Page 1 panel 1
WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT APPEARS TO BE A STAGE SET UNDER CONSTRUCTION. TOOLS ARE SCATTERED ABOUT THE FLOOR, AND A LARGE NUMBER OF CARDBOARD BOXES ARE IN THE FOREGROUND. ONE, LABELED “JESSE BAKER” SHAKES ALARMINGLY.
ON ONE OF THESE BOXES SITS “STARMAN” MATT MORRISON. HE IS A BROAD-SHOULDERED MAN IN HIS MID-TWENTIES, WITH WILD, LONG CURLY HAIR TIED BACK IN A PONYTAIL AND ROUNDED JOHN-LENNON STYLE GLASSES WHICH HIDE HIS DARK EYES. HE IS DRESSED CASUALLY IN A DARK BLUE T-SHIRT AND JEANS AND IS READING A CLIPBOARD WHILE MUTTERING TO HIMSELF.
Starman: Let’s see… desk, check. Computer, check. Attitude, check…
Page 1 panel 2
STARMAN PAUSES IN THOUGHT, HIS HEAD TURNING OUT TO US, THE READERS.
Page 1 panel 3
STARMAN SMILES, THROWING THE CLIPBOARD ASIDE TO STAGE LEFT.
Voice (off-panel) : OUCH!
Starman: Well, hi! Glad to see you made it! Have any trouble finding the place? I hope you’ll pardon the mess but you know how it is after a move. We’re still tidying up, getting things ready…
Page 1 panel 4
STARMAN STANDS UP, WALKING A BIT AWAY FROM THE BOX.
Starman: Don’t worry, though. Nothing’s changed except our address. It’s the same magazine it’s always been. Same people. Same columns. New Look. Like Madaonna every time she reinvents herself.
Page 2 panel 1
STARMAN LOOKS MILDLY SURPRISED AS HE LOOKS OUT AT THE READERS.
Starman: Hey, wait a sec! YOU’RE new, aren’t you?
Page 2 panel 2
STARMAN GOES BACK TO SMILING, REASSURINGLY.
Starman: Yeah, well don’t sweat it. We were hoping to get a few new people in at the house warming.
Page 2 panel 3
STARMAN LOOKS AROUND, SURVEYING THE CROWD BEFORE HIM
Starman: Of course, you’re probably curious as to what exactly we are doing here. Well, I’ll try and explain it a little bit. But first… let me take care of the rest of the guests.
Page 2 panel 4
STARMAN LEANS OVER A BIT, AS IF WHISPERING, FACING THE READER
Starman: Sorry. I have to show the new people around. I’ll have something nice and special for you all next week, I promise. But right now… well, somebody has to get the new guys oriented. You all go have a look around the new site and I’ll talk to you later.
Page 3 panel 1
STARMAN IS STANDING UPRIGHT AGAIN, SMILING OUT AT THE READERS AGAIN.
Starman: Anyway, hi. I’m “Starman” Matt Morrison. I’ve been writing about comics for a little over five years now and have had a regularly published column for one magazine or the other for four of those years.
Page 3 panel 2
STARMAN WALKS OVER TO THE BOX WE FIRST SAW HIM SITTING ON.
Starman: This space here is my regular column right now. It’s called “Looking To The Stars”. I don’t really have a set theme to my column like most of the other writers here do.
Page 3 panel 3
STARMAN IS NOW SITTING ON THE BOX.
Starman: That is, I don’t exclusively give my take on the latest comic news or answer questions like “Why does Kyle Rayner’s eye color keep changing? Does this relate to prolonged use of a Green Lantern ring?”
Page 3 panel 4
STARMAN LEANS BACK ON THE BOX, RELAXING.
Starman: This is partly because I like to exercise my versatility as a writer and challenge myself but mostly so I don’t go stir-crazy having to play continuity cop or newsman every week.
Page 4 panel 1
STARMAN REACHES BEHIND THE BOX, PULLING OUT A RATHER BEATEN BLACK FEDORA.
Starman: Of course I often wear the hat of a continuity cop or a newsman. And a lot of other hats besides.
Page 4 panel 2
STARMAN PUTS THE FEDORA ON HIS HEAD, ADJUSTING IT.
Starman: I write parodies once in a while and occasionally something that is worthy of being labeled satire.
Page 4 panel 3
STARMAN LOWERS HIS HAND, THE FEDORA NOW COMFORTABLY BENT OVER HIS FACE AT A GOOD ANGEL.
Starman: I also review movies and games if they are based on a comic or somehow relate to the spirit of comic books or if they involve a comic writer or artist in some way, shape or form.
Page 4 panel 4
STARMAN LEANS FORWARD, WINKING TO THE READERS.
Starman: That way I can go see every movie Kevin Smith ever makes from now on and write it off as a business expense.
Voice (off-panel) : You are not paid for this enterprise, so you cannot claim expenses !
Page 5 panel 1
STARMAN LOOKS SURPRISED AS DARON, THE DARK OVERLORD (AND EDITOR OF THE MAGAZINE) APPEARS FROM STAGE LEFT, GLOWERING EVILY. HE IS WEARING A STYLISH, BUT EVIL, HELMET WITH THE LETTERS “DOL” CARVED INTO A SILVER SHAKO AT THE PEAK OF THE HELMET.
Starman: Overlord!
Overlord: Minion, why are you not yet in your monkey costume! You know that must film the newest episode of 144 Anima this night!
Page 5 panel 2
STARMAN SMILES SHEEPISHLY AS THE OVERLORD LOOKS EXPECTANT.
Starman: You mean our wonderful spin-off comic series, starring slightly different versions of ourselves, which can be located at http://www.144anima.com ?
Overlord: As if you did not know what it was! Now where is the costume!
Page 5 panel 3
A SLY LOOK COMES TO STARMAN’S FACE.
Starman: It’s in the box over here… the one that is moving. I couldn’t find a knife to cut it with…
Page 5 panel 4
THE OVERLORD DRAWS AN IMPRESSIVE SWORD FROM HIS BACK, MOVING PAST STARMAN.
Overlord: One side, minion! I shall deal with this!
Page 5 panel 5
THE OVERLORD HAS MOVED OFF PANEL. STARMAN SMILES CONTENTEDLY AND LOOKS OUT TO THE AUDIENCE, SMILING LIKE BUGS BUNNY AS A TRAP IS ABOUT TO COME CLOSING DOWN.
(in cartoon action balloon) HACK!
Overlord (off-camera) : There. That wasn’t so…
VOICE: GRRRRRRRR!!!!
Page 5 panel 6
A SMALL VORTEX SPINS BY, WITH THE OVERLORD TRAPPED IN IT. IT IS JESSE BAKER, ON THE LOOSE ONCE AGAIN.
Jesse Baker: Blargh! Baker HATE Chuck Austen! Baker SMASH!
Overlord: Curse you, STARMAN!
Starman: What a maroon!
Page 6 panel 1
STARMAN SITS BACK ON THE BOX.
Starman: That’s Daron and Jesse. They work here too. You’ll see more of them later in the week.
Page 6 panel 2
STARMAN PULLS ON THE BRIM OF HIS FEDORA, SETTLING BACK IN.
Starman: Well, that’s about it for me. I hope you enjoyed the quick little tour of what I’m all about.
Page 6 panel 3
CLOSE UP ON STARMAN.
Starman: Go take a look around the place and see what else The Nexus has in store for you.
Page 6 panel 4
STARMAN SLOWLY SMILES AGAIN
Starman: But be sure to tune in next week. Same Matt time. NEW Matt website.
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