Original Twitter Upload Date: March 28, 2022. The script below was originally posted to DA on April 12, 2022, and has been revised to add story context and fix keyboard errors present in the original version.
[August of 2003 in Boarston, MA, on the strict timeline of ZP-51498. Shaun Ketcham, wearing a tuxedo and his hair in a Ty Pennington-style cut, runs toward the flower shop]
Shaun: “Hair clip, hair clip, hair clip, hair clip!” [barges in] “HAIR CLIIIIIP!!!” [pants heavily. He sees a nearby coccinelline/ladybug, wearing a dark green apron, sorting the shelves] “Hey! You, ma’am! Is my sister’s hair clip ready?”
[the coccinelline turns toward him, shown to be male, with Billy Idol-style spiky blonde hair, a mustache, and a prominent chin. He looks annoyed]
[flower shop employee]: “You talking to me?”
Shaun: [blushes in embarrassment] “Oops.” [beat] “Um… hello. Sir. Is my sister’s hair clip ready, the one with the red hibiscus? It’s urgent, she’s due to be married in…” [pulls out cell phone] “…about two and a half hours.”
[flower shop employee]: “Sister? Married? Oh, wait a minute, I know you. Your sister’s marrying Angus Hynde’s boy, isn’t she?”
Shaun: “Yes, yes, that’s her! Her name’s Sally, I’m her brother!”
[flower shop employee]: “Hey Crown! Her brother’s here!”
[a male procyonine, with glasses, brown curly hair, and a similar green apron, comes out of the back room]
Crown: “Who’s brother?”
[flower shop employee]: “Who’s brother you think? Sally Ketcham’s!”
Crown: “Harry Hynde’s fiancée — yep, yep! I got it!” [goes to get the hair clip]
Shaun: “Well, actually, this evening, it’ll be Sally Hynde. She’s taking Harry’s name.”
[flower shop employee:] “Well, congratulations.”
Shaun: “Don’t congratulate me, congratulate my sister.”
[flower shop employee:] “Your sister’s marrying into rock music royalty. That makes you rock royalty too. Embrace it.”
Shaun: “This is my sister’s accomplishment, not mine.”
[Crown comes up carrying the hair clip; true to Shaun’s description, it bears a giant red hibiscus]
Crown: “Here you go, Mr. Ketcham. Your sister’s hair clip.”
Shaun: [takes the hair clip and looks at it] “It looks beautiful. It’ll compliment my sister’s hairstyle beautifully.”
[flower shop employee]: “How is she wearing her hair, exactly?”
Shaun: “If you must know, she’s wearing a 1940s style with giant curls on both sides. [sets the clip on the windowsill and pulls out his wallet] ‘Victory rolls’, she calls them. They’re the style some doe called Ingrid Bergman wore in a movie called Notorious.”
[flower shop employee]: “Oh.”
Crown: “That sounds nice.”
Shaun:[takes out a Franklin out of his wallet and hands it to Crown] “Anyways, here’s a hundred for your work.”
Crown: “Um, your sister already paid for that clip.”
Shaun:[puts wallet back in his pocket] “Take it anyway, you’re not paid enough. Byeeeee!” [picks up the clip and runs out of the store]
[beat]
[flower shop employee]: “He forgot to sign for his order.”
[Shaun barges back into the store]
Shaun: “I forgot to sign for my order!” [goes to the checkout desk and signs the order sheet] “Okayforrealnowbyeeeee!”
[Shaun runs out of the store again, this time for good. He fastens the clip to his lapel and runs across several lanes of traffic. Not a problem for him, as he’s a leporine and thus can cross quite quickly. He makes it to the other side of the road, where the Sheraton Boarston hotel stands. As he walks up to the hotel, he sees a bus bearing a Rugrats: Go Wild ad… which he isn’t happy to see]
Shaun: “They canceled Invader Zim, but they made a third Rugrats movie? Geez, Nickelodeon sucks!” [looks up at the hotel] “Now, which is it? Third floor, one, two, three… four from the left! That’s her room! Here I come, sis!” [leaps in the air]
[in the hotel room, Sally and Shaun’s sisters-in-law, Ivy (the angora leporine/rabbit), Amy (the ochotonine/pika), and Ebony (the black-tailed leporine/jackrabbit) are helping Sally get ready for the wedding. The sisters-in-law are all in their bridesmaid dresses and Sally is in her bridal gown, putting on her jewelry]
Amy: “The son of the Beef of the Leaf, that’s who you’re gonna call your husband. You must feel really special, Sally.”
