31 Days of HIGH MOON: Werewolves & Winter Guard

Chris Arrant of Robot 6 and David Pepose of Newsarama took some time to talk to David Gallaher about the writing process, writing High Moon, and experimenting with digital comics in a pair of interviews:

David Gallaher talks with Robot 6
David Gallaher talks with Newsarama

Deleted Scenes

I've always been interested in deleted scenes - the material from your favorite film that never makes into the final cut of a movie. You know the stuff that just sits on the cutting room floor, until the DVD is eventual released.

When I wrote the outline for HIGH MOON, I tried to pack as much action and excitement into 60 screens as possible - but there are one or two bits (not even full scenes) that are in my original outline that never made it to the final cut of the series.

Why did I leave out this material?

Well ...

Although it was an action beat, the first sequence I had written did nothing to advance the plot and revealed nothing to the readers that they didn't already know. The sequence was just filler without consequence - and honestly - I don't want to waste our reader's time giving them something incidental to read. Readers invest their time into the strip - and I want to give them a good return on that invenstment.

The second sequence I deleted from the final screens was also a action bit. Steve and I went back and forth as to whether or not we'd include it. Sure, it might look really awesome - and be a really fun sequence to write - and it'd be a sequence with a whole lot of consequences - but as time went on, we both felt that it revealed too much information, way too soon. We are crafting a mystery/horror piece - and with any good horror piece - you need to leave some of it to the readers' imaginations.

I don't regret taking these bits out of the strip, and I think the story is stronger for it, but if you ever wanted to know about some of the stuff that hits our cutting room floor, now you know.

COMIXOLOGY profiles HIGH MOON creators!

In the fourth NYCC Special podcast, writer David Gallaher and artist Steve Ellis join David Steinberger of COMIXOLOGY to discuss High Moon, a werewolf western webcomic hosted at zuda.com and the first competition winner chosen by zuda's users.

Give it a listen here!

Gallaher and Ellis on the Zuda Panel

Click to listen to the podcast, where Steve and I talk about the HIGH MOON process. You'll also have a chance to hear the other awesome zudaites talk about their strips.

So, give it a listen already!

HIGH MOON: Voice Casting

This here is a picture of radio and television actor, Parley Baer, and he is the voice model of one of the characters in HIGH MOON: Deputy Jebidiah Garrett.

Parley Baer appeared in a slew of awesome radio and televison programs, including GUNSMOKE and YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR. As an on-camera performer, he was recognizable by both his voice and his paunchy appearance. He also voiced Ernie Keebler in the cookie commercials until 1997.

Jeb's voice is one of honesty, earnestness, and mild authority, which makes him the easiest character to write. Jeb might be simple, but his is no simpleton. He's not the best lawmen in the world, but might just be one of the most honest men in the Wicked, Wild West.

HIGH MOON in New Jersey !

Love HIGH MOON?

Live in New Jersey?

Like awesome comics?

Awesome. Me too!

On Saturday, March 29th at noon, I will be part of an awesome ensemble of talent making a 29-HOUR appearance at the Wild Pig Comic 9th Anniversay Awesome 50% Off Sale of Awesomeness.

In the tradition of 24-hour Comic Day, I will be trying my best to create a full 24-page comic in 24 hours.

I'll be joined in this attempt, with these other talented creators:

• Bobby and Peter Timony of The Night Owls!
• Webcomic sensation Danielle Corsetto of Girls With Slingshots
  (she will be taking sketch requests!)
• Pete Stathis, the creator of the acclaimed Evenfall series published by Blue Feather Press!
• Pin-up artist and 'The Key' creator Erica Hesse!
• Bill Ellis of Silver-Rage!

So, please join us!

WildPig Comics is located at 14 S. Michigan Ave. in Kenilworth, NJ

Minutes from Rt 22 East and Garden State Parkway Exit 138

For directions to WildPig Comics, click here!

HIGH MOON: Spoilers

If you haven't read the latest installment of HIGH MOON, please do so now, because what follows are the thumbnails (and spoilers) for Pages 17-20.

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I think that's a suitable amount of SPOILER SPACE ... so here goes.

