Final Theme: Thumbnails, Sketch Page, and Character Sketches

Okay, I've got my "final-everything" here.

Some sketches of the "hero" of our first chapter, Seth, can be found here. (I was hoping to color them, maybe I will later.)

Thumbnails for the first ten pages of the story can be found here.

And finally, a very rough sketched out page can be found here.

That should be everything!

Final Theme: Script

The script for chapter 1 of Clockwork Cirque has been uploaded. It is viewable here.

Final Theme: Proposal

The finished word document for my Clockwork Cirque proposal is viewable online here.

Final Theme: Planning and Synopsis - REVISED

Dr. Denure’s Clockwork Cirque

by Lauren Burger
Presented by 4^th Wall Comics

Title: Dr. Denure's Clockwork Cirque

The Basic Idea: This comic will be presented as an anthology. It involves short stories based around invidiual characters, but each character's story is interconnected in some way. Characters who end up joining the circus are usually laden with some sort of baggage that keeps them from handling life properly.

The Cirque: The cirque is on a time-travelling (also flying!) train, designed and built by Dr. Denure. Depending on what time or place it is in, it appears to be completely different; in one era it may be a series of horse-drawn carriages, while in another it could be a steam engine, or even a spaceship. The train may even have a mind of its own, since the costumes change depending on the time or place of the show, and none of the performers really seem to be entirely human. Whenever one person joins this circus, another leaves. Eventually, everyone either finds where they are meant to be, whether it is the same time, or one they have never been to.

Characters so Far:
Edgar - The Juggler (a workaholic)
Jacques - The Contortionist (means well, but causes trouble)
Nathan - Ringleader (is uncharismatic and has little tolerance for others)
Seth - The Firebreather (a cynic)
Orion - The Acrobat (is afraid of taking risks, hates breaks in routine as well.)
Dr. William Denure - The Magician (feels powerless in his outside life)
Stella - The Lady in the Box

Danielle - Wheel act (Gets off the train when Seth is getting on, not a major character.)

23 Year-old Seth had given up on life by the time he stumbled onto the train. He had an obsession with trying to be accepted by others, and yet, no one seemed to pay him any attention. Because of this, he is very insecure. In stumbling onto the train, he actually resigns himself from everyone around him, despite the fact that many of the others are very welcoming. He finds that he's gone through some physical changes, including a newfound (though hard-to-control) ability to breathe fire, and make small flames arise on his fingertips (about candle-sized, no larger). He gets on the train to return Jacques' hat, thus earning the boy's gratitude and affection. Others see that Jacques likes him, and try to get him to open up. Orion asks him to cook for them, earning the acrobat’s trust as well, despite the fact that he is grumbling and irritable. He is filled with self-doubt, until he finally puts on his first performance, when he learns to accept that if he accepts himself, others will as well.

Edgar lives his life on a tight schedule. He sets rules for himself and guidelines for everything. He is organized and efficient. If something goes wrong that ruins his checklists and schedules, he is overwhelmed. He never allows any time for himself. One could even venture as far as to say that he has long since forgotten how to smile. He's forgotten how to interact with others, he feels he has no time for relationships, because he does not want anyone else having a say in his life. Even once he joins the cirque, he remains aloof. When they stop in a small North Carolina town in the early 1940s, they hold a freak show. While Denure thinks this is a good idea, Edgar is very vocal about the fact that he opposes it. Regardless, the show is held, and he must endure people talking about him in front of him, as well as the fact that he has no choice to do what he is told. Because of this, he sees that he must be patient in situations that are beyond his control.

Not sure if I will have a third story or not, one hasn’t really popped out in my mind yet.

Additional Backstory:

Dr. Denure hails from 1893, when he originally modified a steam engine to create the train that for now, has no name. He is traveling through time in search of a cure for his wife’s terminal illness. It seems that no matter how far into the future he travels, he cannot find a cure, but, he discovered that even the smallest coincidences can change timelines completely. Inspiration spawns great revelations, and he hopes to inspire many to do great things, perhaps even the person who can develop a cure for his wife’s ailment.

Edgar is a French phone operator from the early 1990s. Part of his frustrations come from the fact that his profession is dying out as he is laid off from job after job, despite the fact that he continues to work as hard as ever. He is already a part of the troupe at the start of the comic, perhaps his backstory will be told in flashbacks later on.

Jacques, despite being one of the most outgoing characters, is the most mysterious. He has been on the train as long as Dr. Denure can recall, and no one really knows where he comes from. He appears to be about eleven years old, and is almost always cheerful.

Seth is from the near future, possibly 2015 or 2020. He worked as a pizza delivery guy and was generally unmotivated to try to move forward in his life otherwise. He couldn't keep a girlfriend or any friends whatsoever, probably because of his stubbornness and irritability. He harbored grudges for longer than most.

