One Response to “Superchess”

1. Christopher says:
   

   Transcript for “Superchess”

   1) Poet: Bishop to F6, Chance.
   2) P: “The College of Cardinals promotes your dark-square bishop to Pope. He may excommunicate one of your opponent’s minor pieces from the board”. Let’s see…your bishop.
   3) Ben: Knight to E7. Community Chest.
   4) B: “Your queen elopes with the queen’s knight. Execute your queen, but place a bastard pawn anywhere on the board.”
   5) P: I think I like Chess Classic better than this.
   B: No way. This is much better. Chess classic is too slow; Super Chess Actually has an element of surprise.
   6) P: But that just cheapens the game. I built up a brilliant attack last time and the wheel of despondency turned all my pawns into a gang of anarchists.
   B: That’s what’s great — anyone can win at any time.
   7) P: But there’s no honor in winning a game that’s all luck and no strategy. It’s like winning a lottery.
   B: What are you talking about? There’s TONS of honor in winning The Lottery! Millions of dollars worth of honor!
   8.) I just liked chess more when it was about tactics and foresight, not this hokey concoction of spinning wheels and ouija boards.
   9) P: Well, anyway, my queen is threatening touchdown, so you’d–
   B: Ha! I got the “Win the Game” card! You lose again, sucker!

   Notes:
   This strip was written back in the day when Poet was about the comedy, less about social issues. Sometimes I miss those days. I had a lot of fun writing this, coming up with clever Super Chess cards.

   I love the way Ben conflates “a lottery” with “The Lottery”.

   Frame 4 contains probably the most-erased thing I’ve ever drawn. This was back when hands still gave me a lot of trouble, and Ben’s right hand in that frame nearly ended my career. It still looks pretty shitty to me, not like it matters to anyone.

   Also, that table seems to be hovering without legs.

   April 4th, 2008 at 8:53 pm

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