Before I write the scripts that get sent off to Steve and the Zuda team, I spend several hours composing several doodles and tons of thumbnails. Usually, my thumbnails are just glorified stick figures with sample dialogue floating around their heads. These thumbnails have become an important tool it making sure I hit all my essential plot points, while giving Steve a very vague idea of how I think the page should look.

So, without further ado, the thumbnails for Pages 17, 18, 19, 20.

Saturday Morning Writing

This is a snapshot of my little nook in VoxPop waiting for my breakfast sandwich.

That's Page Fourteen with the doodle on it.

HIGH MOON: The Slow Burn

So, I've been reading over plot breakdown for the first HIGH MOON story. The breakdowns are about 52 pages long - and insanely detailed. The notes for Pages 9-24 are the most detailed.

Telling a story in the Zuda format really requires a lot of planning.

Often editors will tell creators 'less is more' and 'comics are a visual medium' ... and as a writer it is essential that you keep the story moving, give the artist something interesting to draw, and use every scene to advance the plot, reveal character, or establish mood. Plus, you need to give the reader an incentive to 'turn the page' with every screen.

That's a lot of stuff to keep in mind going forward, isn't it?

(Especially, if you are like me and like to give your characters a lot of room to talk.)

I do believe that Zuda requires a certain degree of brevity. I think it requires you to go in, get your point across as awesomely as you can, and leave the readers wanting more.

When I wrote the initial prologue for HIGH MOON, I wanted to establish a threat and dramatic need from the start. On Page Two, I toss out some theories. By Page Five, I provide a little bit of fan service, because you can’t have a werewolf western and not have a werewolf. And, by Page Eight I take those theories and expectations I built and toss them out the window.

You don’t have to do it the same way I did. I’m going for a ‘slow burn’ the kind you’d find in older westerns. I’m trying to develop the kind of tension that slowly builds until it explodes in one form or another.

To accomplish this, I’ve structured each of my screens according to the Three Act format. Every crisis in the story builds upon another crisis, every page builds on the previous page, and contributes to the bigger picture. It requires a lot more economy of space and a whole lot more forethought.

Anyway, all of this is to say that the uber-plot for HIGH MOON has been written. The script for Pages 9-12 has been delivered to Steve. And, Pages 13-24 are being scripted now.

HIGH MOON: First Page, First Draft

Alas, my scanner is still not working quite right, so instead, I thought I'd post the first draft of the first page of script from HIGH MOON. The hyperlinks are reference points I included for Steve, who added his own unique twist. This is not the final script, but should shed some light on how Steve and I put the scene together.

Enjoy!

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PAGE ONE

Panel One:

ESTABLISHING SHOT / MEDIUM SHOT / NIGHT TIME – The full moon’s light is fully visible in the night sky. It is as bright as the sun, with a bluish tinge. There are a few wispy clouds, but not many stars. It is here that we get a small glimpse of Blest, Texas and the house of the Hunter family, theirs is the nicest house in the town.

Margaret 1 [off screen]: Dear Lord …

Panel Two:
Transition shot as we see that same light reflecting in the window of MARGARET HUNTER’S bedroom. Margaret, age six, has blond hair and blue eyes, and is the daughter of the town’s founder, GABRIEL HUNTER. (Think Dakota Fanning meets a Campbell’s Soup Kid) She is at the foot of her bed, in a full-length nightgown praying quietly to herself. Her bedroom door is slightly ajar letting some light pass through. That and the moonlight are light sources in an otherwise dimly lit room. On her bed, we see a little doll. (circa 1890s)

Margaret 1: Please protect Mommy.

Mommy 1 [off screen]: I don’t care about your damn town …

Mommy 2: [off screen]: Or the damn silver mine!

Panel Three:

Focus on the shouting that’s coming from the door, as Margaret continues to pray … the door moves slightly …

Margaret 1: Please save Daddy

Daddy 1 [off screen]: I built THIS town! I can HANDLE The Sullivan Gang!

Panel Four:

Margaret continues to pray …the door moves slightly …

Margaret 1: And … please …

Margaret 2: God Bless Texas?

