Art Notes:
This comic is to be fully detailed and illustrative, the panels flowing together mostly to create a storybook feel. Think of Little Nemo, but a more modern take with the art style.
Character Notes:
LITTLE MERMAID:
She is fair skinned an curvy but slender with long light brown hair, the picture of Danish beauty in the 1800s. Her tail is adorned with little shells and for the most part she wears light flowing tops that look a lot like they were made of silk. She is thoughtful and quiet looking but very curious about the outside world to the point she is almost reckless.
GRANDMOTHER:
An older, wise woman, thin, very proud and royal but also motherly. She wears twelve oysters on her tail and keeps her long flowing white hair in a elaborate braid. Her tops are more in the style of Danish royalty and she wears a lot of pearls around her slender neck.
PRINCESS:
16 year old girl. Looks a little more of an outdoorsy tomboy, with pants instead of skirts. But she also wants to be girly and wears her dark curly hair long and down and loves jewels. She is very loud and outgoing and adventurous.
PAGE 1
Title page; Full page spread
[FAR out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal]
[it is very,
..very,
...very deep]
Show the vastness of a deep blue ocean, fading darker, as the words fade into the depth.
PAGE 2
Panel 1: [We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand...]
we zoom in to the floor of the ocean where crabs fight on top of a rock and..
Panel 2: [The most singular plants grow there and fishes, both large and small, glide between the branches…]
a school of fish dance along corals and reefs of color…
Panel 3: [and in the deepest spot of all, stands the castle of the SEA KING.]
the fish all lead the viewer deeper to an exquisite underwater gothic-style castle made of coral and shells. The windows are the color of amber.
PAGE 3
Panel 1: [He had six beautiful children; but the youngest was the prettiest of them all]
LITTLE MERMAID Playing with her sisters as they feed and pet fish that fly through a large open castle window, she fills the frame and is the focus out of the six mermaids.
Panel 2: [Outside the castle there was a beautiful garden..]
large panel of the garden which is filled with bright red and dark blue flowers; fruit that glitters like gold, and the sand is bright and clean, with fish darting around
Panel 3: [and each of the young princesses had a little plot of ground where she might dig and plant as she pleased]
One of the sisters is swimming next to a whale-shape flower bed; another is arranging hers to be a little mermaid; another is making a sea serpent, all of them look excited and having fun
Panel 4: [But the youngest was a strange child, quiet and thoughtful]
LITTLE MERMAID creates a beautiful sunset out of her flower bed, looking rather thoughtful
PAGE 4
Panel 1: [Nothing gave her so much pleasure as to hear about the world above the sea.]
LITTLE MERMAID is in her night dress sitting next to GRANDMOTHER in a very big elaborate sitting room full of soft pillows and seats, listening as she tells her all she knew of the ships and of the towns, the people and the animals, while brushing her long soft flowy hair.
Panel 2: LITTLE MERMAID has a very excited look on her face, "I want to see the great ships and forests and towns!"
Panel 3: GRANDMOTHER smiles.
PAGE 5
[When the littlest mermaid reached her 15th year, she was allowed visit the surface]
Panel 1: GRANDMOTHER "Well, now, you are grown up," places a wreath of white lilies on the top of LITTLE MERMAIDS head
Panel 2: "So you must let me adorn you" Eight oysters gather around LITTLE MERMAID'S long slender tail
Panel 3: LITTLE MERMAID winces as they attach themselves, "ow"
Panel 4: GRANDMOTHER is stern "Pride must suffer pain"
Panel 5: "My red flowers would suit me so much better.." LITTLE MERMAID looks at herself in the mirror, upset and sighs.
Panel 6: Outside shot of LITTLE MERMAID waving at her family below, rising to the surface "Farewell~"
PAGE 6
Panel 1: A large ship, with three masts, drifts on calm water at night, with only one sail set; no breeze. The sailors sit idle on deck or amongst the rigging, talking and not really moving much. There can be soft music notes rising from the deck and a hundred colored lanterns are lighted.
Panel 2: LITTLE MERMAID is against the side of the ship; looking in through clear glass window-panes
Panel 3: Inside is a large party, YOUNG PRINCESS' birthday with the crew. She needs to be the center of the composition as the rest of the crew seems merry and happy celebrating and dancing.
Panel 4: Fireworks explode in the sky
Panel 5: LITTLE MERMAID gets frightened, ducks down into the water
Panel 6: She pops back up and laughs
PAGE 7
Panel 1: [It was very late; yet the little mermaid could not take her eyes from the ship, or from the beautiful human princess.]
LITTLE MERMAID is falling asleep but still against the ship's window
Panel 2: Dark clouds roll into the sky
Panel 3: Waves rise, crash and rock the boat violently
Panel 4: Waves knock the ship to her side
Panel 5: LITTLE MERMAID frantic in the water, looking scared
Panel 6: Crew men's voices rising from the storm "THE PRINCESS!" "WHERE IS SHE?" "WOMAN OVERBOARD!"
PAGE 8
Panel 1: LITTLE MERMAID diving into the depths to save the unconscious princess from her death as she sinks towards the darkness from the surface
Panel 2: She breaks the surface of the water with the princess in her arms, keeping the young maiden's head above water.
