SCRIPTS
Hey look - it's a reverse chronological collection of the greatest Searnold scripts of all time - going back to the very beginning! As of today, there are18 scripts available for a total of 414 pages. May I recommend – if this is your first time visiting this here Scripts page – start at the bottom and read up. “The Story Behind The Story” blurbs tell a cohesive chronological narrative. But it starts at the bottom because I wanted my newest work to be up top.
Fate Of The Prey #1 (9-9-9)
The Story:
In a world where all of humanity has been enslaved by aliens, one woman stands up and fights for freedom (and nearly gets everyone killed in the process.)
The Story Behind The Story:
“Fate of the Prey” was the very very first original comic book series that I ever came up with. My friend Marisa Lee was going to art it for me. We had a ball maxin' relaxin' and developin' the world (remember how much I adore collaboration?) But alas – circumstances prevented her from being able to produce the book with me. So it sat on my harddrive, gathering figurative dust.
And then I met Jordyn. And we agreed that a collaboration MUST ensue. (This was before we did the mini-comic together.) Marisa was extremely generous and supportive of the idea of having Jordyn tackle the artwork on “Fate of the Prey.” And Jordyn could see that the series had potential despite the fact that the current version of the script sucked hard-core. I went in and did more than just a rewrite – I performed a major overhaul on the entire series. This script is the product of that overhaul. As we speak, Jordyn is hard at work on the art. I can't wait to see how it turns out!
Dawn's Dream Date – Buffy Season 08 Spec Script (7-18-09)
The Story:
Dawn's date with Kenny does not go exactly as she had imagined. Don't worry – this tale is perfectly accessible to anyone who has ever loved – no knowledge of Buffy lore necessary. These events could have happened to any of us... except maybe the part with the demons.
The Story Behind The Story:
The internets told me that Viper Comics were holding a contest at San Diego Comic Con 2009 – writers welcome! They wanted a 5 page self-contained story about any already established comic book character. Well, who am I to pass up such an opportunity? A friend of mine (hi Lucas) came up with the genius idea of writing a Buffy story. Now let me tell you all about how much I love research. ... I LOVE research. Before crafting this script, I got to read through all of Season 08 – as part of my job!
The Best Mini-Comic You'll Ever Read! (6-25-09)
The Story:
This is a story that most of us can relate to – a timid young girl at a comic book convention attempts to approach her favorite editor for feedback about her artwork.
The Story Behind The Story:
April, 2004. Portland, Oregon. Stumptown Comics Fest. Enter Shawna Gore – incredible Dark Horse editor who was kind enough to read “Behind The Hero” and talk with me about how I could improve as a writer. (And I don't want to leave out the wonderful Gail Simone who did the same thing. Thanks ladies – I am forever in your debt!) But it was Shawna who came up with this insightful tidbit:
“This looks like it was expensive to produce.”
“Yeah.”
“Well that's a waste of money.”
“Why?”
“A mini-comic would be just as useful to an editor in terms of seeing if you've got writing talent. And you can make them for next to no cost.”
So I did.
The artist for this is another member of SCCG, Jordyn Williams. She also happens to be a close personal friend of mine and the artist on the upcoming “Fate Of The Prey.” (See above.) I took our mini-comic down to San Diego Comic Con 2009 and threw copies at as many people in the industry as I could find. It was grand fun! The highlight of the whole convention came at a “Breaking Into Marvel” panel. Panelists included such big whigs as editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, writer extraordinaire Jeph Loeb, and publisher Dan Buckley. Before the panel, I gave each of them a copy of the mini-comic. Throughout the following discussion, they kept holding them up and mentioning what a great idea it had been to make something like that and give them free copies. Warmed my cockles.
You can read the whole thing for yourself by clicking on “The Best Mini-Comic You'll Ever Read” tab over to your left.
Behind The Hero – Episode 02 – Awesome Man (3-24-09)
The Story:
Awesome Man – the cheeziest hero ever – has a difficult time convincing people they should feel safe when he's around.
The Story Behind The Story:
What else you got? That's pretty much what anyone anywhere will ask you if they like something you created. So – in a quest to find a good answer to that question – I went forward with self-publishing “Behind The Hero.” Marcelo recently completed the black & whites for Episode 02. But our lovely colorist Jeremy Rathbone is getting married soon, so it may be awhile before this actually sees print. Be the very first to preview it by reading the full script! (How much you wanna bet that I forget to update this once Episode 02 is released?)
Behind The Hero – The Webcomic (3-18-09)
The Story:
Following the ongoing completely canon shenanigans of your favorite “Behind The Hero” characters!
