Go - Go - P. A. Nolte

1/ The concrete and steel walkways of a near future city.  Architecture is all rounded edges and large glass windows.  It was designed all in one go, to function unto itself, and to be populated only after construction was complete.  But it looks empty.

Caption: We're

2/ Around a corner comes a line of women.  At least, they look like women, but are actually synthetic lifeforms clad in matching grey and black uniforms.  Their movements are perfectly synchronized.

SFX: CLUMP CLUMP CLUMP

Caption: We're only

3/ At the edge of a park, excruciatingly maintained despite never having been used, march the women.  They pass under a series of street lights that overhang the path.  One such light, with what appears to be a loose bulb, looms in the foreground, still several lights away from the women.

Caption: We're only here

4/ Their feet.  In the quiet city, the noise they make is easily heard.

SFX: CLUMP CLUMP CLUMP

Caption: We're only here to

5/ The bulb in the light begins to rattle.

Caption: We're only here to make

6/ As the women march under the street light with the loose bulb, it falls, striking the final woman in the head, causing her to crumple instantly.  She falls out of consciousness and line with the others.

Caption: We're only here to make you

SFX: CLUNK

SFX: CLUMP CLUMP CLUMP

7/ The women continue.  Either they are unaware that they are one less, or it is of no concern.

SFX: CLUMP CLUMP CLUMP

Caption: We're only here to make you go.

GO: “Gentse Fiesten” --David Press.

Not sure I like this page at all, mostly because I wasn't sure what to do with the prompt, so I went with a memory from my twenties and a case of European weirdness.

PAGE ONE.

1.1: OPEN on a wide panel setting our scene. We’re looking down at a cement boardwalk along a river where people sit smoking cigarettes. Across the river we can see the old Belgian city, GHENT, and it’s spire churches. A few JUMBOTRONS hang off the church spires displaying DJs and shooting off light shows into the dark river.

            It’s July 2002. I’m walking with MERRE, a blonde Belgian med student.

CAPTION [ME]:        When I was 21 I had the opportunity to go to Ghent, Belgium for the Ghentse Fiesten.

1.2: The Ghentse Fiesten is basically Mardi Gras, but for Ghent and it’s a three-week long street party that’s been celebrated since…I think the 1600s.

             Merre is introducing me to one guy: shaved head, leather jacket, ripped jeans and a t-shirt. Very European looking whereas I’m half drunk/stoned and look like a despicable American college student. I’m wearing a sportsball t-shirt, jeans, and Converses. You couldn’t pin “American” on me and miss me.

           

MERRE:           Dave, this is Doman, he’s going to show us a trick that might be useful to bring back to your American frat house.

ME:                  I don…don’t have frat houses…

1.3: Still on the second tier, but this time Doman is brandishing a ONE-HITTER bowl fitted to a sour cream and onion Pringles can. Chips are flying out of his mouth.

            In the background, THE WOMAN from the Chemical Brothers video strolls by swinging a pole around.

ME [O.P.]:           Who needs to join a sodomy clubhouse to make friends? Harvard kids that’s who.

DOMAN:              I like dis guy.

1.4: Doman takes a hit just as the FIVE WOMEN from the video in the silver bullet costumes progress across the panel rowing the poles in front of them. Me and Merre are looking at them. Take up about half the third tier.

ME:                  What the…?

1.5: Stupified we’re all looking forward at the reader, staring at the Women in the Silver Bullet costumes doing the routine in the foreground. Doman is passing the Pringles Can off to me.

DOMAN:               Take a hit off this--then you will understand.

--END--

Go - Starting Line - Perry Kent

 

Panel 1

External, day. A DOCTOR with a clipboard stands by the side of a track. BOB, seen only from the abdomen and up, stands on the track ready to go. BOB is wearing goggles.

1. DOCTOR: We can start when you're ready. Just do your best.

2. BOB: Let's do this.

Panel 2

Seen from above. BOB runs along the track and has already made considerable distance from his starting point near the DOCTOR.

3. DOCTOR: GO!!!

Panel 3

Split panel. Top split: BOB races across the panel in a blur. Bottom split: A speedometer in the DOCTOR's hand reads "98 MPH".

Panel 4

BOB leans against a wall, huffing and puffing. The DOCTOR, standing nearby, talks excitedly. BOB can still only be seen from the abdomen and up.

4. DOCTOR: Incredible! You beat all of my wildest expectations!

5. BOB: Yeah… That was… good.

Panel 5

BOB and the DOCTOR shake hands, both very happy. This panel has a full reveal of BOB, with cybernetic prosthetic legs.

