Template guide
Panel-by-panel breakdown
This template has no printed text. The daydream bubble is the key to the story.
Panel 1
A late-afternoon office with a purple-orange sky behind tall windows. A manager in a navy suit and orange tie smiles and gestures while asking an employee who already has his bag on his shoulder.
Panel 2
Inside the employee's thought bubble: a rooftop terrace strung with small lights at night, the manager and employee raising glasses over a full spread of food, while the employee, chin on his hand, looks delighted.
Panel 3
Back in reality the manager is still smiling, and the thought bubble around the employee starts to break apart into paper scraps as he looks confused.
Panel 4
It is dark outside. The manager beams as he holds a huge stack of binders, and the employee, gripping his bag, goes pale and freezes.
What you get
- Canvas
- 1:1
- Cast
- 1 character, replaceable with your own
- Type
- Office Subtext
- Common remixes
- Make it a school version / Make it a family version / Make it a friends version
Who this template suits
This template suits the gap between "I thought it was good news" and "it is overtime", and works well for a series about expectations versus reality at work. The four-panel rhythm is ask, daydream, collapse, truth, with the laugh landing in panels 3 and 4.
When it is not a good fit
It is not suited to warm or healing stories; the joke depends on the employee's disappointment.
How to remix Are You Free Tonight?
- 1Panel 1: the manager smiles and asks while the employee already has his bag on.
- 2Panel 2 shows the daydream in a bubble, panel 3 breaks it.
- 3Panel 4 brings the tall stack of files, and the employee freezes.
Ways to make it your own
Make it a school version
A teacher smiles and asks "are you free after class?", the student imagines a treat, and the teacher brings out a stack of extra worksheets.
Make it a family version
A parent asks "are you free tonight?", the child imagines dinner out, and ends up helping to move furniture.
Make it a friends version
A friend asks about tonight, you picture a movie, and it turns out they need help moving house.
Questions about Are You Free Tonight?
How lovely should the daydream be?
The lovelier it is, the bigger the drop when it breaks. Use clear celebration signals such as a toast, string lights and a full table.
Why are there paper scraps in panel 3?
The scraps show the daydream bubble being popped, and they are the visual bridge between panel 2 and panel 4.
Does the bag on his shoulder matter?
Yes. It shows he was already ready to leave, which makes being kept back hit harder.
