MythTickle by Justin Thompson for May 20, 2009

Dudley just flagstaffed a bishop move. Does the Knight’s Code of Chivalry cover chess conduct?

Cheating death is such a fun pastime.

Everybody tries to cheat the reaper.

Far Side rip off.

wouldn’t cheat you? In a heartattack.

One down, six seals to go.

Sheesh thats a new one ?

Was this the Seventh Time Dudleyy tried that exact same trick? Was Justin channeling Ingmar Bergman on this one? Check!

Hey Justin, Nice job on “Legend of Bill”!

Oooooh, you guys are good. You got the Bergman reference. Nice.

Aw hell. Here’s me laughing at the Ingmar Bergman reference, only to look at the comments and see jestrfyl has beaten me to it. We’re a smart group of readers, we are! Well done as always, Justin!

“The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy” had a similar game of chess.

yes, Ingmar Bergman did it first.

Heh.

Did you ever see the Oscar-winning short film “Die Düva”? (Which, incidentally, is Madeline Kahn’s first film appearance.)

Badminton.

And in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novel “Maskerade”, witch Granny Weatherwax lays a game of poker against Death for the life of a sick child - if she wins, death takes a sick calf in the inn’s barn. If she loses, Death takes her.

She deals; five cards, straight showdown poker, no draw.

And just before the showdown Death says “…and now we swap hands.”

Granny sighs, does so, and shows four kings (in the hand she dealt to Death).

Death looks at his own hand, says, “It seems I lose - I have only four ones.”

Justin, I’m surprised you are surprised at your readers getting the Bergman reference. We are a more intellectual lot than most comics fans.

Check this xkcd tribute after Gary Gygax died: http://xkcd.com/393/

In Die Düva, which i mentioned above, the guy plays badminton with death.

And wins when Death is distracted by a dove pooping on his nice clean robe…

Some days you’re the pigeon, some days you’re the statue ;-)