KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH-"Water Me"--David Press

PAGE ONE.

1.1: A BOY, probably between the ages of ten and twelve, walks with a GIANT PANDA next to him in a green field. The boy wears overalls and a baseball hat. The Panda is carrying a basket—let’s called the boy ZACK and the Panda is MERTON.

ZACK:                                    Ma needs us to pick the apples for my birthday desert.

MERTON:                              Well we better get on it!

1.2: They stand in front of a creek, their basket filled with green and red apples. Zack is skipping rocks across the pond—we can see the little puddles stretching out into the lake.

NO DIALOGUE.

1.3: Merton picks up something from the rocky shore. It’s GOLDEN. Just focus on his furry palm.

ZACK [O.P.]:                         Whatcha got?

1.4: In a Tarantino-style shot, they look down at the golden pebble in Merton’s hand.

ZACK:                                    We’re rich!

1.5: They’re on their hands and knees filling up their basket with gold stones and TOSSING the apples.

ZACK:                                    This is the best birthday ever! Wait’ll Ma see.

MERTON:                              I think we may be on our way to subsidizing the national debt!

--END--

Klondike Gold Rush - The Great Alaskan Pickaxe - Perry Kent

Please forgive me for the sin of this comic. I had a much more serious, thought provoking one, but this one kept making me smile. Ergo I thought to inflict it upon the world.

Panel 1

Frankie, a rough looking miner with worn out coveralls, comes running into a small camp scared out of his mind. The small mining camp is occupied by Billy Bob and Herb, two nearly identical miners distinguished only by the color of their hair (Billy Bob has red, Herb has blond). The identical miners are startled at the intrusion of the shrieking man.

1. FRANKIE: BEAR! There's a bear out there!

Panel 2

Billy Bob has a hold of Frankie as the two men question the terrified man. Frankie looks scared out of his mind.

2. BILLY BOB: A bear? Where?

3. FRANKIE: At the panning site! Has ol' Louis and really ol' Louie up a tree!

Panel 3

Herb and Billy Bob shout at each other as they work up a solution.

4. HERB: This is a job too dangerous for mortal miner!

5. BILLY BOB: We need a hero!

6. HERB: A legend!

7. BILLY BOB and HERB: We need The Great Alaskan Pickaxe!

Panel 4

Herb blows furiously on a whistle that is shaped like the head of a moose with it's jaw open.

8. SFX (whistle): HHHHAAAA-WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Panel 5

The Great Alaskan Pickaxe sits atop a muscular mule listening to the wind. He has a large brown beard and stocking cap. He wears a red and black flannel shirt that is bursting with muscles. Sticking above his shoulder is shining pickaxe.

9. PICKAXE: Hark! I hear the Axe Call.

10. PICKAXE: Come little Mallet, we must attend!

- END -

Klondike Gold Rush – 8-16-16 – MK Stangeland, Jr.

(3 Panels)

Panel 1: SNOOPY is walking along, outfitted with assorted prospecting gear, with WOODSTOCK and a team of birds following behind carrying other supplies.

SNOOPY: Here’s the world-famous Gold Prospector, marching to the Klondike with his loyal prospecting team.

Panel 2: SNOOPY and the BIRDS stop and watch as LINUS walks on by.

LINUS: You’re going to need a lot more clothing if you don’t want to freeze in the frozen wastes of the Klondike.

Panel 3: SNOOPY and the BIRDS keep on marching forward, a large smile on each of their faces.

SNOOPY: Beagle fur and bird feathers are far more potent than any clothing we could possibly be carrying.

(END PAGE)

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...

Why the Klondike Gold Rush?

Over 130 years ago, a small family of prospectors discovered a rich vein of ore along Bonanza Creek, deep in the Yukon. News of their findings spread quickly, and before the end of the month, all of Bonanza had been claimed, as well as its tributaries.

By July, almost a year later, two ships came in to Seattle bearing nearly one billion dollars (adjusted) in gold, further enticing those brave enough, foolish enough, or both, to pack up their homestead and get moving.  And though an estimated 100,000 made the trip to the fabled Canadas, roughly 40,000 ever arrived, and fewer still made their fortunes.

Historian Pierre Berton described the Klondike as "just far enough away to be romantic and just close enough to be accessible", which sounds an awful lot like another industry we promote here on Thought Balloons.  If you're likewise inclined, grab your gear and mine along with us.