Comic Book Script Format

Sample comic book script pages (note that there are two standard types, either one is correct):

1. Header; 2. Page #; 3.-5. Panel description; 6. Caption & information; 7. Character & dialogue; etc.

SCRIPT FORMAT AND SPECIFICATIONS. Please create your scripts as follows:

TITLE PAGE: 

WRITER’S NAME (name, address, and phone should appear only on the first page of your script) Street Address City, 

State and Zip 

Phone Number 

(sometimes email)

HEADER: Book Title, Issue # • Writer’s Name (should appear at the top of each page after the title page) page number, etc. 

PAGE ONE (# of panels) (Begin each new story page on a new sheet of paper, label it, and indicate how many panels make up that page.)

Panel 1. Number your panels. Panel descriptions should be typed in standard upper and lower case. Please do not use tabs, alternate fonts, or any other formatting.

CHARACTER: The “attribution” (the name of the character speaking) should appear in all caps on a separate line from their dialogue. It used to be that all comics were lettered by hand. These days, much of the lettering is done on computer.

OTHER CHARACTER: Typing the dialogue in standard upper- and lowercase, flush-left, with no tabs or other formatting makes it easy for dialogue to be copied and pasted onto the comics page.

Panel 2. There is no set limit for how much or how little information should be included in each panel description; generally a sentence or two is enough. If there are specific character traits, objects, or placement of either that you need, make sure you tell the artist. The most important thing to remember: if it isn’t in the script, don’t expect to see it in the art. You’ll get best results if you list characters in your panel descriptions in the order (left to right) that they need to speak in the panel.

SFX: Sound effects are indicated just like dialogue.

CAP: Captions are indicated the same way. All dialogue, sound effects, and captions should be listed in the order in which they should be read in the final art.

CHARACTER (thought): Thought balloons are indicated in this fashion. Captions and dialogue should be limited to approximately 25 words per balloon, and about 50 words per panel, max.

Panel 3. Exact panel layout is usually left to the artist, but if you have something specific in mind, put it in your description. If absolutely necessary, you can draw a sketch of what you want.

CHARACTER (OP): Characters speaking from off-panel are indicated this way.

OTHER CHARACTER (whisper): If a character is whispering, the letterer needs to know. Other common indications for modified lettering or word balloons are (small), (burst), and (weak).

Panel 4. For action sequences, you’ll get best results if you limit yourself to three or four panels per page. Remember: the more spectacular your action description, the less room you’ll have for other panels on that page. In comics, space is your major limiting factor. If you have two characters speaking to one another in a panel on a page containing five or more panels, chances are there won’t be room to show something happening simultaneously in the background. Also, except in rare cases, the most “back-and-forth” dialogue that will comfortably fit in a panel is a comment, a response, and a counter-response.

CHARACTER: [comment] Dialogue that carries over from one balloon, or from one panel to another is indicated by double dashes at the end of the first dialogue section --

OTHER CHARACTER: [response] -- and another set at the beginning of the next. Interestingly, long dashes and semi- colons are not used in comics punctuation. Colons are used only on rare occasions.

CHARACTER: [counter-response] Double dashes can also be used to indicate a speech that is cut-off by events in the story --

Panel 5. For non-action scenes, you can have more panels per page, but keep in mind how many characters and props are necessary in a scene as you’re writing. The more panels on a page, the smaller each of them will have to be. Trying to cram too much information into small panels will result in a comic that’s difficult to read and visually uninteresting.

CAP/CHARACTER “-- a caption can be used to carry over dialogue from a previous scene to a new setting by placing the speech in quotation marks.”

NEW CHARACTER: underline words that you want to emphasize. Ellipses (three periods) indicate a pause between ... sections of a speech, or a speech that trails off.