ISSUE 1 - Conceptual

The following is a mind dump of general ideas for

(YET TO BE NAMED)

A decade has passed since Marty and his friends were last seen. What happened in those ten years? Who stayed in touch, who moved ahead, who fell behind, and who remained static? I'm uncertain about introducing new characters at this point, but it might be intriguing to do so. This could be an opportunity to incorporate the transgender character I've long wished to include in the story - a desire that was met with social justice backlash in 2010.

Conceptually, my goal is to evoke feelings of being dismissed, ignored or neglected. There are also elements from my past - particularly a tumultuous relationship - that I reflect upon through rose-tinted glasses. (We first met when we were in middle school or maybe early high school. There was always some friction and interest on my end, but they had their own life to live. It seems like every seven years we'd reunite; I would think about them or dream about them and then we'd meet up again. The emotion attached to these brief moments remains vivid because despite the few days spent together, those moments still glimmer brightly in my mind.)

Marty decides to reach out to his friends, the ones we've come to know. At this point, I believe the conversations between Jesse and Marty are sporadic at best. They might talk a few times a week, then nothing for months, maybe even a whole year passes before they engage in another week of dialogue. Their communication is inconsistent, dipping in and out like waves. To many in his life, Jesse has become somewhat of a well-known stranger. 

It's not that Jesse wouldn't want to expand his relationship with Marty; I think he's always battling feelings of rejection, self-hatred and an inability to cope even at this stage. Jesse has a history where he feels like he's got nothing to offer but also nothing else in his life that has brought him joy like Marty has. So when Marty calls Jesse, it may seem as if Marty is insinuating that Jesse is avoiding or ignoring him. However, it should become clear further into the story that Jesse simply missed the call due to his own worries about their relationship status.

When it comes to Taylor though - ever accessible - as soon as he receives Marty's call, he insists on hanging out immediately upon realizing they're nearby. As someone clearly involved in fashion with limited social options outside being a social media manager and fashionista, Taylor seems eager for companionship. They decide on a local cafe for their meet-up because Marty works downtown as an architect and usually spends half his week working alone in his office while dedicating the other half to clients' offices. 

During the conversation, which is key to the bulk of the story, we have to very elegantly tiptoe with the script. This includes highlighting how things are going with everybody, including Mu who always maintains a fly-on-the-wall persona. Each character should dominate the conversation in a way that mirrors their personality. When they're talking about Mu, it should be a chaotic but not lol random. Phrases like "Can you believe he did this?" or "He just disappeared and showed up with some new person they're dating and then disappeared again" depict him as a bit of a free spirit, living life on his own terms.

The Jesse conversation is introduced right at the start but I want it to be clear that Marty has complicated feelings towards him. These feelings need to be subtly hinted at without overemphasizing them. When Taylor asks about Jesse, Marty swiftly changes the topic.

Marty and Taylor spend a lot of time discussing their own lives. (What's important here is to fill in the gaps between characters and highlight how things have changed over time in a way that resonates with fans and readers of the story.)

Eventually, Taylor notices Marty's phone light up indicating an incoming message. It isn't from his mom or anyone else but Jesse was the last person they texted or called. This sparks curiosity in Taylor but Marty quickly brushes off her inquiries leaving a hint of mystery and drama at the end of this issue.

The majority of this comic should feel like friends catching up in a coffee shop with occasional cutaways or reminiscences and perhaps jumping to other characters mid-conversation. Nothing too crazy; keeping it casual yet engaging is key.

Broadcasting NSFW,  Tempering expectations: At one point, Marty notices Taylor still swiping for Men on Grunder (or whatever it's called now). We can show lewd images here and allow the reader to understand that this is for adults and has so level of naughtiness.

The following is a bullet point outline for the first comic right up until Marty and Taylor Meet.

• 4pm Saturday (overtime), Marty finishes up final designs on an outdoor parking garage (yay fun...-_-).

• He's dapper and well-dressed, while still exuding some fancy lad energy. He's dressing the part of a professional.

• Marty, about to hit 30, realizes he has zoomed past the last 5 years entirely preoccupied with his career. 

• He hands in the work and takes a moment at his desk, noticing how barren it seems. 

• Glancing over to the other desks, he notices photo frames, children's drawings, notes, gifts - evidence of family and friends.

• Marty reflects subtly on his life through imagery without over-emphasizing his feelings about his own life and "family". 

• His mind drifts to the past when he spent a tumultuous time being very gay and having a lot of fun with his 3 best pals. 

• Time had pilfered his social circle until it was replaced with acquaintances, co-workers, and well-wishers.

• Though on good terms with his family, he's always been quiet when alone on his own terms. His home and life have become facsimiles of an IKEA magazine. 

• Marty pops open his phone digging into the cloud and scrolls back dozens of months. 

• The screen pulses a dim grayness as family BBQs, staycations, food photos, and architectural references flood the screen as he zips past those recent moments.

• As he thumbs his way backward through time, his screen shifts its tone as the gray days turn into vibrant nights filled with neon lights and racy outfits.

• Marty flushes with embarrassment tinged with lust as an ongoing stream of personal smut: erotic outfits and filthy dick pics take over.

• Rushing past all the personal amateur porn he finally hits a "clean" spot - a gray day at a grassy-sandy New England style beach where himself Mu and Taylor beam excitedly at the camera. 

• Even Jesse was there smiling. "Jesse..."

• Due to his parents' inability or refusal to use text, and his company's insistence on calls only (it's not professional to text a client!) Marty calls up Jesse and lets it ring, his mind wandering, reflecting; he hadn't realized how often it had rung and hung up immediately.

• He hangs up and calls Taylor as he had just noticed him recently pop up on his Instagram; they had met last year but only briefly at a function where their jobs intersected. 

• Taylor picks up immediately and their conversation goes as excitedly, overly friendly, and gay as you can imagine (finely crafted gay dialog goes here).

• Taylor insists they meet up now as he's downtown where the company headquarters had moved from the outskirts after being purchased and merged with another company. 

• Marty accepts a meeting at a local coffee shop as he knows he won't be able to deny an ever-energetic Taylor.

• Being swept up in the moment, Marty tidies up and steps out of the office, closing it behind him (he's a big boy now!). 

• From inside the dark office, we see Marty saunter into the elevator with a jaunty step - visuals intended to show that life with his old friends is brightening anew.

TO BE CONTINUED

So at this juncture I'm waiting to hear back from Brandon to get some ideas on how this feels as a starting point. I like to write in scenes so things can be moved around (like editing a movie). So I'll see what he think's then add more to this. I'd like to get all of this first comic done this week from a outline and general writing standpoint. Dialog and pacing will be its own little demon. I am still unsure if I should focus on the one script or go for the whole story. We'll see how I feel when I'm done this first issue.

Take care and thanks for reading!