The Writings of Jack J. Ward | Consortium Comics

Consortium Comics10/16/2009 05:54:27 AM

So what is this about?
Way back in 2005, I had this idea: Listeners would send in theirr own radio drama scripts about superheroes in a new Comic book world. Our acting troop would produce a monthly Audio comic and put it on the show regularly. We got a lot of interest and more than a couple of characters created, but no scripts. Since airing Blue Defender on the Sonic Society, there's been renewed interest. Maybe that was the ticket. I should have gotten my own scripts out there for people to help inspire? So here are the rules I developed way back when about the universe. I've included the character form here so folks can create their own if they are still interested. But have a glance at the rules first!

Consortium Comics Rules!

0. Submission Briefs
Consortium Comics Rules and Recommendations
So you want to write your own audio cinema script?
You've come to the right place!
We break down the basics here so, let's look at the parts of the submission process.
1. Come up with a great Concept

Make your hero an original creation.
Street level heroes are best.
Shy away from Super Team stories
Keep your hero's concept and dialog rated "PG"
Keep crossover stories between Consortium Heroes limited
Stay away from real people, organizations, and religions. We won't accept anything opening us to libel or slander.

2. Complete the Character Form
Before Scripts can be submitted. You must complete the Character form so we can approve your hero!
3. Format your Script

Follow standard "Indented Format" for Radio Drama
Episodes must either be either one part or two parts.
One part episodes are between 10-15 minutes (approximately 10-15 pages)
Two part episodes must be submitted as one script with 10-15 minutes per part.
No Prologue or Epilogue (We'll add ours. We have a narrator for that purpose.)
Straight action. You may have some comedy, romance, mystery, horror and the like, but the genre is standard comic book hero fair.
We take care of the music.

4. The World of Consortium Comics

Contemporary Earth setting.
No Future or Past hero stories.
No dimension hopping. No Outer Space. No Inner Space. No Quark Space.
All heroes have only become active in the Aughts. (2000-2005)
Don't Interfere with History.

5. Making Compelling Submissions

Sound effects NOT described through dialogue.
Make each scene no longer than 2-3 minutes in length.
Ground your hero in drama, even melodrama.
Drive your scenes.

6. Submit
Submit your script!

1. Heroic Concepts

2. Character Form

3. Script Formatting

4. Consortium World
The World of Consortium Comics
A. Contemporary Earth setting.
Like any comic book world, Consortium Comics has to be rich and vibrant. Feel free to make your own cities, and populate them with your own citizenry. If you choose to go this way make sure you know the details of your city. Where it is, what its size is, how old it is, if it is growing or in decline, the general lay out, and its main driving economy. Every city is generally founded on one industry to start and builds from there. There is no reason that you have to tell us, or the listeners, what any of this is, but the more you know about your hero's base of operations the easier it will be to write a full story. If making a city from scratch does not appeal to you, then use a city you are familiar with and give it a new name. (No one can deny there are a lot of similarities between New York and Metropolis).
Alternately you can use one of our cities we have fleshed out, but keep in mind if you level something that might interfere with the greater story arch we may ask you to change it. Some of the names of our cities are: Radial City, Port Blackwater, Riverine, Oscar City (Scar City), And Sugar City. A Description of each of these cities will be posted in the future, for an example if you get stuck, or general information for its use.
B. No Future or Past hero stories.
The setting of Consortium Comics is today, or rather today like technology. When writing your story keep that in mind. If you send us a story with a fantasy setting, or a sci-fi setting, it will most likely be turned down or delayed until such a time that we start producing shows based in those settings. This does not mean you can't have a hero and/or gear from the future or past, quite often fish out of water stories are quite compelling, it just can not be set in the future or the past. There is a very good reason for this and it has to do with the major story arch that is a BIG secret (shhh don't tell any one). All good rules are made to be broken, but there is a very high likelihood that if you break this one we may disregard your script. Just a warning.
C. No dimension hopping. No Outer Space. No Inner Space. No Quark Space.
This is just a nice way of saying stay in the real world (so to speak). Keep to the world as we know it er... you know what I mean. We don't want any "Romps through Cosmos" or "The Sub-atomic world of Barry McGee". Also for now, steer clear of parallel dimensions, alternate realities, etc. Again this does not mean that you can't use it as a plot hook, Lots of heroes and villains come from weird places.
D. All heroes have only become active in the Aughts. (2000-2009)
Since the millennium turned, a series of odd events have occurred. Meta-humans and Extra-humans have appeared, People claiming to be aliens have arrived seeking asylum on earth. Portals are opening to odd places and all manner of strangeness has taken hold. No hero (or villain) with super powers will have been in operation in CC for more than five years. If your hero is still human (like really tough marine who has decided to take the fight to the streets) than the earliest they could have started this is 2000. Why 2k seems to be the catalyst for all this weirdness is a mystery. It just seems to happen this way.
E. Don't Interfere with History.
As Ray Bradbury taught us, interfering with the way history unfolds has really bad consequences. In this situation your script does not get produced. Whatever has happened in the past in our lives has happened in CC as well. It would be tempting to stop some of the tragedies of the last five years however rather than change it, use it. It makes it easier on everyone from a background perspective.

5. Compelling Scripts

6. Submit Script