Panel Five:

The door closes. We see a shadowy form, a human-like silhouette, cast against the door.

Margaret 1: Amen.

Panel Six:

This panel is completely black. The white, lowercase text will fill up the page. The text will be strung together to indicate something wicked.

Margaret 1: nononononopleasenononononohelpmepleasesavemedeargodpleasenodon’t…

High Moon: More Photo Research

This is some more of the original reference photos from HIGH MOON.

HIGH MOON: Mailbag

This is a little later than I had planned, but you asked the questions abut HIGH MOON, and I am here, coffee in hand to answer your questions.

Thank you all for your questions and e-mails. And now, let's get this party started.

What kind of update schedule can we expect to see with HIGH MOON?

Steve and I discussed this briefly a few weeks ago. Ideally, I'd like it to be a scene (3 to 5 screens) once a week - but obviously that is something we'd have to talk about with Zuda / DC editorial. So, I guess we'll see how that evolves if we win.

I think that HM is probably the most developed IP on the Zuda site at the moment. What made you decide to go the Zuda route instead of the typical print publication?

Thank you. Answering you questions honestly? Working with editor Kwanza Johnson was the reason I chose Zuda.

We know that werewolves are part of the story. Can we expect to see other "traditional" supernatural creatures show up (vampires, mummies)?

Well, I've already written a vampire story for another company, and I don't really like to repeat myself - so take from that what you will. And, whatever future threats you may see will be far from traditional.

There was a fair amount of ho-hah about the Zuda contracts and such before you were announced to be working on High Moon. I'd be interested/curious to hear about your thoughts on the legal issues generally, and maybe some of the concerns you were looking out for.

Steve and I were told what DC/Zuda was looking for before the contracts were even in existence. Look at it this way, I don't go to the critics homes and tell them who they should or shouldn't work for and it's not like people are getting up in arms when Hot Writer A signs an exclusive contract with Marvel, so I really don't understand all of the vitriol. We know what we are getting in to.

DC isn't looking to mess webcomics up for everyone else - they are looking to do something different - and I think that's pretty damn cool. If you want to work for Zuda, you are entering a partnership with DC, using the resources of Time Warner, so DC should certainly get a cut of that. If you are interested in working for Zuda, get a lawyer - and just read over your contracts carefully.

Do you see Macgregor someday becoming an iconic crime fighter somewhere along the lines of Jonah Hex or Wolverine?

There would be nothing cooler than that. Great stories happen because of great characters - and we feel that Mac, once his story really gets going, is going to be one hell of a character. Hex and Wolverine have stood the test of time, but I think Mac certainly has the depth and personality to evolve into something iconic.

About HIGH MOON, how many installments will there be?

If we will, there will be 52 more screens ... and after that, we'll see.

Will HIGH MOON go to print?

That is an option, if we do well enough. I would love for it to see print.

What inspires you?

Tom Waits, Old Time Radio shows, Leonard Cohen, Coffee, and Deadlines

Do you have any writing habits (write daily, listen to certain music, etc.)?

I write every day. Typically, I'll have background noise to fill the silence. Usually, whatever music I listen to directly pertains to what I'd writing. I also try to ensure that all of my essential task for the day are sorted and dealt with before I sit at my desk. I also take copious notes and usually give myself enough room to draw out and break down my scenes with pen and paper. I also like to work four hours on and four hours off, till the first draft is finished. It helps me stay fresh.

In my best James Lipton voice: What turns you on? What turns you off? What is your favorite swear word?

Intelligence. Ignorance. Damn.

Tonight: Answers To Your Questions!

Just a quick note to let you know that this evening, I'll be addressing your questions in our HIGH MOON: Q&A.

Thank for for the e-mails and posts.

You still have time to submit questions, so if there is anything releated to HIGH MOON or Zuda you'd like answered, feel free to post your questions below, and I'll answer them this evening!

HIGH MOON: Q&A - Bring Out Your Questions

So, this evening, I was totally going to scan some more notes from my original HIGH MOON concept, but my scanner seems to be on the fritz, and since I know there actually quite a few of you out there reading this blog, I figured I'd open the floor to some HIGH MOON questions and answers.