The Story Behind The Story:
February, 2009. San Francisco, California. Wonder Con. “Behind The Hero” is an unprecedented success (personally, I think it's because of the free Dum-Dums.) Point being – fans demanded more! I also wanted to show off my writing chops by proving that I could produce on a regular basis. So what better way to kill both of those poor little birdies with a single stone than to do a webcomic?! Within a week I wrote the first 14 issues as well as a 5 part series featuring the origin of Buck-O. But funding was (and is) minimal. It'll cost me $10 per strip to get the artwork done. That's $520 per year. The webcomic had to take a back seat.
I still hope to produce this webcomic one day as I find myself to be hilarious and want to know what happens to these characters next. So if you'd like to donate $520 to the cause, I'd be happy to produce a year's worth of “Behind The Hero” weekly webcomics just for you!
Rytheria (11-27-08)
The Story:
Since the dawn of time, the inhabitants of Rytheria have known the exact moment of the apocalypse – and it draws near. But Elita Rhoswen is not yet ready for the world to end. Her mother is pregnant, and Elita wants to meet her baby brother. So in a classic tale of fantasy adventure, Elita, her talking cat Damari, and Mabyn the Foreteller set off on a quest to save a world that has given up hope.
The Story Behind The Story:
September, 2008. Sacramento, California. Sac Con. SCCG TV is making a video yearbook. And right next to our table was some sort of crazy amazing artist named Arri Sherman. I spent all day joking around with her, getting to know her, and gawking at her blow-your-mind-awesome artwork. At the end of the day I finally mustered up the balls to ask her, “You wanna collaborate on something?” And she actually said YES! (You see – contacts made with SCCG TV are already starting to pay off.) I asked her what sort of comic she was interested in doing. Fantasy. Which works out great since I'm a huge sword and sorcery fan. A week or so later I e-mailed her a few single paragraph pitches for various ideas I had about fantasy stories. She liked the one about the little girl who decides to save the world.
And thus “Rytheria” was begun! As of the time of this writing, the first issue is still in production. But you can check out some sample art and character sketches by clicking on the "Rytheria" link to your left. I think it's pretty obvious that this series is going to blow you away once it sees print.
Detour: SCCG TV
The Story:
A bunch of weird folks with a fancy camera get together to create an internet news show about comic book conventions. Check out interviews with Richard Hatch, Wil Wheaton, Warp 11, Tim Vigil, Stan Sakai, and many many more!
The Story Behind The Story:
Enter SCCG TV. Jeremy Rathbone (whom most of you know as my co-writer on “Salvage” and colorist on “Behind The Hero”) owns an extremely expensive camera. He and friend John Ostermiller (who are actually the folks who introduced me to SCCG in the first place) had this idea for a news show featuring this whack-o named The Fandom Menace. But The Menace was... well... less than completely sane. So they needed a straight man to play host. Since I owned a suit, I got to be that straight man. This didn't have anything directly to do with my wiring career – but it was a ton of fun! I also made a lot of contacts through interviewing people that have paid off later in my career.
Chuck Versus The Masquerade – Chuck Spec (6-25-08)
The Story:
Kat – the new girl at The Buy More – causes complications in Chuck's relationships with Morgan, Ellie, and Sarah. Who knew one hot chick could be so much trouble? (Answer: I did – that's why I wrote about it.)
The Story Behind The Story:
What else you got? That's the first question any good TV agent will ask if they like a script you've written. Well... up until this point, my answer would have been, “Absolutely nothing!” So I wrote a spec episode of Chuck. It didn't lead to any jobs, but it was a lot of fun!
Behind The Hero - Commercial (6-12-08)
The Story:
Joshua puts together a short commercial to promote his new documentary about superheroes.
The Story Behind The Story:
I am a proud member of SCCG – the Sacramento Comics Creators' Group. Every so often we put together a Jam – an anthology of short stories all centered around a central theme. I thought it would be neat to participate in the Jam, so I wrote up this commercial for “Behind The Hero.” Alas, it was not meant to be, so the commercial never saw the light of day. I still think it's a pretty funny script though, and may have Marcelo draw it for me one day – maybe for the trade. What do you think: is getting this drawn worth $100?
Behind The Hero – Episode 01 – Speedee (6-11-08, revised 12-4-08)
The Story:
This first episode of “Behind The Hero” features Speedee, a hot-headed young hero trying to make a name for himself – but he just can't seem to catch a break. (You can read the actual published comic for free by clicking on the “Behind The Hero” link to your left.)
The Story Behind The Story:
Since Platinum Studios wanted nothing to do with “Behind The Hero” (your loss guys), Joe and I decided to publish it ourselves. By June I had finally completed the script – my first finished script for an original series. Unfortunately, things didn't work out with Joe. I revised the script that December when searching for a new artist. Of course, you all know how this story ends – thanks to the magic of the internet (and a wonderful website called Digital Webbing) I was able to find a beautiful Brazilian artist by the name of Marcelo Salaza.
