Mr. Sandman

 

A Full-length Graphic Novel Script

 

*****

 

More Superhero Tales by Robert T. Jeschonek

 

6 Superhero Stories

7 Comic Book Scripts

A Matter of Size
(mature readers)

Forced Retirement
(Forced Heroics Book 1)

Forced Betrayal (Forced Heroics Book 2)

Forced Partnership (Forced Heroics Book 3)

Heroes of Global Warming

The Masked Family
– a novel

The Wife Who Never Was

 

*****

 

Part I:
Mer
rily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily,
Life Is But A Dream

 

 

Page 1 (5 panels)

 

Page 1 panel 1

 

Medium shot of two couples playing bridge around a card table. Both couples are in their late 40s. One of the wives is quite heavy.

 

Narrator: Like I was saying, it was the wife's bridge night, and we had these jerks over from next door. Ed from Topglo, you know, and his pig wife Adella. He tried to shoot her last year, remember? He should'a used a harpoon.

 

 

 

Page 1 panel 2

 

Medium shot of wife waving goodbye to one couple as they walk out the door

 

Narrator: I finally managed to get rid of them with my act...you know, I'm just sittin' there playin' cards and the next minute I grab my chest and groan like I'm havin' a heart attack. I'm turnin' blue and kickin' the table, and I grunt "I need my heart pills." It never fails, buddy! They got this crazy look on their faces and they both jumped up to help me to the bathroom. That broke up the bridge game pretty quick.

 

 

 

Page 1 panel 3

 

Medium shot of wife screaming at husband

 

Narrator: Of course, Bev knew what I was up to. She was really mad, screamed bloody murder and locked me out of the bedroom. I had a good laugh at the bitch, went downstairs and watched ESPN all night.

 

 

 

Page 1 panel 4

 

Closeup of guy's face, sound asleep in front of TV set in dark living room

 

Narrator: Sometime, I conked out, though. Out like a light, missed the end of the field hockey game. Y'know, Tommy, I had the weirdest damn dream...

 

 

 

Page 1 panel 5

 

Large splash panel, wide shot of the Dream Lord, in his original red and gold costume from the 1970s. He is riding in an open convertible, standing and waving as he is carried through a huge, smiling crowd and a tickertape parade.

 

Narrator: I dreamed I was king of the world.

 

 

 

 

Page 2
(5 panels)

 

Page 2 panel 1

 

Narrator: I was in a big parade, with confetti flyin' all over the place and people laughin' and cheerin'. I felt like the astronauts when they got back from the moon, or Jack Kennedy.

 

The Dream Lord leans down from the car and shakes hands of people in the crowd.

 

 

 

Page 2 panel 2

 

Narrator: Everyone was giving me money, big wads of bills with the faces of presidents I'd never
seen
on money before. And they threw coins, bucketfuls of gold and silver coins like a shiny shower in the street.

 

Closeup of the smiling Dream Lord, holding out arms as money washes over him.

 

 

 

Page 2 panel 3

 

Narrator: They gave me a crown and a robe, too, and they fit just right. I held up my arms, like I was champion, like I just won a boxing match. Dream Lord, now wearing a luxurious red velvet cape and sparkling crown, stretches his arms toward the sky.

 

 

 

Page 2 panel 4

 

Narrator: And everybody yelled my name. Over and over, all those thousands of people kept repeating my name and jumpin' around..."King Murray, King Murray, King Murray."

 

Wide shot of the crowd chanting and waving excitedly

 

 

 

Page 2 panel 5

 

Narrator: Then, I was suddenly in another city, bigger than the first and full of Chinese, and they were all dancin' and shoutin' my name, too.

 

Wide shot of the Dream Lord in a rickshaw, surrounded by cheering Chinese

 

 

 

Page 2 panel 6

 

Narrator: And then I was in Africa, in a city full'a Blacks, and they were doin' the same thing. All whoopin' and reachin' for the king...me.

 

Wide shot of the Dream Lord on the back of an elephant, parading through streets of an African city full of adorers.

 

 

 

Page 2 panel 7

 

Narrator: Next, I was in this castle, this great big castle with gold everywhere and all the food and booze I wanted.

 

Medium shot of the Dream Lord on an ornate throne in a palace, smiling and looking at tables of food and drink, with servants hustling around attending him

 

 

 

Page 2 panel 8

 

Narrator: I could have anything,
anything
I asked for.

 

Closeup of the Dream Lord's lips as he speaks

 

Dream Lord: I want a family.

 

 

 

 

Page 3 (8
panels)

 

Page 3 panel 1

 

Narrator: I had a beautiful wife, and these perfect kids.

 

The Dream Lord hugs a lovely, blonde wife, while three smiling, blonde kids stand politely before him.

 

 

 

Page 3 panel 2

 

Closeup of the Dream Lord's face.

 

Narrator: But there was more.

 

Dream Lord: I want sex.

 

 

 

Page 3 panel 3

 

Narrator: I had harems, rooms full of the most beautiful women in the world, all just for me.

