Page 1
Panel 2
Malcolm:
Panel 3
Malcolm:
Malcolm:
Panel 4
Title:
Credits:
Panel 5
Page 2
Owner:
Malcolm:
Panel 2
Owner:
Owner:
Panel 3
Malcolm:
Owner:
Panel 4
Malcolm:
Panel 5
Ella:
Page 3
Malcolm:
Ella:
Panel 2
Malcolm:
Ella:
Panel 3
Ella:
Ella:
Panel 4
Ella:
Malcolm:
Panel 5
Ella:
Panel 6
Owner:
Owner:
Panel 1
No frame. The background consists of hearts - cartoon hearts.
The guy in the foreground is called Malcolm. He's in his twenties and
he is our protagonist. For some reason the romantic background doesn't
seem to have any effect on the cranky expression on his face.
We add a frame but keep the picture the same apart from that.
SO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHICH ROMANTIC PENGUIN SING-A-LONG CD I WOULD RECOMMEND
YOU?
And now he looks even crankier.
I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TO BUY A GUN AND BLOW YOUR BRAIN OUT.
THAT'S A MORE HUMANE WAY TO COMMIT SUICIDE.
Title & Credits
THE ROMANTIC PENGUIN'S LOVELY STORE OF LOVE
YANN " I LOVE U ALL" KREHL - WRITER
… "ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE" …- ARTIST
…
Okay, let's take a closer look at where the scene is taking place.
It's the ROMANTIC PENGUIN'S STORE OF LOVE ™. Here you can get everything
the truly romantic person desires: postal cards, posters, stickers, books,
trading cards, T-shirts, dolls, action figures and all the other truly
wonderful merchandise for the ROMANTIC PENGUIN, that wacky, cute cartoon
character with the big red heart on his chest.
Malcolm stands right in the middle of this inferno of kitsch, because
he's the shop assistant and has to stand behind the cash point. The wall
behind him is painted with the hearts we saw in the first three panels.
Oh, and there's a young boy running away from him. He's crying.
Panel 1
He's still standing there, cranky and bored, when the owner of the
store pays him a visit. The Owner is not much older than our protagonist,
a hectic man who's always running around doing very important things. At
least that's what it looks like. Right now he's armed with a pencil and
notepad.
HOW'S IT GOING?
NOT MUCH CUSTOMERS TODAY.
He looks deeply into the eyes of his employee.
THAT WOULDN'T BE DUE TO YOU, WOULD IT?
THIS IS THE ROMANTIC PENGUIN'S STORE OF LOVE, SO DON'T MESS WITH THE
GOOD VIBRATIONS.
And the Owner is hurrying away again.
IF THIS IS TRULY LOVE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY HOPE FOR MANKIND.
OR FOR YOU PAYING THE RENT.
And he's gone. Doesn't look as if his visit cheered Malcolm up.
OK, I'LL TRY.
And so he's looking as cranky as ever when another customer approaches
him from the off.
EXCUSE ME, WHERE WOULD I FIND THE DVDS OF THE ROMANTIC PENGUIN - THE
ANIMATED SERIES?
Panel 1
The cranky expression vanished from his face and made room for a smile.
Not a happy smile, but at least a professional one.
Because the customer is Ella, who's about as old as Malcolm and looks
really hot.
JUST OVER THERE, NEXT TO "ROMANTIC PENGUIN - THE VIDEOGAME".
THANKS.
She has turned away from him and is moving towards the digital versatile
discs. We need to get in front of her in this panel, so we see her faces
as well as Malcolm’s.
BUT IF YOU'RE REALLY INTO THAT STUFF, I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TO…
OH NO, THANKS GOD.
She walks towards him with the DVD in her hands.
MY NIECE IS TOTALLY CRAZY FOR EVERYTHING ROMANTIC PENGUIN.
TO BE HONEST, IT MAKES ME SICK.
She's closer to the counter now, leaning towards him as if to share
a secret. He's doing the same with a "serious" expression on his face.
The money is lying on the counter.
SO WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?
