Squared Circle Wrestling- 24/7 -Dan Hill

I really like the character of Puno and something he said in one of the earlier strips resonated, and so I present my magnum opus. This strip is a ‘prequel’ of sorts, set just before the first strip.  

Panel 1

We are in a convenience store sometime after midnight. In the foreground of the shot is a shelf, its back facing us. On the other side of the shelving, peering through a gap in the stock is a very paranoid looking PUNO. He wears his mask and a trenchcoat (this is Puno’s version of incognito).

Behind Puno, lining the wall, is the freezer section of the store.

NO COPY

Panel 2

We are further along the aisle now. Puno raises himself up on his tiptoes, peering from behind the shelving like a Meerkat looking for whatever’s on the next rung up the food chain.

Behind him, standing next to one of the freezers, we can just make out a STORE CLERK holding a mop in his hand. The clerks garish uniform is complimented by his greasy hair, pale flesh and impressive collection of zits.

STORE CLERK:  Um...Sir...

Panel 2A

Tight on PUNO as he slips, legs flying, arms flailing. Physics in action.  

PUNO:  Aiiiee!

Panel 3

We are now clear of the shelving in the foreground but the viewpoint is still fixed looking towards the freezer section and the store clerk. The clerk holds his mop and looks down, off panel.

PUNO (OFF PANEL):  Avenge me.

Squared Circle Wrestling - The Hot Seat - Grant McLaughlin

Love the comic, Ben. Like you, I've also fallen in love with Swingie, so I hope you'll excuse me if I explore his “secret origins” a bit.

1 – Swingie and Mrs. Swingie are at home, eating dinner. Their home is small and a little run down, but it's theirs, which makes it special. Swingie is contentedly eating his meal, while Mrs. S looks like her mind is occupied by something other than their food. Please keep in mind that although Swingie is a foldout chair, Mrs. S is actually a buxom card table.  The two are eating dinner at another, (albeit) inanimate table.

MRS. SWINGIE: Swingie?

SWINGIE: Hmm?

2 – Mrs. S reaches out to hold one of Swingie's hands; her other hand is on her stomach (if card tables can have those). She has an imploring look on her face. Swingy looks back at her, and recognizing the seriousness of the situation, wears a sympathetic expression.

MRS. SWINGIE (1): I know working at SCW is your dream job, but I'm worried that we won't have enough money to make ends meet.

MRS. SWINGIE (2): Especially with our little ones on the way.

SWINGIE: Don't worry, honey. I'm working my way up the ladder. Sure, right now I'm just the technical difficulties guy, but if I play my cards right, soon I could be in honest to goodness matches. Chair matches. TLC matches. Or even headlining the main event...

MRS. SWINGIE: I'm just worried that soon might not come soon enough.

3 – Swingie stands up and goes around the table to his sweetheart. He kisses her reassuringly on the forehead (table edge?). While still concerned, Mrs. S puts on a brave face for her hubby.

SWINGIE (1): I'm sure an opportunity to distinguish myself will come along sooner than you think.

SWINGIE (2): And when it does, I'll keep your words in mind. But now I gotta get going. It's Entertainmania tonight, after all.

Squared Circle – The Quickening – Ryan K Lindsay

Click to see whole strip

1. Those two announcers are talking to us. I don’t know their names, you do, draw them.

Announcer 1: Wow, I cannot believe Moneyshot Lindsay is stepping back into the ring for this bout.

Announcer 2: It is for The Quickening, [insert name here if they have names], there’s no way he’d let 3-Star Rosenthal take it without it getting physical.

2. 3-Star Rosenthal stands in his corner ready to go. Here’s the fun, let’s make Ben a wrestler. I’m thinking denim overalls, with the ass flap open revealing pink underwear, maybe some sort of lame mask or hat. You hate him as much as I do, let’s tear him apart.

Caption: “This. Is. Going. To. Be. INSANITY!”

3-Star: I wonder why they call him--

3. Insert sneak attack SFX panel with MONEYSHOT written vertically. Should homage the old Batman POWS, y’know? Panel is only about 1cm wide or so.

4. 3-Star has been blown back, he is tangled up in the ropes, he’s upside-down, his pert little ass is facing us. An announcer is standing at the side of the ring. I don’t care which one (pick your favourite) and I don’t care exactly where he stands.