You'll notice that the dialogue in the published comic differs slightly from what I wrote here in the script. Once the art was finalized, I went back in and tweaked the dialogue to better match the visuals. But because I was doing the lettering myself, I just changed the dialogue WHILE lettering, without bothering to go back and create an updated version of the script.
This Totally Sweet Game Show – How I Met Your Mother Spec (5-20-08)
The Story:
Marshall has the most awesome moment of his life when he's invited to LA to be a contestant on “This Totally Sweet Game Show!” (Some pretty funny stuff happens with the other characters, too, but you'll have to read it to find out what.)
The Story Behind The Story:
Summer 2008. The comic work was moving fairly slowly. The agonizing process of trying to find an artist... oh God, you have no idea. But I needed me some money dollars for as to keep eating on a semi-regular basis. So I thought I'd take a little meander into the world of television.
I've always loved television – who doesn't? But specifically, I love the way TV is crafted. I get off pretty hard on collaboration. Being in a room with fellow creators of awesomeness, bouncing ideas off each other, developing something from nothing – this is the most exhilarating experience I've ever had. I did a bit of research (namely reading Alex Epstein's book, Crafty TV Writing – which I highly recommend). Once I had any idea what I was doing, I set off on the task of writing a spec episode of “How I Met Your Mother.”
It never made me any money (it was a long and hungry summer) – but looking back today, this is the first script I wrote that I still consider to be of professional quality. (Though I'm sure by tomorrow I'll think it's one of the worst things I've ever written.)
Hero Or Villain – 3 Page Sample (5-7-08)
The Story:
Four college students with incredible powers are imprisoned by the military. They don't appreciate this one bit.
The Story Behind The Story:
This is the script for the three page sample that I crafted for The Comic Book Challenge. I was never able to find an artist for it, so it never got submitted. But that's okay because it kinda sucks. “Behind The Hero” is far better than this would have ever been. I may come back to this concept one day – tackling the issues of how one decides to use ones' powers for good or evil. But if I do, it'll require a major overhaul (and a better title.)
Hero Or Villain – Original Series Proposal (5-5-08)
The Story:
Four college age students with no direction in life find themselves with enough power to get away with doing absolutely anything they want. Will they decide to become forces for good or evil? What would you do?
The Story Behind The Story:
So dig this: “Behind The Hero” was originally conceived as a serious comic which dealt seriously with the issues of great power and great responsibility. I crafted the story of four... well... look above. Then I realized there was absolutely no reason to present THIS particular story in mocu-mentary format. Why use a camera? Why not just show the events as they unfolded? The only purpose I could think of for using the mocu-mentary format was to enhance comedic affect. And thus I came up with the hilarious series you all know and love today.
But I didn't want to give up on that other story. So it became my second pitch for The Comic Book Challenge. (Sorry – I'm not going to upload the series proposal for “Behind The Hero” because it's chalked full of spoilers.)
Behind The Hero – 3 Page Sample (4-29-08)
The Story:
An all ages appropriate colorful cartoony comedy about superheroes presented in a mocu-mentary style. This is where it all began: 3 random pages about the adventures of Speedee and The Time Master.
The Story Behind The Story:
In February, 2008 I was in Barnes & Nobles – perusing through their comic rack. I saw a comic featuring Kiss (yes the band) and was weirded out enough that I picked it up. It was published by a company I had never heard of: Platinum Studios. In the back of this comic was an ad that changed my life forever – an ad for Platinum Studio's Comic Book Challenge (Google it if you're unfamiliar.) They required 3 completed pages and a one page pitch for entry into the contest. At the time, I was working on a story called "Fate Of The Prey" with my creative partner, Marisa Lee - a friend from college. (For more on “Fate Of The Prey,” check upwards to 9-9-9. Although it was the first original series I created, the script wasn't actually finished until recently.)
But
Marisa and I didn't want to submit “Fate Of The Prey” as we did not want to lose creative control. I needed inspiration. So naturally, I went to my DVD collection. There's an episode of “The Tick” animated series titled “Heroes” which is presented entirely as an episode of a show (un-ironically) called “Heroes” – a fictional documentary that exists inside the Tick-u-Verse. I wanted to see the other episodes of this magically hilarious mocu-mentary.
So I wrote them.
And thus spawned the spark that grew into “Behind The Hero.” This here is the script for the three pages that comprised the requisite sample. Alas, Marisa became unavailable; but Joe Sweeden – a fellow member of the Sacramento Comics Creators' Group (SCCG) – liked my pitch and volunteered to do the artwork for me. (Spoiler alert: we didn't win.)
Tabula Rasa – Comic Book Script (4-4-08, Revised 9-22-09)
The Story:
Much like the original short story (see below), a man lost in New York City searches for clues to his identity.
