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Annotations Every Day - Written by T Campbell & Flo Kahn - Illustrated by John & Jason Waltrip

The one where they get the job done.

Chapter 7 – Cover

on September 6, 2010
Chapter: Chapter 07
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Discussion (86) ¬

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  1. Bandgor
    Bandgor
    September 6, 2010, 12:48 am | # | Reply

    5 pawns on the board, hmmmmmm

    • Em
      Em
      September 6, 2010, 1:05 am | # | Reply

      WHOEVER COULD THEY BE?!

    • Rognik
      Rognik
      December 17, 2010, 1:00 pm | # | Reply

      Like heroes are ever anything other than pawns in some game or another. I swear, having the boss turn out to be the bad guy is very nearly cliche.

  2. Math_Mage
    Math_Mage
    September 6, 2010, 1:04 am | # | Reply

    Implausible chess position is implausible. =P

    • Zero
      Zero
      September 6, 2010, 10:28 am | # | Reply

      “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

      also, checkmate in three moves. ^^

    • figgyleaf
      figgyleaf
      September 6, 2010, 7:51 pm | # | Reply

      tecnicly its possible. there is a chess move called “en passent”, french for “in passing”. i forget the exact details but the pawn moves diaganly and takes the pice it was beside so…

      • Dojang
        Dojang
        September 6, 2010, 8:14 pm | # | Reply

        i hate it when people don’t know that move. you take the peice and they’re all “what the hell. that’s not a real move.” then you have to go dig up the rulebook.

        • SotiCoto
          SotiCoto
          January 19, 2015, 2:20 am | # | Reply

          I’d bet money that at some point it was a “house rule” that somehow got promoted to International rules along the line.

      • JG
        JG
        September 9, 2010, 4:24 pm | # | Reply

        Bandit took the black bishop “en passant”.

        • Schlock
          Schlock
          September 14, 2010, 12:45 am | # | Reply

          The impression I got from wikipedia is that it only works against another pawn on it’s initial move

      • Math_Mage
        Math_Mage
        September 21, 2010, 2:07 am | # | Reply

        I said ‘implausible’, not ‘impossible’. It doesn’t make sense as a chess position; that’s not to say it couldn’t happen.

        Also, none of you know what en passant is, apparently (except Schlock). None of the pawns in the current position could have taken en passant, because they would be on the sixth rank (or third for black’s pawns).

  3. Gravedigger
    Gravedigger
    September 6, 2010, 1:11 am | # | Reply

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but the lack of a king means that it’s impossible for white to lose.

    • Carl-E
      Carl-E
      September 6, 2010, 2:59 am | # | Reply

      I see no black king, either. Just a black queen…

      • matt w
        matt w
        September 6, 2010, 7:08 am | # | Reply

        The black king is at e8, right? The black queen is at f8 for some reason. The white king could be offscreen, though I think it’s more likely that Frigg threw it at someone.

        • matt w
          matt w
          September 6, 2010, 7:09 am | # | Reply

          I mean, offscreen at h1 or so.

        • Hypothetical
          Hypothetical
          September 6, 2010, 7:32 am | # | Reply

          It looks like the K and Q are shifted one space to the left, the Queens Bishop has moved into a redoubt position where the Queen’s Rook should be. Or is that a Rook and the piece at F4 is the Queen’s Bishop?

          I wish we could see White’s F-H spaces, and knew who’s turn it was.

          • Dain
            Dain
            September 6, 2010, 10:07 am | # | Reply

            For shame, creative team. You should have known the D&D crowd rolled with Tha Chess Club Playaz :-P

            • Hypothetical
              Hypothetical
              September 6, 2010, 1:50 pm | # | Reply

              Geeks of a feather….

    • ahdok
      ahdok
      September 6, 2010, 3:43 am | # | Reply

      You’re wrong, if you don’t have a king then you’ve already lost. :)

      • BeetlesBane
        BeetlesBane
        September 6, 2010, 9:09 am | # | Reply

        Only in Blitz; in OTB it means you’ve won!

    • TxGator
      TxGator
      September 6, 2010, 5:58 pm | # | Reply

      Actually, wouldn’t that mean they already lost?