From now until Friday, I'll be taking questions in this post about anything related to HIGH MOON, westerns, inspirations, or what have you. Friday night, I'll post the answers to you queries - and maybe even drop a couple of hints or two.

So, there you go - comments are open!

World Building: Blest, Texas

In creating HIGH MOON, I had to do some world building to get the setting just so. Here were some of my pitch notes about the setting of our werewolf western:

BLEST, TEXAS

Blest, Texas is located in Menard County, about 250 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Its sudden growth and expansion was a direct result of the legend of the San Saba Silver Mine, which is along a small rocky offshoot of Edwards Plateau, near the San Saba River. With roughly 200 residents during the 1890’s, the town is located within 15 miles of recently closed Fort McKavett. The drought has forced many of the area ranches to close. The town itself is composed of a mixture of Americans, Irish, Mexicans, Germans, English and Wendish, with Americans comprising a 50% majority. The town has a heavy Wendish/Sorbian flavor to it. A few ‘buffalo soldiers,’ members of the 9th and 10th United States Calvary also make their home here.

Original Character Notes for HIGH MOON

When I finally decided to type out the original HIGH MOON pitch, this what I wrote for our central character:

MATTHEW MACGREGOR

An ancestor of Scottish Outlaw, Robert ‘RobRoy’ Macgregor, our protagonist is a stubborn and grumbly retired bounty hunter. Underneath the rough exterior, is a cultured, well-educated, literate man.

Clad completely in black, with his six-gun strapped low on his thigh, he rides of in search of people that need protecting. He considers himself the shepherd of the flock of townspeople. The wound to his left arm remains unhealed and he keeps it wrapped. He stands about 6’2”. His eyes are deep green, his hair is a reddish brown. He’s got a medium build.

As with many, many other things in the original pitch, quite a bit of this changed - for instance - Mac, as you'll read in HIGH MOON, is not a bounty hunter, but rather a former Pinkerton.

Still, I always loved the bit about 'RobRoy.'

The Challenge Of Writing For Zuda

Working on HIGH MOON has been a delight for Steve and I. We are really excited about presenting our ideas with ZUDA. It really has been a blast.

But, that doesn't mean that there haven't been challenges.

The biggest challenge is working for ZUDA is developing a story that gives the reader an incentive to read further through the story.

In writing your standard full-sized, regular ol' comic, the trick you learn is that every right-handed page should give the reader an incentive to read further. With only eight screens (which is 4 full sized regular comic pages) to tell your story, how do you establish the setting, advance the plot, and reveal character - while still creating something awesome?

The answer, of course, is that EVERY screen needs to give the reader an incentive to move forward through the story. Every panel had to have something to keep the story moving.

When I wrote the very first draft of HIGH MOON years ago, the opening was very different that the opening you'll read on the site. For starters, I had a whole bunch of narrative text that didn't work - becuase comics are a visual medium, I had to show, not tell my readers what the story was all about.

When I submitted this project to Zuda, I radically retooled the opening, so that everything - every scene, every character, every prop served a purpose. In order to make an effective introduction (and not cheat the you later on) - every element, every prop, nearly every essential character had to be introduced and serve a purpose - whether it was a 43-starred American flag to indicate that we were in the year 1890, or the casual mention of this or that, or even the introduction of the threat - it all had to be there. The dialogue, which originally was a little more free flowing, was clipped - to convey the relevant information, while still revealing little tics and behaviors of the characters. I studied the cadance of gunslingers from old time radio programs - and adpated the dialogue so that it all served a purpose. You'll see some transition dialogue, some off-screen/leading dialogue, and some funny little quips were put into to do exactly what I had to do - keep YOU interested.

What you will discover in reading HIGH MOON is how Steve and I tried to make everything exciting, dramatic, and kind of dark. We tried to make every page something that really stood apart.

Think of the prologue you'll read online as the "tease" before the opening credits of your favorite television show. HIGH MOON must stand on the strength of that tease.

If we've lost your trust and your attention - then as storytellers, we haven't done our jobs.

And if we have kept your attention, hopefully, you'll see a whole lot more of HIGH MOON in the future.