit I said earlier. I was just playin' you. You bad. You one tough demon, yo!
Peter jams the bloodied carrot into Kevin's chest as well. The life seeps from his shocked face.
Kevin slumps to the ground, mouth agape.
Peter looks down.
PETER
The name's Peter Rottentail!
Lightning FLASHES.
Kevin's head slumps, and he is gone.
Peter looks at the two corpses, then produces a large, cartoony stick of TNT from his coat.
Lighting it, he chucks it at Tejeda's house.
The house EXPLODES and collapses.
Peter, CHUCKLING, hops away.
JAMES (V.O.)
The underworld. It has been a part of mythology since the first recorded tales.

Give me a holler at johnoakdalton@hotmail.com.