  4. SaltyKracka
    SaltyKracka
    September 6, 2010, 1:41 am | # | Reply

    DURR HURR I’M AN AUTHOR AND I’M USIN’ CHESS MOTIFS DURR HURR

    THEY BETTER GIVE ME SOME FUCKIN’ PRIZES FOR THIS SHIT CAUSE THIS IS MOFN’ ORIGINAL GENIUS RIGHT HERE

    I MEAN GODDAMN, NOBODY BUT NOBODY EVER THOUGHT OF USING CHESS MOTIFS BEFORE I DID CAUSE I’M SUCH A GODDAMN GENIUS

    HUGO AWARD RIGHT HERE

    • Devon
      Devon
      September 6, 2010, 2:06 am | # | Reply

      dude, what? who cares, it works. i wish more authors had chess motifs in their stories, just because you need a pretty good story to use a decent chess image like this.

    • Carl-E
      Carl-E
      September 6, 2010, 2:58 am | # | Reply

      Obvious troll is obvious.

      • Niall
        Niall
        September 6, 2010, 5:02 am | # | Reply

        Ooooooooh, this is an exquisite example of blatant anti-subtle trolling! Observe: the permanent capitals, the sarcastic imitation of the author in order to enrage on a personal level, the passive aggressive attack on apparent perceived lack of originality. I particularly enjoy the lack of punctuation save for the apostrophes, often used to replace “G” in present participle verbs. Such craftsmanship, such elegance, such dipsomaniacal flair! It’s comparable to a fine, aged brandy that somebody spat in while you weren’t looking.

        • Dojang
          Dojang
          September 6, 2010, 6:42 am | # | Reply

          i dunno, the style lacks subtlety. sarcasm is at it’s best when calmly delivered in well crafted, punctual and seemingly complimentary paragraphs. the way our troll has capitalised his comment feels a little less like mockery and more like a personal cry for help… maybe because in the perceived misuse of a visual metaphor here, he sees his own lack of creative potential.

        • Joe
          Joe
          September 6, 2010, 9:23 am | # | Reply

          More like a wine that someone pissed in in front of you.
          Nobody knows if you spat in the brandy.

          • Niall
            Niall
            September 6, 2010, 10:13 pm | # | Reply

            Not immediately…

            • Cote
              Cote
              September 7, 2010, 7:02 pm | # | Reply

              I love how the community here immediately jumped the troll and metaphorically beat him to death. This happens a lot on the forums I’ve seen, but I’ve never witnessed it done with such class.

              Well played guildies!

              Cheers,

              Cote

              PS I personally think this comment was more like a hot pepper found in a piece of chocolate cake: Irritating, but essentially forgettable, though it does leave an unpleasant taste behind.

              • Joe
                Joe
                September 7, 2010, 11:53 pm | # | Reply

                You would be surprised how well peppers go with chocolate.

        • SotiCoto
          SotiCoto
          January 19, 2015, 2:27 am | # | Reply

          Looks like a double-bluff to me.
          Usually the things that look most blatantly like trolling aren’t trolling at all.

          But then given that the average Internet commoner loves to form lynch-mobs against anyone they can possibly label as a “troll” (read: almost anything with a negative tone that they personally disagree with), it isn’t surprising to see it thrown around here.

          It really ought to be kept in mind that real trolling has a very particular purpose in mind, and without that explicit intent to rile emotional reaction the label is wrong. Neither is it a reasonable approach to any opposing situation to automatically throw that label out there by default.

          In the case of the above all-bold comment… I expect it is just unsubtle complaint. Not trolling.

    • Deraymou
      Deraymou
      September 6, 2010, 8:30 am | # | Reply

      I’ll bet the troll wouldn’t have even recognized the chess motif without others’ pointing it out.
      He wolda been all “WHAT THE EFFS?! WHY DEY USE CHESS BORED FOR COVER? WERE R THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PALYING?!”

      • Dojang
        Dojang
        September 6, 2010, 9:46 am | # | Reply

        “THOSE ARE FUNNY LOOKIN CHECKAS.”

      • SotiCoto
        SotiCoto
        January 19, 2015, 2:29 am | # | Reply

        But then if the stupid knew what stupidity looked like, they’d never be able to look in the mirror again.

    • Phil
      Flo
      September 6, 2010, 10:39 am | # | Reply

      I’m sayin’!

      Where the fuck is my Goddamned Eisner for this shit?

