Credits

Art by Bob Hall
Story by Bob Hall, Liz VanWormer, Judy Diamond
Lettering by Ted Sikora
Web Site by Bolero Information Systems LLC

Title:  C’RONA COMIX BY BOB HALL     8/31/2020

THE PROFESSOR, MOUSE, AND CAT HURTLE ALONG IN THEIR POD.

PROFESSOR: WE’RE SOMEWHERE INSIDE GRANDMA.

MOUSE: ARE WE SAFE?

PROFESSOR: ABSOLUTELY…

Title panel: POD IS SMALL, LOOKING AT THE VASTNESS OF VIRUSES EVERYWHERE.

PROFESSOR: …JUST NEVER LEAVE THIS POD! 

MOUSE:THE VIRUSES ARE MAKING MORE AND MORE OF THEMSELVES!

Strip One

Panel one: CLOSE-UP INSIDE THE POD WITH VIRUSES SURROUNDING.

CAT: CAN’T WE DO SOMETHING?!

PROFESSOR: WE CAN’T… BUT LOOK WHAT’S COMING.

Panel two: CYTOKINES ENTERING THE SCENE, VERY RAMBUNCTIOUS. THEY MAKE NOISES BUT NEVER SPEAK.

PROFESSOR: GRANDMA’S CYTOKINES ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM TO HER IMMUNE SYSTEM.

Panel three: CYTOKINES GRAB A LONE COVID-19 VIRUS THAT IS SNIFFING AT THE POD.

PROFESSOR (IN QUOTES IN AN INFORMATION BOX): “THEY’RE CALLING IN THE T-CELLS“

Panel four: CYTOKINES DRAG THE VIRUS OVER TO THE T-CELL AND TELL THE T-CELLS IT IS THERE.

PROFESSOR (IN QUOTES IN AN INFORMATION BOX): “NOW THEY HAVE TO FIND A T-CELL WILLING TO TAKE ACTION.”

PROFESSOR (IN QUOTES IN AN INFORMATION BOX): “T-CELLS CAN BE VERY PICKY.”

Strip Two

Panel one: CYTOKINE HOLD UP THE VIRUS TO THE FIRST T-CELL. T-CELL 1 SAYS NO. CYTOKINES CONTINUE SOUNDING ALARMS.

T-CELL 1: I SPECIALIZE, AND IT’S NOT ON MY LIST.

VIRUS: LEMME GO!

Panel two: CYTOKINE HOLDS THE VIRUS UP TO T-CELL 2. CYTOKINES SOUNDING ALARMS.

T-CELL 2: NOT ON MY HIT LIST EITHER.

VIRUS: GUYS! PLEASE!

Panel three: CYTOKINE HOLDS THE VIRUS UP TO T-CELL 3. CYTOKINES SOUNDING ALARMS.

T-CELL 3: YESSS. THIS ONE’S ALL MINE.

VIRUS: BAD NEWS!

Panel four: T-CELL 3 SUDDENLY SQUASHES THE VIRUS. CYTOKINES JUMP IN SURPRISE.

SFX (NO BALLOON): SPLOOSH

Strip Three

Panel one: T-CELL 3 IS GETTING READY TO GO INTO THE FRAY. CYTOKINES SOUNDING ALARMS, GETTING MORE AND MORE AGITATED.

T-CELL 3: HOW MANY ARE THERE?

T-CELL 3 (IN RESPONSE TO THE CYTOS): MILLIONS AND MILLIONS?

T-CELL 3: I’M ON IT. 

Panel two: PROFESSOR AND POD GROUP ARE WATCHING THE GOINGS ON.

PORFESSOR: OH DEAR, THE CYTOS ARE FREAKING OUT.  

CAT: IS THAT BAD?

PROFESSOR: CAN BE… IF THEY GET OVEREXCITED.

MOUSE: LOOK THERE!

Panel three: T-CELLS COMING TO THE RESCUE.

PROFESSOR: T-CELLS!

MOUSE: YAY!

PROFESSOR: THEY’RE VICIOUS ASSASSINS!

Panel four: POD LOOKS AT T-CELL ASSASSINS, AND THE CYTOKINES ARE STARTING TO GET OUT OF HAND IN THE DISTANCE.

CAT: ARE THEY GOING TO RESCUE GRANDMA?

PROFESSOR: THEY’LL TRY… 

PROFESSOR: …BUT IF THINGS GET OUT OF HAND...

PROFESSOR: …THAT COULD BE VERY BAD.

Credits

Art by Bob Hall
Story by Bob Hall, Liz VanWormer, Judy Diamond
Lettering by Ted Sikora
Web Site by Bolero Information Systems LLC

Title panel: THE PANEL IS DIVIDED INTO TWO.

Panel One: A SLIM PANEL OF MOUSE’S APARTMENT BUILDING. A VOICE FROM A WINDOW IS COUGHING. MOUSE IS LEANING OUT HER WINDOW TO HEAR.