Sally: “Honestly, I was nevah really a fan of Myxoma. It’s hair metal production valyahs given to songwritin’ that I can only describe as the poah buck’s Phil Collins. Who himself’s a poah buck’s Petah Gabriel.”
Ivy: [wincing] “Yikes.”
Sally: “At least Harry’s music sounds nice. It sounds like Train with a touch of Oasis. That and he could use a lawyah like me to keep him outta trouble.”
Ebony: “Train and Oasis, that’s the kind of music you like?! Wow, that’s lame.”
Sally: “Says the doe that keeps playin’ “I Believe In a Thing Called Love” at every oppahtunity.”
Ebony: “Hey, don’t shit-talk The Darkness!”
Sally: “Their singah sounds like a crocodile’s bitin’ his junk.”
Ivy: “You said the same thing about Prince and “Kiss”.”
Sally: “Only about the last thuhty seconds of that song. That Dahkness one is a whole song of someone soundin’ like that!”
Ebony: “Oh yeah? You’re gonna trash my Justin? Well, uh… Chad Kroeger sounds constipated when he sings!”
Sally: [beat, then starts laughing] “Pffft. That’s yoah comeback? I actually agree with ya about Kroegah.”
Amy: “Girls, girls. Can we not argue about music and just be happy for our sister-in-law on finding love? And also that the Beef’s son is about to be our brother-in-law?”
[beat]
Ivy: “I can.”
Ebony: “Yeah, I can too.”
Amy: “Good.”
Sally: “Amy, Harry’s not gonna be yoah brothah-in-law. Or yoahs, Ivy, or yoahs, Ebony, eithuh. He’s just gonna be my brothahs’ brothah-in-law.”
[the does hear a thumping against the window. Ivy pulls the curtains to see Shaun standing on the few inches of windowsill, holding on tight to the space above him. This sight mildly startles the bridesmaids, while Sally reacts like she was expecting her brother to do this]
Amy: “Woah.”
Sally: “Speakin’ of which.” [walks over and opens the window] “Hello, brothah o’mine.”
Shaun: [climbs into the room] “Afternoon, Sally. And Ivy, and Amy, and Ebony, and… hey, where’s Linda?”
Sally: “She’s helpin’ downstairs in the banquet hall, gettin’ the tables ready.”
Shaun: “Aw, dang it. I was hoping I’d check up on her here, make sure we’re still on good terms.”
Sally: “Of coahse the two of ya are on good tahms. Ya had to break it off ’cause of yoah job, you and I are still friends with ‘er, everything’s fine.”
Shaun: “Ah, okay, good.”
Ebony: “How’s it going, Peter?”
Shaun: “It’s going good, Ebo — wait, Peter? Why did you call me — oh. Because Peter Parker. Haha. I’ll admit it, that’s a good one.” [beat] “Of course, I prefer Wonder Boys as a Tobey movie myself. And guess which one my sister likes. She probably made you watch it.”
Ebony: “I know which one you’re talking about. And yes, she did. What a way to hold a bachelorette party, turning it into movie night.”
Amy: “I can understand why your sister likes that movie so much.”
[Sally looks over at the TV shelf in the room; a Pleasantville VHS is lying beside the tube]
Ivy: “I liked it too. Love the costumes in it. And Randy Newman’s score, of course.”
Shaun: “Would you believe it’s not even her favorite movie?”
[Ivy, Amy, and Ebony look at each other]
Amy: “Well, if she talks up a movie that isn’t even her favorite the way she did, then I’m curious to know what her favorite movie actually is.”
Ivy: “It’s something Douglas Sirk, isn’t it?”
Sally: “No, actually, Ivy, it’s My Cousin Vinny.”
[beat. the sisters-in-law are visibly surprised]
Ivy: “My Cousin Vinny? Isn’t that with the Karate Kid?”
Sally: “Yep. It’s also the movie that got me interested in law. I still remembah back when Shaun and I were ten, oah fathah let us go to the movies by oahselves foah the fahst time. We were supposed to see some kiddy flick called Rock-a-Doodle, but I talked Shaun into sneakin’ into My Cousin Vinny. I wanted to see it ’cause the Karate Kid and Harry from Home Alone were in it. Little did I know I’d come out of it interested in the legal system and how it wahks.”