      • barsukthom
        barsukthom
        September 6, 2010, 10:50 am | # | Reply

        Yo’ Eisner been jacked by Miller, yo?

    • Balmar Foghaven
      Balmar Foghaven
      September 6, 2010, 12:42 pm | # | Reply

      Very nice speech there, Salty. Did your mother write it for you?

    • The Indomitable Eric
      The Indomitable Eric
      September 6, 2010, 4:28 pm | # | Reply

      Babby’s first troll

    • ahdok
      ahdok
      September 6, 2010, 7:49 pm | # | Reply

      Instead of philosophy, message contained bobcat, would not buy again.

      • Nate
        Nate
        September 7, 2010, 7:31 pm | # | Reply

        Plus one internet to you for that reference.

        • Kilroy Quartermaine
          Kilroy Quartermaine
          September 15, 2010, 3:12 pm | # | Reply

          I think perhaps I subtract one of my internets for not catching it.

    • Grumblebug
      Grumblebug
      September 7, 2010, 10:46 am | # | Reply

      Motifs? Don’t we mean metaphors? I don’t think we’ve seen enough examples for it to qualify as a motif — and I’m not sure utilization as a chapter heading could ever be identified as motif, either. It’s got the wrong literary feel; motif is used to characterize and provide continuity, not to provide additional depth of meaning through comparison to something with specific similarities. (That would be metaphor, or analogy.)

      • SotiCoto
        SotiCoto
        January 19, 2015, 2:30 am | # | Reply

        Generally a sign that someone went to TVTropes first and came away with something of a misunderstanding.

    • Dwarffft
      Dwarffft
      September 18, 2010, 7:43 am | # | Reply

      A fine piece of +troll artwork+, encircled with bands of masterfully crafted *sarcasm boners*, menacing with spikes of stupid.

    • JarrysKid
      JarrysKid
      January 13, 2012, 4:09 pm | # | Reply

      Translation: I don’t understand/like what you mean/did. Therefore, you are superior to mestupid.

  5. Doop doop
    Doop doop
    September 6, 2010, 2:57 am | # | Reply

    Wonder if this one will have any flashbacks or not.

    I’m assuming not. In which case we get our super level upped party!

  6. Somebodyelse
    Somebodyelse
    September 6, 2010, 3:36 am | # | Reply

    i think they are flash forwards, not backs.

  7. Cid
    Cid
    September 6, 2010, 6:52 am | # | Reply

    Where is the promised hotness??

    • Hypothetical
      Hypothetical
      September 6, 2010, 10:00 am | # | Reply

      Obviously Frigg and Banfit are playing Strip Chess.

      Looks like Frigg is winning…

    • Phil
      Flo
      September 6, 2010, 10:44 am | # | Reply

      Who promised hotness?

      • barsukthom
        barsukthom
        September 6, 2010, 10:51 am | # | Reply

        Hotness is implied by the lack of denial of impending hotness.
        If Not Not A Then A.

      • Dojang
        Dojang
        September 6, 2010, 7:27 pm | # | Reply

        i believe that using the cover of a swimsuit edition magazine for the one year anniversary implied we’d be flooded with pinups for the rest of the week.

    • ahdok
      ahdok
      September 6, 2010, 7:50 pm | # | Reply

      Are you saying that the fans of this comic should be drawing more scantily clad fanart?

      • figgyleaf
        figgyleaf
        September 6, 2010, 7:55 pm | # | Reply

        HELL YEAH!!

      • Phil
        Flo
        September 6, 2010, 7:57 pm | # | Reply

        I’m not saying they shouldn’t do that.

        • ahdok
          ahdok
          September 7, 2010, 6:32 pm | # | Reply

          hmm.

          I’m away at a larp event this weekend, but give me the week after and I’ll see what I can rustle up.

          • Nate
            Nate
            September 7, 2010, 7:35 pm | # | Reply

            Better idea: Go to LARP, find female GA fans, start a sexy GA cosplay trend. Actually, see if you can find some guys to cosplay as Byron and Payet too. It’s 2010 we should cater to both sexes (and in some cases the same sex I guess).

            I’d suggest looking for a Gravedust, but unless you’re willing to go recruiting in a biker bar or at a ZZ Top concert, I think that’s a quest doomed to failure. Unless you find a homeless guy dressed like him by pure coincidence.