6. DOCTOR: Are you willing to do more experiments with the prosthetics?

7. BOB: Hell yes!

-END-

Go – Go The Distance – MK Stangeland Jr.

Go – Go The Distance – MK Stangeland Jr.

(6 Panels)

Panel 1: A normal looking city street. Not highly active, but there are a handful of people going about their normal day.

Panel 2: The people react to something approaching from off-panel.

LEAD GNOME: (Off-Panel) STROKE! STROKE! STROKE!

Panel 3: A team of seven GNOMES push a small longboat down the street, which seemingly ‘floats’ on top of the road. Six of the gnomes are rowing, the seventh is calling strokes and coordinating their movement.

LEAD GNOME: STROKE! STROKE! STROKE!

Panel 4: The people watch dumbfounded as the boat keeps going on past them.

LEAD GNOME: (Off-Panel) STROKE! STROKE! STROKE!

Panel 5: The people turn and watch in shock as another boat pushes through, similar to the first, but is crewed by seven DWARVES instead of GNOMES.

LEAD DWARF: STROKE! STROKE! STROKE!

Panel 6: The people stand and watch without any clue what to do or how to react to the two boats rowing down the street, one after the other.

LEAD GNOME: STROKE! STROKE! STROKE! STROKE!

LEAD DWARF: STROKE! STROKE! STROKE! STROKE!

(END PAGE)

Go - Won't Take Our Soul - Grant McLaughlin

While we're on a written script (as per the norm), the "visuals" are where I'd say some of this week's influence shines through brightest.  This page is set in a futuristic city - think curves, enormous skyscrapers, walkways in the sky, neon, flying cars, and that kind of thing.

Metric is our lead and she's bedecked like a true cyberpunk heroine - partially shaved head, dyed hair, tattoos, fingerless gloves, and futristic clothing / accessories (including "floating" bracelets around her wrists).

1 - Metric runs along a bridge made of neon blue light connecting two skywalks (sidewalks in the sky) far above the city's floor.  She holds a big neon sphere in one hand that seems to be pulsating a rainbow of colours (changing from panel to panel).  Sheets of skyscrapers are on either side, along with said aforementioned skywalks.  Two faceless copbots chase her - they are black and silver, with red visor eyes (like Cyclops) glowing bright and "POLICE" written on their chests.

CAPTION: Metropolis on the edge of control.

2 - On the other side of the one of the skyscrapers, Metric races around the corner of the skywalk, barely managing to keep her balance and avoid tumbling over the railway.  She is flying, she's running so fast.

CAPTION: Can't think.

3 - Close on Metric's eyes, going wide at what she sees.

CAPTION: Can't sleep.

4 - On the end of the skywalk Metric is racing towards - the lightbridge is broken in this instance, leaving a significant gap between skywalks.

CAPTION: Can't breathe.

5 - Metric takes a big leap off the guardrail next to the broken lightbridge space, legs extending to get as much hang-time as possible.  The copbots are behind her, trying to catch up.

CAPTION: No time to rest.

6 - Repeat panel, but Metric is gone.  The copbots look down over the edge of their skywalk towards the ground below.

7 - Repeat panel, but Metric's hand reaches up from below the railway (on the side she was jumping towards), signifying that she just barely managed to make the leap.  The copbots turn and run off, trying to find another way to catch her.

CAPTION: Just do your best.

Why Go?

Have you ever loved a song?

I mean, I'm going to take it for granted that as a living, breathing, feeling person you have on at least one occasion had a ditty bouncing around your head for longer than you've intended, but have you ever gotten a song so intermingled with yourself and your brain that no matter what you did it just wouldn't go?

This happens to me with some regularity, where I find myself returning to a song (or album) over and over, listening to it ad infinitum, ready to hear it again the moment it finishes.  My latest kick is The Chemical Brothers' "Go".  Well, it's really been entire "Born in the Echoes" album, but "Go" is the catchiest bit.  I've been going at it for a couple of months and I'm still always ready to hear more.

So it may seem a bit selfish to use that as the motivation for my pick, but there is a silver lining of magnanimity in all this.  It may very well be that the song doesn't hit you the same way it's grabbed me, but I can't help but share it if there's even the off-chance that it snags you the same way it's gotten me.  I've enjoyed my experience so thoroughly that it only seems right to try to pass it on to others.

Plus, I'm always fascinated to see others' interpretations, so I'm jazzed to discover how everyone parses this particular tune.  As always, if you're reading from home, I'd love to see your take, so please don't hesitate to throw a script down in the comments below!