Years ago, I posted a horror plot for an 8-page comic script here, but I never got around to scripting or drawing it. We used ChatGBT to help research a technical issue at work this morning, so I thought I'd try it out for that old plot. I'm still at work. so I haven't read it through yet, but I'm amazed how fast it generated it, and by brief glance it looks coherent. No wonder the writers are on strike.
Anyay, for kicks, here's the prompt:
Quote:
Write a comic script based on this plot: A hunter comes to a small village in the Louisiana swamplands. He'd come here once before, as a child with his father. On that trip, an amphibious frog/man creature killed his father. Now he's come back as an adult to hunt and kill the creature that did it. When he arrives, the villagers are very friendly to him, but try to talk him out of hunting the mythical creature. He has poor luck hunting, but better luck in love as he falls for a beautiful village girl. Eventually, he does find and kill the creature - but once dead, it transforms into the girl he's fallen in love with. Suddenly other townsfolk (pitchforks and torches in hand) appear and drag him back to the village to stand trial. During the trial it is revealed that all the villagers are also these frog-creatures, and that the frog creature that killed his dad was put on trial and executed in some horrific manner for his father's murder immediately after the event. The story ends with the hunter found guilty, and the villagers, now frogmen, dragging the hunter towards the same horrible execution that his father's murderer experienced.
Here's the resulting script:
Quote:
Title: Swamp's Deception
Panel 1:
[The comic opens with a misty morning scene of a small village nestled in the heart of the Louisiana swamplands. The hunter, JASON, stands on a creaky wooden dock, gazing at the village. Memories of his childhood flash through his mind.]
Caption: Years ago...
Young Jason (flashback): Dad, this place is magical!
Panel 2:
[A flashback to young Jason and his father walking through the village. They are greeted by friendly villagers. The air is filled with laughter and music.]
Caption: He'd been here before with his father.
Young Jason's Father: This place has a way of enchanting you, son.
Panel 3:
[A sudden shift to a darker scene - the father's horrified face as he's attacked by the amphibious frog/man creature, HOPKINS.]
Caption: But then... tragedy struck.
Young Jason (flashback, panicked): Dad!
Panel 4:
[Back to present day, Jason clenches his fists, determination in his eyes.]
Caption: Years have passed...
Jason: I've come back to finish what I couldn't as a child.
Panel 5:
[Jason walks into the village, the locals greet him warmly.]
Villager 1: Jason, you've returned!
Villager 2: We remember your father fondly.
Panel 6:
[Jason interacts with the villagers, sharing stories and laughter.]
Jason: It's good to be back. I won't rest until I've avenged my father.
Villager 3: Revenge can consume you, son.
Panel 7:
[A beautiful village girl, LUCIA, catches Jason's eye as she tends to a garden.]
Caption: But sometimes, fate has other plans.
Jason (thought): Who is she?
Panel 8:
[Jason watches Lucia from a distance, captivated.]
Caption: He found himself drawn to her.
Jason (thought): Maybe there's more to life than revenge...
Panel 9:
[Several unsuccessful hunting attempts show Jason's frustration.]
Caption: Days turned into weeks.
Jason (frustrated): Blast it, this swamp is hiding its secrets well!
Panel 10:
[Jason and Lucia sit by the water's edge, the sun setting.]
Lucia: You seek vengeance, but have you found peace?
Panel 11:
[Jason and Lucia share a tender moment, their hands almost touching.]
Caption: Love blossomed amidst darkness.
Jason (whispered): Maybe you're right, Lucia.
Panel 12:
[Jason finally tracks down Hopkins, a fierce battle ensues.]
Caption: Finally, the showdown.
Jason (determined): This ends now, creature!
Panel 13:
[Jason lands a fatal blow, Hopkins collapses, his form shifting.]
Caption: Victory comes at a price.
Panel 14:
[Horrified, Jason looks at the creature's transformation - it's Lucia.]
Jason (shocked): Lucia...?
Panel 15:
[Suddenly, villagers with pitchforks and torches surround Jason.]
Villager 4: What have you done?!
Panel 16:
[A trial scene in the village square. Jason stands before the frogmen villagers.]
Caption: The truth unfolds.
Villager 5: You killed one of us, human!
Panel 17:
[Flashbacks show a trial and execution of Hopkins after Jason's father's death.]
Caption: The frog creature that killed his father was executed.
Villager 6: He was judged and punished.
Panel 18:
[Jason's shocked expression as the frogmen reveal their true nature.]
Caption: Revenge isn't what it seems.
Villager 7: We are all frogmen, cursed to bear our dual nature.
Panel 19:
[The villagers, including Lucia, surround Jason.]
Villager 8: You'll face the same fate.
Panel 20:
[Jason, shackled and defeated, is led away.]
Caption: The cycle repeats.
Jason (defiant): Even in revenge, I found no justice.
Panel 21:
[The villagers, now frogmen, stand in judgment.]
Caption: The end of the tragic tale.
Villager 9: For your crimes, you shall share the fate you inflicted.
Panel 22:
[Jason and Lucia, both broken-hearted, exchange a final glance.]
Caption: Love and vengeance entwined.
Jason (whispered): Lucia, I'm sorry...
Panel 23:
[The villagers raise their pitchforks and torches.]
Caption: As destiny fulfills itself...
Villager 10: The swamp demands its price.
Panel 24:
[The comic ends with a somber image of the villagers advancing on Jason.]
Caption: The hunter becomes the hunted.
[End]