Announcer ?: Wow, he really took that right across his chest like a champ!

Squared Circle Comics - Forty Three - Ben Rosenthal

I love it when I can multi-task.  Below is the ACTUAL script for SCW this coming Tuesday night/Wednesday (depending on your timezone and Mike Perry's paralysed hand).  You may want to read the previous strips leading up to this particular one. Also, I crave hits.

FORTY THREE

1. Technical Difficulties panel, with Swingy beaten and bloody, laying on the ground unconscious.

2.  Jack Heart is standing in the middle of the ring, once again SCW Champion.

2a. The Commentator’s booth. Reilly is weeping.

MURDOCH

What a night folks! Jack Heart is once again the NEW SCW Champion!

REILLY

Shockmaster....

MURDOCH

Thank you for being a part of Entertanimania, and we will see you tomorrow night for the Entertainmania fallout!

3.  The commentator’s panel. Reilly and Murdoch are talking between themselves.

VOICE (off panel)

And we are off air!

REILLY

Think we got away with the ‘Technical Difficulties’ thing?

MURDOCH

You mean the fact that we had no idea where we were going with this match so made up a stupid mascot to distract people’s attention whilst at the same time taking their money?

REILLY

I love the way you summarise plots!

MURDOCH

Whilst using correct English!

Why Squared Circle Wrestling?

Squared-Circle-Comics.com

Oh come on now...it’s been two years and not one of us has used this site to get some extra traffic to their projects.  It had to happen in the end.

Squared Circle Wrestling is a bi-weekly comic written by myself (Ben Rosenthal) and drawn by the uber talented Mike Perry.  It is a comic about wrestling – commentaries on what makes wrestling great, and what makes it not so great.

As a special incentive, the strips posted by our tenured writers, and perhaps those written by you at home, may in fact appear on the site.  If I can be bothered...which I totally can be. Perhaps.

I really don’t want to get into what I personally think of the comics I wrote (they’re awesome, by the way) and would really appreciate it if you could have a look, read a few and ‘Like’ the page on the facebook.

Wrestling fan or no, here's hoping you enjoy the tenured writer's attempts to strike down my mighty ego.

Autobiographical - Slings And Arrows - Niel Jacoby

Panel 1: I am on my futon with my laptop. The clock behind me says 5:00. The sun is out, which you can see through the window.

Me: Alright, let's get to work.

Panel 2: Same place, but I'm surprised. 6:00. The sun is lower.

Me: Ooh, someone talked to me on Twitter!

Panel 3: 8:00. Dark.

Me: Just one more Busta Rhymes video.

Panel 4: 12:00. Still dark.

Me: Heh, Tucker Stone is awesome.

Panel 5: 12:15. I notice the clock.

Me: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

Panel 6: 12:20. I am working fast, panicking.

Me: fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck

Autobiographical – Chase – Shaun Richens.

1 PAGE.

5 PANELS.

Two rows of two panels, then a page wide final panel at the bottom.

In an ideal world Skottie Young would be drawing this.

1. A young Shaun aged 5 stands at the side of a river on a summer’s day. In his arms he holds a loaf of fresh bread. He wears a huge grin on his face. He is wearing his favourite Thomas the Tank Engine cardigan. It looked very similar to this one. http://www.theclothingoutlet.co.uk/siteimages/24/4/8/244854/2550621/f_1691031.jpg

2. Shaun is throwing chunks of the bread into the river, a little crowd of friendly ducks swims near him eating up his treats.

3. A huge dark shadow is cast over the small figure of Shaun. His huge grin is now gone and he looks damn scared.

4. A shot from behind Shaun looking up at the huge monstrous form of an angry Swan that stands over him.

5. Shaun is running, arms flailing wildly in the air as he flees from the Swan as it chases him all along the riverbank.

         SHAUN:

         Arrggghhh!

         CAPTION:

Even now at the age of 23 I am still terrified of the devils ducks known as Swans. 

Autobiographical- Rituals -Dan Hill

Yeah, so I went for abstract and pretentious.

Panel One
Tight shot on DAN lying on his side in bed, his head on a pillow. His eyes are open.

NO COPY

Panel Two
Shot from behind Dan as he stretches in front of a window. The white wooden blinds are drawn tight but we can see sunlight filtering through slightly. Dan is wearing a black cotton wife beater and boxers (form a line ladies).

