Steel Magnolia Issue # 0

Pictured Above : Steel Magnolia Logo ( Art by RyoshiMicchi )


Hello, World ! 

My pen name is Chocolate Muse and I'm a writer trying to fulfill my dream of making my own superhero comic. Ever since I was a kid, I've been captivated by all types of superhero genre projects ! Movies, short films,  comics, and webcomics, -I'm extremely passionate about them all !  I think during my senior year of college is when I started to put some real thought into the creative ideas I had forming in my head and invest my time into bringing them to life.  Even during moments when I probably should've been focused on finals, I was going over storylines, characters, and dialogue in my head because that's how much I believed in my project. Now, I feel the time is right to try my hand at making my own superhero comic and carve my mark in the comic industry. It's been a long road filled with setbacks and trials from when I started up until this point but I've loved every minute of it. From here, I'd like to go as far as I can with my comic. Even though it sounds braggadocious right now, I see myself as becoming recognized as one of the comic industry's best writers one day. That's my end game and I hope the comic I've been working on is just the beginning !


My comic tells the story of  Josephine " Josie  " Charbonneau as she fights crime as the titular protagonist, " Steel Magnolia " . Time and time again, Josie's daring exploits as a superhero will pit her against evildoers from all over our world and beyond it, such as gun-toting gang members, a child's malevolent imaginary friend and even an extradimensional deity who seeks to usher mankind toward perdition. In addition to her adventures, Josie will deal with the rigors of her own personal life, thus culminating the story events into a seemingly never-ending struggle between duty and desire.

What I want to achieve with my comic is to bring fun back to superhero comics. Nowadays there's too much preaching. Everyone seems more interested in pushing an agenda than being entertaining. I want to try and change that because I think that's why there's a lot of hostility in the fandom right now. The comic will definitely feature a diverse, entertaining cast and the main protagonist is a woman but neither of those things will be the central focus of the comic. In short, I just want to tell a fun, thrilling, classic story about an ordinary person with extraordinary abilities who fights against evil in a modern day setting. 

The plan is to launch the comic ASAP. So for me, all the  sooner everything lines up , all the better !  However, I need YOUR help to get the comic off the ground, gentle reader ( And the help of ALL sentient live on Earth. Chocolate don't judge !  ).

The funds gathered here are going towards paying for printing, promotion and distribution of the comic when the time comes. 

As I said before, making a superhero genre comic is high on my wishlist to say the least.  It would mean a great deal to me to have this dream come true. If you've got a passion for superhero comics and want to help me bring the fun back to superhero comics, any size donation would be greatly appreciated. Raising awareness for the campaign is also a big help as well !


Here's a sample of the script from issue # 0 to further pique the interests of any potential donors :



* Prologue Begin *


Page 1

Panel One
The scene displays a hilly area overlooking a quiet highway near Lompoc, CA, USA. The point of view allows for oncoming traffic to be seen. The road features a wide turn and large hill that blocks oncoming vehicles from view up to a certain point.

Panel Two
Suddenly, a four vehicle military convoy consisting of three Humvees appears, one in particular has a mounted gun (M240 7.62 mm machine guns ) that is manually operated by a soldier and one heavy equipment transport system ( PLS variant M915 ). The M915 is positioned third in the convoy with the Humvees around it. The convoy advances around the corner down the road towards the reader. The point of view is mostly focused on the vehicles in the convoy.


Page 2

Panel One
The cabin of the M915 is the focus of the panel as the vehicle travels steadily down the road. The camera view rests in the upper right-hand corner. This gives the reader a side aerial view of the truck.

Panel Two
Now the inside of the cabin is shown. Two soldiers, one Caucasian and the other African-American operate the vehicle (PFC Beck & SPC. Dodson). The two servicemen engage in some light conversation to break up the boredom.


PFC. Beck: " Hey, Dodson. You got any idea what tha' hell it is we're movin’? "
SPC. Dodson: * previously resting his eyes, sighs in exasperation: *sigh* "Hell if I know. Just wake me up when we get close t' base, man. "


Panel Three
POV has the reader looking at Beck, whose looking over at Dodson. Beck has a sly, knowing look on his face.

