Page 1.
Secret Dog lived in a building that said: "No Pets Allowed"
(picture of a stern brownstone Apt building with a bold word balloon coming out of it as the building says: "No Pets Allowed.")
Page 2.
(picture of Secret Dog peering out from concealment in Marda's backpack, seeing a posted placard: NO PETS ALLOWED)
Page 3.
Secret Dog had lived there for as long as he could remember.
(picture of Secret Dog, as a tinier pup, peering out from concealment under the futon)
Page 4.
Every day, Marda and Elos showered Secret Dog with quiet love and affection.
(tickle-scratches, everybody smiling but everybody also looking out of the corners of their eyes)
Page 5.
Secret Dog's dog dish was a regular bowl that would be set out at mealtimes.
(picture of dish)
It did not have his name on it.
Page 6.
Secret Dog did not know what his name was, because Marda and Elos were always careful never to call him.
(picture of Secret Dog looking up confusedly at Marda and Elos who are smiling down at him with love)
Page 7.
So Secret Dog just called himself Secret Dog!
(picture of Secret Dog looking dashing and mysterious - and yes, before you ask, his dog fur pattern does make a black mask of his eyes, ears and the top of his head - very Zorro-esque!)
Page 8.
Secret Dog felt certain that somewhere, elsewhere in the building, there must be another pet like him.
(picture of cutaway of the building, all apts. darkened except Secret Dog's with him in it up top right, and another apt on the second floor down left side, with another dog in it hiding under a bed)
Page 9.
And maybe more!
(same picture, only with a third dog popping out of a closet as the two previous dogs look wistfully in his direction)
Page 10.
But Secret Dog was not sure how to contact the other secret pets without blowing everyone's cover.
(picture of Secret Dog munching from his dish, furious look of concentration and planning)
Page 11.
Secret Dog was proud of the good job he was doing, keeping himself secret. He knew that Marda and Elos would not be thrown out because of him!
(Secret Dog, guard-duty pose in front of the futon as Marda and Elos sit watching tv, eating from a big bowl of snack mix. Secret Dog is chewing too)
Page 12.
Secret Dog never, ever barked.
(picture of boisterous young people walking by the apt. door in the hallway, talking loudly / split screen of Secret Dog glaring, plastered up against the door not barking but clearly VERY VIGILANT)
Page 13.
One time Secret Dog thought he heard an intruder trying to get in.
(picture of Secret Dog under the futon, perking up in the darkened living room, light coming under the apt. door with a shadow of INTRUDER)
Page 14.
What would he do?
(split picture montage of Secret Dog efficiently killing masked intruder with a black-ops neck-snap, duffel-bagging the body and dragging it down the back stairwell - then a shot of the bag sticking stiffly out of the dumpster)
Page 15.
Luckily, it was only Elos and Marda!
(picture of Elos and Marda coming in late, Secret Dog cowering under the futon).
Page 16.
And they brought a KITTEN with them!
(Marda produces a startled kitten from her backpack)
Page 17.
And everyone was happy.
(picture of Marda and Elos on the futon as Secret Dog sprawls across them getting scratches from Elos. The kitten sleeps on the corner of the cushion)
Page 18.
But that was not The End.
(same picture, only everyone stopped what they're doing and are looking at us, trepidatiously)
Page 19.
The End
6 comments:
Ha ha! Great story! Love the ending. Po-mo and paranoid. Our current condition (mine at least).
Thanks jorg! I was very happy with how this one turned out.
I love it. Classic.
I enjoyed this so much!
I can’t help but worry though that some t.v exec will grab the concept and bastardise it for a family-friendly sitcom and take out all the delicious dark undercurrents. I can hear the jaunty theme tune now...
“Secret daaawg, secret daaaawg! He’s a dog and he’s a SECRET!”
Then at the end of the credits there’s a close-up of Secret Dog as he turns to the camera with an exaggerated wink and a paw up to his lips as he goes “sssssshhh”
*shudder*
Amazing.
Although it would take an artist of uncommon skill to show a look of planning on a dog's face. Minor fly in the ointment, though.
Thank you Stephanie!
No, the look of planning's actually pretty easy! Once you've got the sort of furiously-determined facial expression (set mouth, scowlish brow, eyes on the wider side definitely not narrowed), it's all about the pupils: they need to be a little further apart as if eyes are fixed on something far off (and a little down), farther off than the wall or the floor, certainly.
Try it yourself!
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