It's Bananas!

A while back I was asked by Dario Carrasco to pen a script for a project he was putting together called "Comics for a Cause". You can read more about it at the link provided, but it was basically a way for me to do my part to help a friend in need. We decided to collaborate on something tentatively called "Banana Gang", a story about an 800 pound gorilla named Kongo that runs around a city inhabited by anthropomorphic animals and regular humans that co-exist in relative harmony with one another. Kongo does the hero thing, but he's not very good at it. So he decides he needs a sidekick, and the one he chooses ends up being Bud, a small, frail, brainy kid that's pretty much the polar opposite of Kongo in every way. The series has a lot of humor to it, but it also has a lot of heart. Below is the 6-page script I wrote for the "Comics for a Cause" anthology, as well as some sketches and designs done by both Dario Carrasco and another talented artist named Fernando Sosa of the main players.

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COMICS FOR A CAUSE PRESENTS

BANANA GANG

“IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE”

Mike Exner III

PAGE ONE

Panel 1. Kongo is hanging from the ledge of a building by his toes. He’s looking up in desperation at Bud, who is doing calculations on a calculator in his hand.

KONGO:

Bud, help me up! I’m slipping!

BUD:

If you hadn’t mistimed your jump, we wouldn’t be in this predicament, Kongo.

KONGO:

You were riding on my back!

Panel 2. Billy and Bobby Goat (two of the Gruff Goats) are running out of the building with bags of loot.

BOBBY GRUFF GOAT:

This job was easy, Billy Goat.

BILLY GRUFF GOAT:

You said it, Bobby Goat. Think of all the empty cans we can get for this loot! I’m starting to drool.

Panel 3. The Gruff Goats are heading for an idling SUV with Turbo Tortoise behind the wheel.

TURBO TORTOISE:

C’mon… guys.

TURBO TORTOISE:

Hurry… up.

Panel 4. Bud reaches down toward Kongo. Kongo is reaching desperately for Bud.

KONGO:

Finally! Get a move on, Bud! I think the Gruff Goats are making a break for it!

Panel 5. Bud takes a banana off the belt of Kongo.

KONGO:

Wait--

KONGO:

What do you think you’re doing?

PAGE TWO

Panel 1. Kongo is flipping out while Bud tosses the insides of the banana over his shoulder, leaving only the peel.

KONGO:

Hey! That’s my lunch! I can’t fight on an empty stomach. I get cramps!

BUD:

Think of it as a favor, Kongo. You could stand to lose a few pounds.

KONGO:

It’s a banana, Bud! Not a chocolate cake!

Panel 2. Bud drops the peel off the side of the building.

BUD:

It’s for a good cause. Trust me.

Panel 3. The peel hits the ground right in front of the SUV with the ani-men in it.

SFX:

Plap!

Panel 4. The ani-men speed off in the SUV, but the tire of the car is headed straight for the banana peel.

BILLY GRUFF GOAT:

Step on it, Turbo Tortoise!

TURBO TORTOISE:

Here… we… go.

Panel 5. The car skids out of control, and crashes into something (streetlight, mailbox, whatever), but there’s not a lot of damage done to the SUV.

SFX:

SCRRREEECH!

SFX:

SKRASH!

PAGE THREE

Panel 1. Bud is finally helping Kongo up. Kongo is not happy.

BUD:

See? I told you.

KONGO:

Waste of a perfectly good banana, if you ask me.

Panel 2. Bud starts running for the fire escape on the side of the building, but Kongo is lamenting the loss of his poor banana sitting on the roof of the building.

KONGO:

Wait, maybe we can save it. Five-second rule!

BUD:

No time, Kongo. C’mon!

Panel 3. Bud is running down the fire escape, and Kongo is climbing down the side of the fire escape like an acrobat.

BUD:

What’s the five-second rule, anyway?

KONGO:

What’s the--?

KONGO:

Your people made it up! Food on the ground for less than five seconds is safe to eat.

Panel 4. The two heroes run out of the alley on the side of the building. Bud is still looking at Kongo. Kongo is rolling his eyes at Bud in annoyance.

BUD:

That sounds gross. Who would eat food from the floor?

KONGO:

Humans.

Panel 5. The SUV is beginning to speed away. Kongo is looking at Bud with an accusing glare, and Bud is pointing in the opposite direction, toward the street.

KONGO:

Look what you did! Answering all your weird questions winded me, and now they’re getting away!

BUD:

But look there, Kongo!

PAGE FOUR

Panel 1. Bud is on the back of Kongo with his arms wrapped around his neck, and Kongo is jumping on top of a yellow taxicab.

KONGO:

You’ve got eyes like a hawk, Bud. Let’s go!

HUMAN CABBIE:

Hey, what the heck are you doing?

Panel 2. Kongo is pointing in the direction the SUV went.

KONGO:

By authority of the Banana Gang, I order you to follow that tortoise!

HUMAN CABBIE:

Yeah, yeah.

Panel 3. The yellow taxicab is gaining on the SUV, and Bud is asking Kongo a question.

BUD:

So how come Turbo Tortoise drives fast but does everything else in slow motion?

Panel 4. The yellow cab is nearly on top of the SUV now. Kongo is preparing to jump from the taxicab onto the SUV. Bud has a hand up with his finger extended behind Kongo.

KONGO:

How should I know, Bud? Maybe you should ask his mother. Now stop distracting me!

BUD:

Wait! I have one more thing to say.

Panel 5. Kongo turns around to look at Bud. He’s angry.

KONGO:

What, Bud? What is it this time?

Panel 6. A bag of money hits Kongo in the face. Bud is wincing.

SFX:

WHAM!

BUD:

Duck.

PAGE FIVE

Panel 1. One of the Gruff Goats jumps on Kongo.

BOBBY GOAT:

You won’t stop us, Kongo! We’re eating like kings tonight! Tin cans will flow like wine!

KONGO:

Oomph!

Panel 2. Bud hits Bobby Gruff Goat over the head with (whatever Bud uses as a weapon).

BUD:

Would you settle for being crowned?

Panel 3. Kongo kicks Bobby Gruff Goat off of him, and off of the taxicab.

KONGO:

Nice work, Bud! See, that’s how a sidekick is supposed to act.

Panel 4. Kongo jumps on top of the SUV.

KONGO:

Now let me show you how a hero does things!

Panel 5. Kongo reaches into the driver-side window of the SUV.

KONGO:

Hey, Turbo Tortoise. I think this is your turn.

TURBO TORTOISE:

No…

Panel 6. Kongo yanks the steering wheel.

TURBO TORTOISE:

…don’t.

PAGE SIX

Panel 1. The SUV swerves off the road and crashes again, and Kongo is thrown from the roof.

KONGO:

I’m an ape, not a flying squirrel!

Panel 2. Bud is tying up Billy Gruff Goat while Kongo tries to recover from flying off of the SUV. Kongo is pretty woozy from his fall. Tortoise is trying to run away, but he’s going really really slow.

BUD:

You did it, Kongo! But look--Turbo Tortoise is getting away!

KONGO:

Not to worry, Bud. He won’t get far. I’ll just take a little catnap and catch him down the block in a couple of hours.

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The heroes of our tale... Kongo and Bud.

The primary foes of our tale. The Gruff Goats steal to maintain their lavish lifestyle... and support their habit of eating empty cans.