Final Theme: Planning and Synopsis

Title: Dr. Denure's Clockwork Cirque

The Basic Idea: This comic will be presented as an anthology. It involves short stories based around invidiual characters, but each character's story is interconnected in some way. Characters who end up joining the circus are usually laden with some sort of baggage that keeps them from handling life properly.

The Cirque: The cirque is on a time-travelling (also flying!) train, designed and built by Dr. Denure. Depending on what time or place it is in, it appears to be completely different; in one era it may be a series of horse-drawn carriages, while in another it could be a steam engine, or even a spaceship. The train may even have a mind of its own, since the costumes change depending on the time or place of the show, and none of the performers really seem to be entirely human. Whenever one person joins this circus, another leaves. Eventually, everyone either finds where they are meant to be, whether it is the same time, or one they have never been to.

Characters so Far:
Edgar - The Juggler (a workaholic)
Jacques - The Contortionist (means well, but causes trouble)
Nathan - Ringleader (is uncharismatic and has little tolerance for others)
Seth - The Firebreather (a cynic)
Orion - The Acrobat (is afraid of taking risks, hates breaks in routine as well.)
Dr. William Denure - The Magician (feels powerless in his outside life)
Stella - The Lady in the Box

Danielle - Wheel act (Gets off the train when Seth is getting on, not a major character.)

23 Year-old Seth had given up on life by the time he stumbled onto the train. He had an obsession with trying to be accepted by others, and yet, no one seemed to pay him any attention. He worked as a pizza delivery guy and was generally unmotivated to try to move forward in his life otherwise. He couldn't keep a girlfriend or any friends whatsoever, probably because of his stubbornness and irritability. He harbored grudges for longer than In stumbling onto the train, he actually resigns himself from everyone around him, despite the fact that many of the others are very welcoming. He finds that he's gone through some physical changes, including a newfound (though hard-to-control) ability to breathe fire, and make small flames arise on his fingertips (about candle-sized, no larger). He gets on the train to return Jacques' hat, thus earning the boy's gratitude and affection. Others see that Jacques likes him, and try to get him to open up. He continues to push people away, until he (does some kind of honorable act, I don't have it figured out yet) learns to accept that if he accepts himself, others will as well.

Edgar lives his life on a tight schedule. He sets rules for himself and guidelines for everything. He is organized and efficient. If something goes wrong that ruins his checklists and schedules, he is overwhelmed. He never allows any time for himself. One could even venture as far as to say that he has long since forgotten how to smile. He's forgotten how to interact with others, he feels he has no time for relationships, because he does not want anyone else having a say in his life. Even once he joins the cirque, he remains aloof. When they stop in a small North Carolina town in the early 1940s, they hold a freak show. While Denure thinks this is a good idea, Edgar is very vocal about the fact that he opposes it. Regardless, the show is held, and he must endure people talking about him in front of him, as well as the fact that he has no choice to do what he is told. Because of this, he sees that he must be patient in situations that are beyond his control.

Not sure if I will have a third story or not, one hasn’t really popped out in my mind yet.

Additional Backstory:

Dr. Denure hails from 1893, when he originally modified a steam engine to create the train that for now, has no name. He is traveling through time in search of a cure for his wife’s terminal illness. It seems that no matter how far into the future he travels, he cannot find a cure, but, he discovered that even the smallest coincidences can change timelines completely. Inspiration spawns great revelations, and he hopes to inspire many to do great things, perhaps even the person who can develop a cure for his wife’s ailment.

Edgar is a French phone operator from the early 1990s. Part of his frustrations come from the fact that his profession is dying out as he is laid off from job after job, despite the fact that he continues to work as hard as ever.nHe is already a part of the troupe at the start of the comic, perhaps his backstory will be told in flashbacks later on.

Jacques, despite being one of the most outgoing characters, is the most mysterious. He has been on the train as long as Dr. Denure can recall, and no one really knows where he comes from. He appears to be about eleven years old, and is almost always cheerful.

Comic Script: Relationships

For this particular assignment, our group agreed that we would work on a comic pertaining to relationships between the characters that will be present in our final assignment.

Seth, my main character, is lost and frustrated. Edgar tries to make him feel welcome, with mixed success.

The script can be viewed here.

Final Theme Ideas

I have a few separate ideas for my final script project. Both require some research, but they require totally different kinds. However, I really want to find a way to incorporate time travel into whatever I do decide to do in the end.

- A man who has given up on life joins a time-traveling circus. Not only does he have to adjust to this bizarre new lifestyle, but he has to find something he's good at enough to actually contribute to the show.

- A professor from the mid-to-late 1800s has created a device so that he may randomly jump through time. He wants to find a cure for his wife's illness, but there's no way to be sure if he can find one in time, or if it won't have a serious effect on the future.

Edit: Definitely favoring the circus idea.