Beck: “C’mon…. I know ya heard somethin'. Share some of that classified knowledge with tha' rest of the class. "


Panel Four
Dodson is seen with his eyes still closed but with a hand partially covering his face, positioned closest to the reader. Beck can also be seen further away with his eyes on the road, driving.

Dodson: “A’ight, look. I heard it's some type a' super-soldier chemical. “* facial expression shows slight annoyance with Beck's questions, still maintaining same position mentioned above *

Beck: “Are you shittin' me? Like in Captain America? Fftt, I'm startin’ to get worried about you, Dodson. I think you really believe you're living in one a' those superhero comics you like readin' so much. It's time for you t' put childish things away n' get serious about life. You n' Kendelle are expecting' a baby girl soon, right? “* keeps his eyes on the road but his smile shows his skepticism toward Dodson's claims *


Panel Five
This time the camera view displays Dodson's reaction to Beck' patronizing behavior.

Dodson: * has a small but warm smile as he speaks * “Yeah, mayne. Kendelle's supposed to go into labor next week. I can't wait to go home and see my family. "


Page 3

Panel One
Camera is set on a side view of Beck's face while he responds to Dodson. Dodson can also be seen returning to his nap (*large picture*)

Beck: “Nice, bro. So....did you cry like a bitch when she told you she was pregnant?” * smirks *

Dodson: " .....Asshole. “* clearly annoyed by Beck's comment, looks out the window ruefully *


Page 4

Panel One
All four vehicles can be seen making their way to their destination. The point of view seems to show the vehicles coming towards the reader. The rest of the landscape can be seen as well (*full page*).


Page 5

Panel One
The camera rests on Beck's right side as he drives the vehicle. Something catches his eye and he takes a moment to glance out the driver side window as the convoy passes.

Panel Two
Three men of Middle Eastern descent can be seen on the side of the road. Two argue or are in discussion while another older man works under the hood of a black 2011 Chevy Tahoe.

Panel Three
Beck: " Sucks t' be them. Over nine'ny degrees today. "

(*Speaking cloud is seen but his face is not. Point of view is giving the impression the reader is seeing the men through Beck's eyes *)

Panel Four
Dodson is shown still trying to catch some Zs. He's resting with his head bent slightly forward; his closed eyes are partially covered by his hand and he's somewhat leaning backward in his seat.

Dodson: “Mmm-hmm."


Panel Five
The camera is set fairly close to the side, at an angle and focused on the middle-aged man working on the vehicle. The point of view allows readers to see the man's face overlooking the car parts under the hood as he works. In the background, the last portion of the M915 and the last vehicle in the convoy can be seen passing by.

Panel Six
A few minutes after the convoy has passed, the man doing maintenance on the SUV slams down the hood.
This gives the readers a close up view of his face and upper body. He greets the reader with a steely-eyed look that gives the impression that he is looking straight at them.


Page 6

Panel One
The man who was previously working on the vehicle reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cellphone. The movements of his hand imply he is texting or sending a message of some kind with his phone.
(*The man can only be seen from the waist up, point of view is from the bottom-up and somewhat off center. He's also only seen texting with one hand, the part where he pulled the cellphone from his pocket is just implied*)

Panel Two
The camera is set on the man's phone. It gives the readers a view of the message he has sent: “Target Sighted. Get into position. "

Panel Three
The man ends his message and briefly looks off into the distance, still maintaining his steely-eyed expression.

Panel Four
He looks over his shoulder and speaks to his two traveling companions.
(*Point of view gives a look at the speaking man's face, centered but fairly close. Only his face, neck region and a bit of his shoulders are seen*)


Mysterious Man: “It’s time.”


Panel Five
The two other men immediately end their conversation after hearing these words. They proceed to walk over to the SUV, where the older man has made his way to the back of the vehicle and already popped the trunk. As the two men walk over, the middle-aged man can be seen looking intently at whatever is in the trunk.

Panel Six
Point of view gives the reader a slight angled overhead look of what's in the trunk. It's revealed that the men have been carrying an assortment of assault weapons, including a grenade launcher. There are also gray hazmat suits in the truck, a heavy-duty power cutter, heavy duty industrial tape, bolt cutters, a few cartridges for liquid adhesive, and acetylene torch.....

Please, ladies and gentlemen, let's work together to bring fun back to superhero comics !  My name is Chocolate Muse and I approve this message. # MAKE COMICS FUN AGAIN !