Amy: “Well, it’s definitely a good one to call your favorite.”
Sally: “What can I say? It depicts the legal system in a respectful and accurate mannah, and yet it’s still effective as a comedy. Ivy, you’ah a theatuh grad, you can attest to comedy bein’ difficult to write, can’t ya?”
Ivy: “By far the most difficult genre to write.”
Sally: “I can go on and on about how much I love that movie. But, we’ve got a weddin’ to get ready foah, in…” [looks at the alarm clock next to the bed] “Crap, that close already?” [to Shaun] “Shaun, ya got my hair clip from the florist, didn’t ya?”
Shaun: “The one where the dude ladybug works?” [pulls the clip off his jacket] “Uh, yeah. You were looking at it the whole time.”
[beat; Sally looks embarrassed for not noticing]
Sally: “Ohhh.” [chuckles, then sits down in the chair in front of the vanity mirror] “And his name’s Lars, by the way. The ‘dude ladybug’. His name is Lars.”
Shaun: “Lars. Okay.”
[Shaun prepares to put the clip in Sally’s hair, but pauses to look in the mirror. He focuses on Sally and the various details of her ensemble. Her hair, tight curls of strawberry-blonde. Her eyes, bearing voluminous, swooping lashes from lids painted blue like her eyes. Her lips, a bright and shining ruby. Her jewels, deeply shimmering sapphires. And her dress and gloves and shoes, a blinding white like snow. Shaun is overwhelmed by his sister’s beauty; he takes a deep breath and stares at his own reflection, as he slowly and clumsily slides the clip into his sister’s hair]
Sally: “What? What’s takin’ so long, brothah?”
Shaun: “Wow, Sally. I mean, wow.” [sets his hands on her shoulders] “First getting into Harvard, and now marrying the son of the Beef of the Leaf. I don’t know who should feel more special, you for achieving such things, or me for getting to be born with you and watch you grow into what you’ve become.” [Sally blushes and smiles] “Is… is it okay for me to feel special on your big day?”
Sally: “Of course it is, Shaun. Foah the reason you said you should feel special, yes, it is okay.” [stands up and hugs Shaun, Shaun hugs back. The sisters-in-law are overwhelmed by how cute the twins’ hug is]
Shaun: “I love you, sis.”
Sally: “I love ya too, brothah.”
Shaun: “I wish you and Harry many happy years together.”
Sally: “And I wish the same foah ya. And whoevah’s the doe that’ll see ya as hubby material.”
[October of 2004 in Grunvale, NP, on the strict timeline of ZP-51498. Sally, dressed in a green, 1950s-style outfit, has a surprised look on her face as she watches Shaun’s bride-to-be, Roxanne Sumner (a peach-colored brunette Holland Lop a half a foot taller than Sally), get dressed into her wedding outfit… a puffy white blouse with white, Katharine Hepburn-style pants]
Sally: “So, you’ah the doe who sees my brothah as hubby material.”
Roxanne: “Of course I do. Shaun’s a total boss! I always hear him cheering me on when I’m playing for the Dribblin’ Quartzes and he’s selling the hot dogs. ‘BOOM SHAKALAKA!’. Really speaks to the NBA Jam fan in me.”
Sally: “All my brothahs like that game.”
Roxanne: “That, and he’s good at taking basketballs to the stomach.”
[beat]
Sally: “What.“
Roxanne: “It’s a ritual we have at Iwerks. We get somebody to dress as the opposing team’s mascot, they walk across the court, and we all throw a bunch of basketballs at them.”
Sally: “That sounds horrific!”
Roxanne: “Eh, it’s all in good fun. Besides, it’s a full-body costume, head and body, really sturdy and reinforced. The costume takes more of the blow than whoever’s wearing it. Unless it’s like, really damaged.” [beat] “We’ve been getting Shaun to do it because he barely reacts to getting hit. And he’s a good challenge as a target, given how fast he runs.” [chuckles] “And the team thought a leporine couldn’t do the job.”
Sally: [rolls eyes] “So that’s what my brothah’s been doin’ lately.”
Roxanne: “He’s also very funny and sweet. He even tended to my foot after I sprained my ankle. And he makes a great casserole, too.”
Sally: “Shaun always was the nice one among my siblings and I. And he was also the only one of us who took home ec instead of shop. Which turned out well foah him, ’cause he ended up the best cook in the family.”