 

Medium shot of the Dream Lord sprawled on pillows in an Arabian harem, kissing a scantily-dressed slave girl while others dance around him.

 

 

 

Page 3 panel 4

 

Narrator: I was
king of the world!
I didn't have to take no crap from anybody! I could do anything I wanted!

 

Dream Lord: I want to fly.

 

 

 

Page 3 panel 5

 

Narrator: I felt better than I ever felt in my life, strong and young and able to take on anything or anyone! I jumped up in the sky and flew like a 747 over the whole world! It was all mine!

 

Dream Lord is soaring through blue sky and wispy clouds, his face contemplative and godlike.

 

 

 

Page 3 panel 6

 

Narrator: Boy, it was somethin' else. And so real! What's that, buddy? Dream Lord: I want rain!

 

Thunder booms and rain pours down around the flying, costumed figure.

 

 

 

Page 3 panel 7

 

Narrator: Aw, hey Tommy...quit laughin', huh?

 

Dream Lord: Lightning! I want lightning!

 

Huge bolts of lightning flash around the Dream Lord.

 

 

 

Page 3 panel 8

 

Dream Lord: (bolts of energy shooting from his fingertips) Ha ha ha! I am like a god! (He is laughing and shouting hysterically.)

 

Narrator: I can dream, can't I?

 

 

 

 

Page 4
(
10
panels)

 

Page 4 panel 1

 

Bogg and Gorr, two nightmarish creatures, are standing below their cavorting master, watching him. They are bathed in light from the flashing lightning bolts above. Bogg is a bald, green-skinned gargoyle creature with massive muscles, bulging black eyes, and leathery, ragged black wings. Gorr looks like a gnarled brown hairball with bright red eyes and scrawny arms and legs.

 

Gorr: He's crazy, Bogg. He's finally going over the deep end.

 

Bogg: Relax, worrywart. He's always been crazy.

 

 

 

Page 4 panel 2

 

Gorr: True. Not this crazy, though. He's zoning out, losing control.

 

Bogg: Aw, blow it out yer halo, Goody Two-Shoes! He's the Boss! He's Numero Uno, King of the Hill! Yeah, he's loony as a lemming, all right, but in this place, he's
always
in control.

 

Bogg and Gorr continue to watch the Dream Lord from below.

 

 

 

Page 4 panel 3

 

Closeup of the Dream Lord, floating on fluffy green clouds, surrounded by weird, winged creatures, flying fish and snakes, fairies. He is ecstatic in his power.

 

Bogg (off-panel): He's the
Dream Lord
!

 

 

 

Page 4 panel 4

 

Gorr: You big
goof
! He's completely whacked! While he gets lost in his own private Disneyland, things are
happening
! Remember what we saw? Big problems are on the way, and he won't be ready for them!

 

 

 

Page 4 panel 5

 

Bogg: Aw, the Dream Lord can handle
anything
! No problem's too big for
our
boy!

 

Gorr: You stupid
boob
! Things are about to
come apart!
Everything! Including
him
! Damn!

 

 

 

Page 4 panel 6

 

Gorr: He's completely oblivious. Like a baby on a railroad track.

 

The Dream Lord spins gleefully through the air, heading for a landing near his two creatures.

 

 

 

Page 4 panel 7

 

The Dream Lord drops lightly to the ground beside Bogg and Gorr, holding out a bouquet of flowers.

 

Dream Lord: My friends! Greetings! Have a posy, please. I picked them myself...or should I say, I
made
them myself!

 

Bogg (reaching for a flower): Gee, thanks, Dream Lord!

 

 

 

Page 4 panel 8

 

Gorr: And on the seventh day, you made hay fever.

 

Dream Lord: Ha ha! Wrong, Gorr! On the seventh day, I rented a condo in Bermuda! Air conditioning, running hot water, and a bit of the bubbly...

 

(He waves his hand at the bouquet, and light flashes.)

 

 

 

Page 4 panel 9

 

Dream Lord: ...Like so! An excellent vintage, wouldn't you agree?

 

The bouquet transforms into a beautiful, black-haired woman, devotedly wrapped around the Dream Lord.

 

Bogg: Hee hee! That's a good one, Dream Lord! See, dummy, I toldja' he wasn't crazy!

 

 

 

Page 4 panel 10

 

Startled, Dream Lord looks down at Gorr, who kicks Bogg in the behind.

 

Dream Lord: What's this? You think I'm crazy, Gorr?

 

Gorr: Aw,
fooey!
You fig-brain! You got the tact of a rabid moose in heat! Numbskull!

 

 

 

 

Page 5 (6
panels)

 

Page 5 panel 1

 

Dream Lord: No, stop it, Gorr. Are you concerned about me? Bogg did the right thing in bringing it up.

 

Bogg: Yeah, I did right. See? (He leans on the Dream Lord and sticks his tongue out at Gorr.)

 

Gorr: Well...