History Webcomic / ClockworkGame

''[[https://clockworkgame.com Clockwork Game]]'' is the story of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turk The Turk]], the world's first chess-playing automaton, put into webcomic form by Jane Irwin. Built in 1770 by Wolfgang von Kempelen, it would astound audiences for decades.

* PressStartToGameOver: The Fool's Mate, the shortest victory in TabletopGame/{{Chess}}, [[https://clockworkgame.com/2013/06/20/figure-it-out-for-yourself/ makes an appearance]].

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: At one point, PT Barnum makes a brief appearance, where we learn of his own hoaxes... one of which was passing off a slave he owned as the world's oldest woman.

* ArtisticLicense: From time to time, especially for storytelling purposes. In particular is the explanation of the Turk's inner workings; as the original no longer exists and there are [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup no blueprints]], Jane Irwin ''could not'' do the research and her guess is as good as any. Certainly, what she presents was in line with the technology of the day.
* BasedOnAGreatBigLie: A meta example; The Turk itself was the lie (or rather, the hoax). It's fallacious nature was clarified in the first chapter, and explained in the second.

* DownerEnding: The comic ends with the destruction of The Turk in a fire.

* PressStartToGameOver: The Fool's Mate, the shortest victory in TabletopGame/{{Chess}}, makes an appearance.

* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: There are no blueprints showing how TheTurk was actually built.

** After Will Schlumberger dies, Johann Maelzel becomes this as well, [[http://www.clockwork-comics.com/2013/06/27/this-comes-as-quite-a-shock/ eventually drinking himself to death]]

** [[http://www.clockwork-comics.com/2011/07/14/his_imperial_majesty_has_hereb/ The Turk's builder, Wolfgang von Kempelen]].
** The death of William Schlumberger of Yellow Fever [[http://www.clockwork-comics.com/2013/05/02/ha/ starts with a mosquito bite]] and goes for the next few scripts.
** [[http://www.clockwork-comics.com/2013/06/27/this-comes-as-quite-a-shock/ Maelzel's death occurs offscreen,]] but is mentioned nonetheless.

* BloodFromTheMouth: William Schlumburger [[http://www.clockwork-comics.com/2013/05/02/ha/ after being bit by a mosquito]] and [[http://www.clockwork-comics.com/2013/05/09/show-starts-in-half-an-hour/ contracting Yellow Fever]]. The final stage includes "[[BadBlackBarf Black Vomit]]", when the victim pukes up partially digested blood.

* OpenSaysMe: Maelzel busts down Schlumburger's door, believing his director is too drunk to perform. Turns out, Schlumburger isn't drunk--''[[http://www.clockwork-comics.com/2013/05/09/show-starts-in-half-an-hour/ he's dying]]''.
* PressStartToGameOver: The Fool's Mate, the shortest victory in TabletopGame/{{Chess}}, [[http://www.clockwork-comics.com/ makes an appearance]].

''[[http://www.clockwork-comics.com/ Clockwork Game]]'' is the story of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turk The Turk]], the world's first chess-playing automaton, put into webcomic form by Jane Irwin. Built in 1770 by Wolfgang von Kempelen, it would astound audiences for decades.

* SuddenlyVoiced: [[http://www.clockwork-comics.com/2012/02/09/the-automaton-is-full-of-surprises/ The Automaton is full of surprises.]] All it can say, though, is "Echec".

* FollowTheLeader: Hinted at and borne out by history. While The Turk was a hoax, Jozsef von Bittó pointed out to his future father-in-law Kempelen that it had given others the ''idea'' of machines that could make their own decisions. The Automaton would inspire engineers to create machines to perform calculations and, two centuries later, actual chess-playing machines would exist in the form of computer chess programs.

* LongRunner: The Turk itself, from 1770 to its destruction by fire in 1854--84 years.

* FraudsAndFoolies: The most famous chess hoax of all time.