Roxanne: “And way better than me, too. Who also took shop.” [steps into a pair of white high heels]
Sally: “So… pants.”
Roxanne: [chuckles] “Yeah. I’ve always been a bit non-traditional. You like them?”
Sally: “I’m moah used to the idea of weddin’ dresses, but it’s whatevah you want. Not what society expects of ya.” [Roxanne stares at her silently] “Ya look nice in what you’ah wearin, though.”
Roxanne: [smiles] “Thanks.”
Sally: “I’m guessin’ you’ah goin’ pretty minimalistic on the makeup, too.”
Roxanne: “Yeah, just mascara and blush and a peach lip gloss. I don’t want my face looking all painted and feminine if the rest of me isn’t.” [pulls out said mascara and begins applying it to her lashes] “Those’ll be interesting photos for my future kids to see, won’t they, eh, Sally? Their mama wearing a shirt and pants as a bride.”
Sally: “Oh!” [lightly touches belly] “Right! Kids!” [to self] “I haven’t broken the news to Shaun yet.”
Roxanne: “You okay there, Sal?”
Sally: “Yeah, I am, just… I’ll see you at the ceremony, Roxie. Byeeeee!”
[runs out of the room to find Shaun]
Roxanne: [calling out to Sally] “Don’t let Shaun see me, okay?”
[on a porch outside, Shaun, with head and facial hair resembling that of Chad Kroeger, looks over the railing as he talks with Roxanne’s own twin brother, Richard]
Shaun: “Can’t believe I’m only three hours away from becoming the last of the Ketchams to marry. And that I’m about to have two brothers named Richard. On top of also having a father and a nephew named Richard!”
Richard S.: “Well! Sounds to me you’ve got a real… rich family! Haha!”
Shaun: “Uh, yeah. I do. My sister is the wife of Angus Hynde’s son.”
Richard S.: “Oh. Right. Pun backfire!” [slaps himself in the head]
Shaun: “You could’ve had a V8.” [beat] “Gotta say, going the route of having each other’s twin as groomsbuck and bridesmaid was a good idea. Roxanne gets to know my sister better, and I get to know you better. And from hanging out with you for the past day… well, you certainly know how to party.”
Richard S.: “Yeah, I have that reputation in my circles. I’m a real party buck. So is Roxie, but I’m better at throwing them. Hahaha!” [Sally barges in, opening the screen door] “Oh, hi, Sally. What’s the word?”
Sally: “Hi, Richard. I’m gonna need to talk to my brother. Privately.”
Richard S.: “What? Uh… okay.” [gets up and walks out the door]
Sally: “And get out of earshot, okay? Maybe check on Roxie and see how she’s doin’.” [closes the door]
Shaun: “Wait, what’s going on?”
Sally: “I, uh… I just wanted to check up on ya, see how you’ah doin’. Thought you might be feelin’ nuhvous.”
Shaun: “Well, as a matter of fact, I am.”
Sally: “Well, ya don’t really need to be. Roxie loves ya, and ya love her. What’s theuh to be nuhvous about?”
Shaun: “I guess I’m nervous to see how beautiful she looks.”
Sally: “She looks very beautiful, Shaun. The most beautiful ya’d evah seen her.”
Shaun: [blushes] “Oh.” [beat] “I’m gonna be taken in by her beauty, aren’t I? I… I hope I don’t get so taken in I screw up the vows or the kiss or anything.”
Sally: “You won’t, Shaun.” [puts arm around Shaun] “You won’t. And hey, listen to me.”
Shaun: “Yeah?”
Sally: “If ya get nuhvous durin’ the ceremony, just remembuh that in about eight months, you’ll be an uncle.” [Shaun’s eyes get big. Sally holds up three fingers] “To triplets!”
Shaun: “Triplets? Wait, hold up! You mean to tell me you’re pregnant?!”
Sally: “Yes, yes I do mean to tell ya that. They should be comin’ sometime late June, the doctahs said.”
Shaun:[eyes welling up with tears of joy] “You’re gonna be a mama. My sister’s gonna be a mama! Woo!” [beat] “Have… have you figured out any names yet?”
Sally: “I’m not that fah along yet, Shaun. But if ya may ask, I’m countin’ on at least one of them bein’ a girl. Something tells me I should name whatevah girl I get ‘Margo’. What do you think?”
