Concept by Ryan Sullivan
Plot and Panel Breakdown by J. L. Bell
Character Designs by
Pencils by
Inks by
Dialogue by
Lettering by
The concept for this short story is that a stray dog, Bart, views himself as an
outlaw and treats “Lost Pet” flyers like “Wanted” posters. There’s a discord,
hopefully funny, between the action in the panels and Bart’s tough-guy
interpretation of it. So what we see is: Bart trots along with another stray dog,
sees that dog reunite with her mistress, gets caught by animal control, is locked
in a shelter, and finally is adopted by a family with kids. What we read is: Bart
telling the other dog they have to lie low, lamenting how that dog gets caught,
grumbling about being locked in jail himself, and finally defiantly declaring, as the
kids hug him, that he can tough this out.
Here are the characters:
BART, main character and narrator, is a medium-sized stray dog of no
particular breed. He has no collar, his fur is matted, and his ears are uneven.
POOTIE is a smaller dog on her first time out overnight for several days.
She is still wearing a collar, and her fur is in a better shape. She may be a
recognizable breed. Bart calls her “Kid.”
EVELYN is Pootie’s mistress. A middle-aged, middle-class woman.
KARLSON is an Animal Control Officer, or dog catcher. A professional.
ABBY and ISAIAH are young siblings.
(Leaving the humans’ ethnicity and other visible traits up to the artist to allow
maximum diversity.)
2
PAGE ONE (four panels)
Panel 1. Big panel. Seen from behind, BART and POOTIE are looking up at a
“Lost Dog” poster taped to a light pole on a street. The poster shows POOTIE in
EVELYN’s arms. This panel contains the story title and possibly the credits.
Panel 2. Inset panel. Reverse angle reveals BART and POOTIE looking up at the
poster. POOTIE is immediately recognizable as the dog on the poster.
Panel 3. BART leads POOTIE along the pavement behind the strip mall.
Panel 4. BART knocks over a garbage can for POOTIE’s edification.
PAGE TWO (six panels)
Panel 1. As BART noses in the garbage for food, POOTIE is surprised by a yell
from off panel.
Panel 2. EVELYN is holding her arms out for POOTIE and calling her name.
Panel 3. BART bolts, calling for POOTIE to run away.
Panel 4. Realizing he’s alone, BART stops and looks back.
Panel 5. From a distance, BART glimpses the terrible sight of EVELYN
embracing POOTIE.
Panel 6. BART is grabbed from behind by an animal control pole, the sort that
can slip a loop of cord around his neck: https://www.amazon.com/Ketch-All-ft-
Animal-Control-Pole/dp/B01CWFTDV2/
3
PAGE THREE (five panels)
Panel 1. KARLSON the dog catcher pulls BART toward a van marked “Animal
Control”.
Panel 2. At the animal shelter, BART is being washed, which he considers
tantamount to torture.
Panel 3. ABBY and ISAIAH peer into a cage where BART sits, acting aloof, his
fur clean but ungroomed.
Panel 4. To BART’s surprise, he’s been taken out of his cage. ABBY is hugging
him and ISAIAH is petting his head.
Panel 5. Big panel, full tier. BART is being walked on a leash by ABBY and
ISAIAH. His fur has been brushed smooth. He’s wearing a collar with a metal tag
in the shape of a dog bone dangling from it. He’s put on a little weight on his ribs.
In the narration BART admits that he’s in for life, that his meals and sleep and
exercise will be regimented from now on—but he knows he’s tough enough to
take it.
It’s up to the dialogue scripter to decide how Bart’s voice appears—in caption,
thought balloons, or word balloons. Also, whether Bart and Pootie talk to each
other, whether they bark, and whether they understand any human speech
besides their names. (Recall the classic “Far Side” cartoon:
https://www.popehat.com/gary-larson-far-side-cartoon-what-we-say-to-dogs-blah-ginger.