Weirdo Theater

When I was young (no doubt you thrill to hear those words), My brother and I used to have an old black and white tv in our bedroom. In those days having an extra tv was quite a luxury, but little danger to your development, as there were so few interesting shows on that we rarely bothered to turn on the darn thing. Most of our time was spent riding our bikes around town, exploring the nearby river, or getting into trouble with our BB guns...but I wax nostalgic, to the point!

Every Saturday night at 10:30 we would climb into bed and prepare to be scared by "Weirdo Theater." "Weirdo Theater" was a show that reran all the old horror movies from the 30's, 40's and 50's. All of them were creepy to a kid, but the films that really grabbed me were the Frankenstein films. I loved the creation scenes in the lab with sparks flying everywhere, tubes of colored liquid bubbling, the hunchbacked Igor on the roof, and the crazed Dr. Frankenstein screaming "It's alive!" For my money it didn't get any better.

As I grew older I moved onto many other films, and in high school I read every Stephen King book I could get my hands on, but I still have a soft spot for the big guy with the flat head and bolts in his neck.

Per 4, 6 Frankenstein Calendar

Per 4, 6 Frankenstein calendar

Starting the Watchmen Project

Authors – Begin by creating a story board with rough sketches and dialogue. You need to create at least 4 pages with 6 small panels, or some larger panels on each page. You also need to make sure you include at least two of the storylines. At the end of the project, you must hand in your storyboard.

Artists – Help the author decide on the story line, then find some sample pages with the characters you are about to draw. Study the style, the lines, the minor details, etc. You are obviously creating the final product.

Critics – Help the author decide what to draw and make sure s/he is keeping the characters in line with the novel. Make sure the author and artist add important thematic elements, too (nostalgia, graffiti, irony, etc). Keep notes about what the author and the artist are trying to attempt – you will need some evidence for your essay. At the end of the project, you are handing in your essay.

You should all have a good idea about what you are doing before the end of the first class period. You will have Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday to work as well. The project is due a week from today. Next Monday we will have a storytelling time using the document camera.

Have fun with this! Problems?? Ask.