Shaun: “Margo? Like our aunt we never see?”
Sally: “Yeah, like her. But I kinda wanna go with a theme.”
Shaun: “A theme?”
Sally: “Ya see, both mine and Harry’s names go, consonant, A, double consonant, Y. And I want my kids to have names followin’ the same foahmula. I’ve got a feelin’ the girl’s gonna be rebellious, though. So I’m thinkin’ ‘Tamra’, T-A-M-R-A, as the first name. It can still be nickname-ified into ‘Tammy’. And then ‘Margo’ can be the middle name. What do you think?”
Shaun: “‘Tamra Margo’, huh? Well, it is a nice name. Quite tomboyish-sounding. But trust me when I say I know girls. If she’s gonna rebel about her name, it’s gonna be the middle name she uses. If you’re lucky.”
Sally: “Well, then at least she’ll still have the birth name that follows the theme in spirit. If… if I even end up with a girl.” [laughing] “Let alone a rebellious one.” [chuckles] “Any suggestions ya have foah the othah two?”
Shaun: “Well, keeping that formula in mind, and assuming it’s a boy and another girl…. how about ‘Paddy’ and ‘Molly’?”
Sally: “Paddy Hynde. And… Molly Hynde. I… love it! Paddy ’cause the name’s Glirish like me and Harry, and Molly ’cause the name means ‘pearl’ like my favorite gemstone!” [looks down at belly] “Oh, now I’m countin’ on my babies bein’ a boy and two girls!” [looks at Shaun; a nervous look comes to her face] “I… I haven’t made this weddin’ about me already, have I?”
Shaun: “No, it’s fine. If anything, you gave me reason to be excited and not anxious. I’m about to marry a beautiful doe, and we’re gonna be the favorite uncle and auntie of…” [takes a deep breath, looking at Sally’s belly] “…your kids. Wow.” [holds hands to chest]
Sally: “Well, I’d better go off now. See ya at the chapel, brothah. I wish you and Roxie good luck on yoah marriage.” [pinches Shaun’s cheek before going back inside. Shaun puts his hand to his pinched cheek as Sally closes the door behind her]
Shaun: “My sister is carrying the grandkids of the Beef of the Leaf. And I’m gonna be those kids’ uncle. I’m Myxoma’s heirs’ uncle. Wow.”
Well, that was a long one. Truth be told, Part of the reason I made this comic was because I wanted to see if the script format works for multi-panel comics as well as single-panels. The comic itself, well, it ended up more of a diptych than a comic. A diptych of Shaun talking with Sally before her wedding, and Sally talking with Shaun before his. But the script part, yeah, it can work out. Probably best as an extended version of the story the comic’s already telling, but there’s a use for the scripts even on multi-panel comics.
Oh, and of course, panel I shows younger versions of Ivy, Amy, and Ebony from… well, you’d know them best from last year’s Easter artwork. Amy and Ebony are still largely recognizable, but Ivy has some noticable differences even disregarding this is her younger self, whose eyesight hasn’t yet deteriorated to the point of needing glasses. Namely, that her ears don’t lop anymore. This change was made to be more accurate to actual Angora rabbits. I’ve long gotten used to drawing leporines with lopped ears, regardless of if they’re a lop-eared breed or not. And this was a good way to break that habit.
Finally, as you can probably guess, it was the first panel that took up the majority of the work for this piece. Placing the fresh pasta images in a believable manner, making the reflection in the mirror, working in barely visible details like the glow of the lamps against the wall and the lower part of Ivy’s leg, showing the makeup on the shelf to make the scene feel more lived in. It took… no less than eight hours total of work, I’d like to say. Whereas panel II is just Sally, Shaun, and fresh pasta of a forest and a balcony railing. Not that I’m less impressed by the second panel or anything, I think both panels of this comic/diptych compliment each other well.
Anyways, that’ll be all for this artwork. Until next time, take care, stay safe, get vaccinated, reject crypto, and have a good one.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StormyAdlerPoG
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YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCEtCO…
Discord: Contact me by my tag (Stormy Adler, P.o.G.#1752) for an invite to my server.
Grunvale/OTOG is owned by me. You’re free to draw fanart of it, as long as you credit me as the creator of Grunvale.
Both panels of this artwork were made at a resolution of 5076×2160 (aspect ratio 2.35:1).
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