BUY HER A HAND GRENADE. LESS PAINFUL.
She's walking away, laughing, waving him goodbye.
I MIGHT DO THAT IF SHE DOESN'T COME TO HER SENSES SOON.
Now Malcolm stands behind the counter and smiles a real smile. His
boss is just walking by, looking at his mobile phone.
SEE? JUST BE NICE AND SMILE.
NO NEED TO MENTION THE PENGUIN AND SUICIDE IN ONE BREATH.
Page 4
Malcolm:
Ella:
Panel 2
Ella:
Ella:
Panel 3
Owner:
Malcolm:
Panel 4
Ella:
Ella:
Panel 5
Malcolm:
Page 5
Niece:
Panel 2
Malcolm:
Panel 3
Malcolm (Off):
Panel 4
Ella:
Ella:
Panel 5
Malcolm:
Page 6
Owner:
Malcolm:
Malcolm:
Malcolm:
Panel 2
Owner:
Malcolm:
Panel 3
Owner (Off):
Panel 4
Owner:
Malcolm:
Panel 1
It's another day and Malcolm is back at the counter. So is Ella, who
is holding the DVD in her hands.
THE WRONG DVD? I'M REALLY SORRY!
NAH, IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.
We focus on Ella.
SHE GOT ABOUT TWENTY PRESENTS WITH ROMANTIC PENGUIN CARDS ON HER BIRTHDAY.
FOUR OF THEM CONTAINED THIS DVD.
And she's giving the thing back to Malcolm. Meanwhile his boss is walking
by. He's busy drinking coffee.
REMEMBER: ONLY CREDIT NOTES, NO MONEY.
I'M SORRY, BUT…
Ella smiles at him.
IT'S OKAY. I'LL JUST TAKE HER HERE SO SHE CAN DECIDE FOR HERSELF.
EVEN IF IT'S A LITTLE RISKY…
And this panel looks just like the second or the third panel on page
1.
BELIEVE ME, IF THIS STORE DOESN'T MAKE HER CHANGE HER MIND ABOUT THE
PENGUIN, NOTHING WILL.
Panel 1
We see a six-year-old girl running through the store screaming in excitement.
PENGUIN!
PENGUIN!
PENGUIN!
Ella and Malcolm are standing at the counter and watch her go crazy.
THIS PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP MY REACTION AFTER WORKING HERE FOR A WEEK.
The niece is standing in front of a huge rack of ROMANTIC PENGUIN cards.
The Owner and another guy in a suite are just walking by, arguing silently.
ONLY THAT I ADDED THE WORD "BAD".
Back to Ella and Malcolm. He's still looking at the little girl while
she looks at him.
LOOKS AS IF IT MIGHT TAKE A FEW HOURS.
SO TELL ME: HOW DID YOU WIND UP WORKING HERE?
They're looking at each other. Not looking in the other's direction,
but truly looking at the person in front of them. Kick out the background,
we just substitute it with the cartoon hearts as seen on page 1.
THAT'S A PRETTY FUNNY STORY - AS LONG A YOU THINK MY MISERY IS A LAUGHING
MATTER
Panel 1
We look at the store for one last time. There are no more customers,
just the Owner and Malcolm. The store is closing.
Malcolm stands at the cash register, the Owner is walking towards him
with a bunch of keys in his hands.
SO IT'S A DATE!
WELL…
YES.
SORT OF.
The Owner arrives at the counter.
THEN GO NOW, CAN'T IMAGINE YOU WANT TO LET HER WAIT.
THANKS.
He's walking past the cards on the rack.
AND YOU DIDN'T BELIEVE THE THINGS I SAID 'BOUT THE GOOD VIBRATIONS?
He stands in front of the cards as if he would grab one of these masterworks
any second now.
BUT WHAT BETTER WAY TO EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS THAN ROMANTIC PENGUIN
"I LOVE U"-CARD?
Panel 5
And he turns around for the last panel of this story, smiling at his
boss. He didn't get one of those cards.
A HAND GRENADE.