GRANDMA: (FROM WINDOW.  WEAK FONT.  WE DON’T SEE HER – JUST HER BALLOON):  =COF=  CAN’T BREATHE… = COF= HELP…

Panel Two: MOUSE, NOW RECOVERED, CALLING 911.

MOUSE: 911? THE WOMAN DOWNSTAIRS NEEDS HELP.

MOUSE: DON’T KNOW HER REAL NAME. WE JUST CALL HER GRANDMA.

Strip One

Panel One: GRANDMA IN BED COUGHING. SHE’S A SILHOUETTE. WE SEE THE VIRUSES ERUPT AS A MIST. THERE IS A WINDOW BEHIND HER, MOUSE’S VOICE COMES THROUGH THE WINDOW AND FROM ABOVE.

GRANDMA: =COF= =COF=

MOUSE: THEY’RE ON THEIR WAY.

ARROW: VIRUSES

VIRUS 1: WHAT HAPPENED?

VIRUS 2:  OUR HOST COUGHED US OUT.

Panel Two: ZOOM IN ENOUGH TO SEE THE VIRUSES. THERE ARE A TON OF THEM, BUT ONLY TWO ARE “IN FOCUS.” VIRUS 2 IS CONTENTEDLY FLOATING.

VIRUS 1: WHAT DO WE DO???

VIRUS 2: RELAX…FLOAT AROUND IN THE AIR…

VIRUS 2: …WAIT FOR A NEW HOST…

VIRUS 2: …WE GOT NOTHING BUT TIME.

Panel Three: A NYC APARTMENT BUILDING AND THE STREET IN FRONT OF IT. WE SEE A PERSON BEING WHEELED FROM THE BUILDING INTO AN AMBULANCE. THERE ARE ANONYMOUS PEOPLE ON THE STREET AND IN WINDOWS WATCHING.

AMBULANCE PERSON 1: WHAT HOSPITAL? ROOSEVELT?

AMBULANCE PERSON 2: FULL. GOTTA DO QUEENS.

PERSON 1: WHO HAS IT THIS TIME?

PERSON 2: GRANDMA.

PERSON 4: PROBABLY TALKED TOO CLOSE TO SOMEONE.

PERSON 5: PEOPLE CAN GIVE IT TO YOU WHO DON’T EVEN HAVE SYMPTOMS.

Panel Four: CAT AND MOUSE ARE ON THE ROOF LOOKING DOWN. THEY ARE WEARING MASKS AND ARE PROPERLY DISTANCED. MOUSE IS ON THE PHONE TO THE PROFESSOR.

MOUSE: IHAD C’RONA. NOW GRANDMA DOES.

MOUSE: WHAT DOES THE VIRUS DO INSIDE US?

PROFESSOR (FROM PHONE): COME TO MY LAB.

Strip Two

Panel One: CAT AND MOUSE ARE TALKING TO THE PROFESSOR. THEY ARE IN HIS LAB, WHICH LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING STRAIGHT OUT OF FANTASTIC FOUR.

PROFESSOR: CLIMB IN MY TRANSPORTER POD.

PROFESSOR: IT WILL TAKE US RIGHT INSIDE GRANDMA.

MOUSE: IS THIS SAFE?

CAT: IT’S COOL.

Panel Two: THE POD STREAMS ACROSS THE PANEL IN AN ARC OF COMIC BOOK ENERGY.

MOUSE: WE’RE GETTING SMALLER.

PROFESSOR: ISN’T IT AMAZING?

CAT: IS THIS SCIENCE?

PROFESSOR: NO, NO. PURE COMIC BOOK.

Panel Three:  GRANDMA’S HOSPITAL ROOM. GRANDMA IS ASLEEP IN THE SHADOWS. THE ENERGY BOLT COMES RIGHT THROUGH THE WALL AND GOES INTO GRANDMA.

PROFESSOR: HERE’S GRANDMA.

PROFESSOR: AND WE’RE IN!

Strip Three

Panel One: PROFESSOR, CAT, AND MOUSE ARE SEEN THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE POD.

MOUSE: LOOK!AN ARMY!

CAT: INVADING VIRUSES!

PROFESSOR: DON’T WORRY. THEY CAN’T SEE US.

Panel Two: CLOSER ON THE VIRUSES. A LONG LINE OF THEM IN FORMATION STRETCHES OFF INTO THE DISTANCE. THE COMMANDER ADDRESSES THEM. 

COMMANDER: AWRIGHT.

COMMANDER: YOU’VE HAD YOUR TRAINING!

COMMANDER: NOW FOR THE REAL THING!

Panel Three: CLOSE ON THE COMMANDER.

COMMANDER: TODAY WE ARE GOING TO NAVIGATE THE MOST DANGEROUSPART OF OUR HOST’S DEFENSE SYSTEM.

COMMANDER: KEYS OUT AND FORWARD MARCH!   

Panel Four: THEY MARCH AWAY WITH KEYS ON THE ALERT. THE POD FOLLOWS.

MOUSE: THEY’RE SCARY.

CAT: VERY!

PROFESSOR: AND EXACTLY WHAT WE CAME TO SEE.