CAPTION:  On the field of the Self--

Panel Three
Close up on Dan's hands as he operates the roller to open the blinds.

CAPTION:  --stand a knight and a dragon.

Panel Four
Close up on Dan's eyes, squinting slightly at the sun, as he looks through the new-found gap in the blinds.

CAPTION:  You are the knight.

Panel Five
From Dan's POV looking through the window and across the skyline. We see the tops of houses stretching into the distance. The horizon is dominated by the green mounds of the Malvern hills.

Reference: http://www.visitthemalverns.org/images/hills_1_safe.jpg

CAPTION:  Resistance is the dragon.

Panel Six
Inset panel. Close up on Dan, a small smile playing across his lips.

NO COPY

Autobiographical – How A Thought Balloons Script Is Written - MK Stangeland Jr.

(9 Panels)

OVER PANELS 1-3: Method A

Panel 1: MK STANGELAND JR (MKSJ) sits at his desk with his laptop in front of him. He looks at his computer and strokes his chin.

MKSJ: Ooo, that character! I know what I can do for them.

Panel 2: MKSJ leans over his computer. His arms look like he’s typing fervently.

SFX: type type type type type

SFX: *enter*

Panel 3: MKSJ leans back in his chair. His arms are crossed in front of him and he has a satisfied look on his face.

MKSJ: Now I wait.

OVER PANELS 4-6: Method B

Panel 4: MKSJ leans over to take a close look at his computer screen. He has a confused look on his face.

MKSJ: Who? I have no idea who that is.

Panel 5: MKSJ is hunched over his computer. His arms flail about as he works fervently.

SFX: *RESEARCH!*RESEARCH!*RESEARCH!*

SFX: *TYPE!*TYPE!*TYPE!*TYPE!*TYPE!*

SFX: *SEND!*SEND!*SEND!*

Panel 6: MKSJ Leans back in his chair. He looks worn out.

MKSJ: Just in time.

OVER PANELS 7-9: Method C

Panel 7: A thought balloon with gears inside it appears over MKSJ’s head. His eyes show determination.

Panel 8: A light bulb flashed over MKSJ’s head.

MKSJ: Ooo! I like that idea!

Panel 9: MKSJ sits in his chair, disappointed.

MKSJ: Now if only someone would pick a character I could use it for.

(END PAGE)

Autobiographical - Typical laptop session - Ray Wonsowski

Panel 1 - The AMERICAN ZOMBIE sits, facing us, at his laptop at the kitchen table.  His eyes are glazed over as the screen casts its sickly glow upon his face.  Thought balloons ring his head.

TB:  scrpt

TB:  blls

TB:  "i" key broken agan

TB:  sht

Panel 2 - Same as above, but two boys are running behind him.  The 7-year old is holding his Iron Man action figure up high in front of him.  The 4-year old is chasing him, Hulk action figure in one hand, Thor in the other.  Thor's hammer was lost, so there is a little red guitar in its grip.  A.Z. is getting frustrated.  More thought balloons about his head.

7-YR:  Whoosshhh!!!

4-YR:  RAAAaarrrgghh!!!

TB:  school

TB:  ups¡de down exclamat¡on po¡nt looks l¡ke an "i"

TB:  w¡fe

Panel 3 - Same as above, except the 7-year old has run off panel, and the 4-year old is looking over A.Z.'s shoulder.  A.Z.  Looks even more flustered under the pressure

TB:  $

TB:  no $

4-YR:  Whatcha doin'?  Wanna play?

Panel 4 - Same as above, except A.Z. is rubbing his tired eyes.  The 4-year old puts the Thor with the red guitar on the table next to the laptop.

A.Z.:  Dude, l would so love to, but Papa's got a lot of work to do.

4-YR:  You can be Sammy Hagar Thor.

Panel 5 - Same as panel 1, except A.Z. is looking at the toy, not the laptop.

4-YR:  (off-panel)  RAAARRrrrggghh!!!

Panel 6 - A.Z. gets up from the table, moving off panel, Thor in hand.  Small dust cloud behind him as he abandons his laptop to join the fun.

A.Z.:  WHOOOOooooshh!!!

CAPTION:  "A day that fills the heart with remorse and fear cannot be called a day of amusement."

- Don Bosco