Many art supply stores have wooden pose-able models in sizes from keychain to full scale. The one double-track-drawn here is about four inches high. I took approximately the same liberties with flexure and expression as Gene Colan did with his renderings of Iron Man, lo these several decades past.

(About seven years ago I sent “Genial Gene” a gushing fan e-mail, praising his storytelling illustration, and he quickly and nicely answered in true gentleman fashion. Just found out three minutes ago that he died in 2011. Alas! Here’s a link for the curious: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Colan )

Anyway, it occurred to me that these anonymous mannequinesques would make good chess pawns, and I’ve been into grids lately, so…

Here are the words, for the third time, sort of:

Participants should come a’board’–we’ll start ASAP
And then ‘square’ off in reenacted war or game or deal
Whine, loose or drawl: no ‘stale mate’ allowed, nor bargained plea
Nor b’rook’ing op’position’ via mattress glue–too sealy