The Story Behind The Story:
I had a blast “adapting” Star Wars into comic book form. So I figured I'd try the same with a story I might could actually publish one day – a story of my own – Tabula Rasa. Check out the differences between the two. In comic book form, you have two senses tops: sight and sound. No taste. No touch. No feel. And no thoughts. The two stories are extremely different – and yet the same events unfold. Which one do you like better?
I recently made a few minor revisions. I made the format match my current style and edited some of the language to be more economic. Basically – I took out all the suck.
Searnold Presents: Brother-In-Law Of A Genius – Uncle Johnny's Bedtime Adventures In Space, Part 1 (2-15-08)
The Story:
Once upon a time, Uncle The Human Torch told Franklin Richards a bedtime story. It was Star Wars... but things weren't QUITE right. When parody parodies a parody, shenanigans ensue.
The Story Behind The Story:
I'm never working on just one project. I have far too many ideas flowing through my head (plus I get distracted easily.) I came up with the idea to do a Star Wars parody as told by the Fantastic Four's Human Torch while I was still putting the finishing touches on Symbiotes & Such. Alas – this project remains unfinished. Read onward to see what other opportunities led to its demise.
(I really do want to come back to this one day. I think there's a lot of comedic potential for parodies told through Johnny Storm's perspective. So – Marvel – when I'm working for you one day, be prepared to receive this pitch.)
Symbiotes & Such – A Spider-Man Story (2-8-08)
The Story:
Thanks to Dr. Doom, the Venom symbiote has returned. And so has Carnage. Needless to say, Spidey's having a pretty bad week.
The Story Behind The Story:
Skip ahead another 2 years. Jeepers – what was I doing with my life this time? (I can tell you it involved writing name-tags for The Price Is Right – but if I mention any more I'd have to kill you. No joke.) Then one day I magically decided that I was going to become a writer! Okay – I've wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. But it wasn't until January 2008 that I started actively pursuing that dream. I was set up on a blind date with someone my age who had actually written an entire novel, which helped me realize that real people like you and me can become writers if we just work hard enough. So I set off on the quest that led me down the path I'm on today. And what better place to begin a quest than with a Spider-Man story? I decided to write something that tied into the Mighty Avengers arc that was being published at the time. However, I'm pretty sure you don't need to know anything about anything to follow the script – why don't you read it and let me know?
I am particularly proud of how the dialogue turned out. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I feel like I was really able to capture Spidey's voice. As someone whose goal in life is to one day write canon Spider-Man stories, this came as quite a nice ego booster. Maybe I really can pull this off. I mean – let's be honest here folks – witty banter is kind of my forte. Check out Page 10 for a particularly amusing conversation between the New Avengers. (Ignore everything but the dialogue, though. The rest of the script is pretty amateurish.)
Tabula Rasa – Original Short Story (6-1-06)
The Story:
You wake up in New York City with no idea who you are and proceed on a journey of discovery as you try to piece your life back together. Told in 2nd person.
The Story Behind The Story:
Wow – skip ahead 2 years. Jeepers, what was I doing with my life? Oh yeah – college at UC Davis. Anywho, on the ultimate semester of my college years, I took two short story classes – simultaneously enrolling in intermediate and advanced short storying. This here is the product that came of said classes. (I find it particularly neat because it is told in the 2nd person. I like to harness what is unique about a medium, and narrative fiction is the only medium that supports 2nd person narrative.)
Twenty-Four Hours In - 24 Hour Theatre Script (December, 2004)
The Story:
Four playwrights drive each other crazy while attempting to write a script in under 12 hours.
The Story Behind The Story:
This is the first thing that I wrote for which there still exists any record. Way back yonder I was part of a particularly amazing theatre group called Lookout! Players. In December 2004, we put on an event called 24 Hour Theatre. We all assembled at 6-ish o'clock in the PM and split into groups with the objective of writing a script within 12 hours that would then be performed another 12 hours after that. This is the product that came out of my writing group (and it's a fairly accurate depiction of what went on that night... oh the shenanigans!)
WARNING: Some of my early work stinks like crap on a stick... under a pile of poop.
Seriously folks. You know that I never exaggerate. Hyperbole is the single worst thing in the entire universe and I always stay away from it at all costs. So you know I mean it when I say my early work sucks. You should only read it if you want to have a laugh at how terrible of a writer I once was.
Despite many requests, I was quite hesitant to even put these online for fear that they may tarnish my reputation as a creator of awesomeness. But I know that many of you are aspiring creators yourselves, and I hope that you can learn from my mistakes. Remember – EVERYONE starts out writing crap. You HAVE to. Think about it – can a gymnast do a double triple back-flip with a quarter turn spinny-doodle the first day they decide to go pro? No – they start with incredibly sloppy somersaults and grow from there. So just start writing and let it suck. I promise you'll get better – I sure did. |
