Friday, December 24, 2010

Santa Claus - Frank Miller's Santa - Matt Duarte

Santa Claus in “Frank Miller’s Santa” by Matt Duarte

Six panels, all in black and white, with one exception at the end. The first three on the same row, followed by the next two, and the final one being the largest panel of the whole page. This works better if you imagine it being drawn by Frank Miller in his Sin City style (as if the title wasn't enough of a hint).

Panel 1

Description: Detective Grynch (new character) is looking at the readers, holding a gun with both hands near his head. His face is grizzled and weary, a cop that is on his twilight years in the force. He has bushy eyebrows and a wide mouth. His hairlines is receding, though a peak of wet hair falls on his forehead. Heavy snow is falling all around him.

GRYNCH: I thought I’d seen everything working all these years in the Sin City police force. I’ve seen my share of crazy murdering perverted bastards, but this...

Panel 2

Description: Grynch is walking along a snowed field, with trees around him. He is following two sets of steps in the snowy path before him.

GRYNCH: I’ve never seen such determination and bat-sh*t insanity. Not a good mix. All these years, none of us though someone would be capable of this...

Panel 3

Description: Grynch is looking closer at the set of steps, one of them which is wide and deep and the other is small, like that of a kid. Fresh snowflakes fall on top of it, threatening to erase the path.

GRYNCH: Every year, on Christmas Eve, he lures a small child away from his family. On a normal city, someone might have noticed the trend. But a lost kid in Basin City? Just one small drop in an ocean...

Panel 4

Description: Grynch has now come up to a house in the middle of nowhere, only surrounded by trees. He stands some distance away, defiant and determined. The snow storm blows as hard as ever.

GRYNCH: Until I made it my business. Even if have to work an extra shift on Christmas Eve while my family carves the turkey back home. Even if I have to hunt this crazy psycho myself...

Panel 5

Description: Seeing it from the outside, Grynch is moving closer to the house, sneaking and half crouching, gun in his hand as he makes it closer to a window.

GRYNCH: He lured little Kevin Geisel with promises of gingerbread cookies and lots of presents. But he’s getting sloppy. Or overconfident. I found the trail and followed him here...

Panel 6

Description: Grynch is looking through the window. Inside, a little kid (probably around seven or eight years old at most) is laying down on his stomach playing with a set of toy soldiers. In the room, there’s also many other gift wrapped boxes and a rather big Christmas tree. More importantly, there’s a big fat man with a big white beard. He is dressed in striking red bath robes with a white fur outline, with his hands in his pockets. He is grinning ominously as he watches the boy Kevin on the floor.

GRYNCH: And now...

GRYNCH: Now I’m going to kill that red fat bastard.

Next: A Holiday to Kill For.


  1. That is wonderfully dark and sick, Matt, I can only wonder what twists would befall Grynch as he continued on his mission. In true Sin City style, I imagine it'd all go to hell from there on in.

    On a purely pedantic note (my sole reason for existence), do families carve their turkey on Christmas Eve? Do they eat early in Sin City?

  2. @Rol: Mmm, good point. The American tradition is usually to carve out the turkey on Christmas day. That's my heritage showing, I'm afraid, as where I come from the big meal and family get together is usually done on Christmas Eve (though there is also one the next day as well).

  3. Don't give Miller ideas!

    Seriously though, this was ace.