            • Phil
              Flo
              September 7, 2010, 7:40 pm | # | Reply

              Second.

            • ahdok
              ahdok
              September 9, 2010, 4:59 pm | # | Reply

              Hmm. I *do* have a female larper friend who acts a bit like Frigg,wears plate, and often has reddish hair – so one down.

  8. Jean-Luc
    Jean-Luc
    September 6, 2010, 1:13 pm | # | Reply

    Where’s Christopher Lambert when you need him?

    • bwernard
      bwernard
      September 6, 2010, 4:25 pm | # | Reply

      He better be cutting other immortal’s heads, instead of mentoring martial artists in a fight tournament that could change the fate of the world.

      • Nate
        Nate
        September 7, 2010, 7:36 pm | # | Reply

        I hear they’re remaking Highlander. Maybe he’s involved in that.

        • Jean-Luc
          Jean-Luc
          September 7, 2010, 11:09 pm | # | Reply

          My attempt at a joke was actually a reference to CL’s “Knight Moves” movie. You know, because of chess.

          Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104627/

  9. Hawk
    Hawk
    September 7, 2010, 8:54 am | # | Reply

    I have no knowledge of chess. Except for that song off of the Chess Album. Yes, I am more of a goofball than you guys.

    But, I like the cover anyway. I get the metaphor – the party of adventurers as someone’s pawns (the White Queen perhaps?). I also like the apparent polarization of the party vs their opponents – which is actually very ironic considering all the debates about Frigg’s true alignment, etc etc. So from a literary, analytical standpoint, this cover is awesome.

    From a doofus standpoint, it’s pretty :D

  10. fehler
    fehler
    September 7, 2010, 11:46 am | # | Reply

    I don’t know much about chess, but how did that black pawn move backwards?

    • SteelRaven
      SteelRaven
      September 7, 2010, 1:07 pm | # | Reply

      It didn’t move at all

    • Hypothetical
      Hypothetical
      September 8, 2010, 3:30 am | # | Reply

      It’s not a pawn at all, it’s either a Rook or a Bishop. Probably a Rook. ( Look at the height difference compared to the pawns….)

  11. SteelRaven
    SteelRaven
    September 7, 2010, 1:11 pm | # | Reply

    You can’t see the entire board so the two kings could be in ether corner.

    Ether way, those pawns could do some damage.

  12. Cote
    Cote
    September 7, 2010, 7:11 pm | # | Reply

    I’m a bit surprised that everyone is assuming that our heroes are the WHITE pieces. My first impression was the opposite, since a set of pawns are way too similar to stand in for the party, in my mind. It also brings up an interesting idea, i.e. which chess piece would each character be? Frigg is clearly a rook (Runs in straight lines and bashes things), I’d peg Byron as a King type (runs the show, and has a perceived lack of utility according to the fan commentary) but I’m not so sure for the others, Gravedust as a Bishop? Syr’ng as a knight? Poor Bandit may be stuck with the pawn, though I suppose it fits with the size and the fact that she can sneak through your lines and wreak havoc from the rear . . .

    Thoughts?

    • matt w
      matt w
      September 8, 2010, 7:28 am | # | Reply

      There’s five of ’em.

    • SotiCoto
      SotiCoto
      January 19, 2015, 2:44 am | # | Reply

      I just assumed it was a random image of a chess-board with randomly placed pieces that had nothing whatsoever to do with the plot because symbolism is for losers.

      And should you so choose, you may decide for yourself whether I was being sarcastic there or not.

  13. Hypothetical
    Hypothetical
    September 8, 2010, 3:37 am | # | Reply

    Bandit as a pawn would make perfect sense.

    If she survives long enough to reach the final file she Prestige Classes into a Queen and goes all “Hyper Sneak Attack” on the leadership.

    I see Byron more as the Knight ( skilled fighter, can wreak havok if he ever Beserks) and Syr as the second Bishop.

    Frigg is more like the starting Queen. Very strong, can strike from long distance at most an angle, and hard to trap unless you are very sneaky.

    • ahdok
      ahdok
      September 9, 2010, 4:59 pm | # | Reply

      Frig can strike at long distances?

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Guilded Age is co-written by T Campbell & Flo Kahn, and illustrated by John Waltrip. Site design by Samantha Kyle. Fonts by Blambot.com.
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