Monday, August 15, 2016

Klondike Gold Rush - Tabula Rasa - Grant McLaughlin

1 - On George McPhee, standing next to a recently hammered claim stake.  He wipes his brow with one hand and holds the tool he used to hammer in the stake with the other (possibly resting it on the stake's top).  He looks towards a voice calling him from off-panel.  We're in late Fall-ish weather here.

CAPTION (GEORGE): It's amazing, really.

LEONARD: George, get over here!

2 - George approaches a group of three other prospectors - Leonard Kensington, Philip Prince, and Alfred Trent.  The three are holding celebrator drinks aloft, ready to toast their new gold claim.  Leonard holds a drink out to George for him to share.  They all wear big smiles.  In the background, elements of their camp are visible: a few tents, equipment, the river / creek, and so forth.

CAPTION (GEORGE): We all thought it was the start of something new.

LEONARD: The claim's staked, but we need to christen it properly.

3 - The same claim site, but it's a few weeks / months later.  Winter has come, the site covered in snow.  The four men are present, but are in a bloody fight.  Red blood is all about the otherwise white ground.  Alfred is already dead.  Leonard is on top of George, trying to choke him to death.  George tries to free his throat / push Leonard away.  Both look terribly worn and injured, with lots of cuts and bruises.  Philip weakly tries to wrench Leonard from George's throat, to limited success.

CAPTION (GEORGE): Not the beginning of the end.

LEONARD: It's all your fault!

CAPTION (GEORGE): But I'm getting ahead of myself...

2 comments:

  1. A good simple, direct comic, but I'm thick and don't get the end. What do you mean by that last caption?

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's fair - and more a reflection on my writing than your comprehension. I was trying to set this page up as a flash forward to lead off a story, but that was likely clearer in my mind than it was on the page.

    ReplyDelete

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