History Main / PrematurelyMarkedGrave

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''. After Rango takes on the job of the new sheriff of Dirt, the citizens quickly prepare for his demise, including the undertaker constructing a new coffin for him.

** Module I10 ''Revenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill''. In the Weathermay Mausoleum, the PlayerCharacters will find a room with a number of open drawers in the wall equal to the number pf {{PC}}s. Each drawer has a plate mounted on it with the name of one of the {{PC}}s. They have been prepared by the Creature for the {{PC}}s when they die.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'': In the October 28, 1982 strip, Garfield and Jon decide to stay in a spooky old house for the night, since their car has broken down en route to Jon's parents' home. As they head for the house, Garfield spies a tombstone with his name and a death date of October 30, 1982. [[spoiler:Two strips later, Garfield and Jon are terrified out of their wits by a shadowy figure, who turns out to be Jon's dad (who'd come looking for them when they didn't show). With this reveal, Garfield remarks "One life down, eight to go."]]

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'': In the October 28, 1982 strip, Garfield and Jon decide to stay in a spooky old house for the night, since their car has broken down en route to Jon's parents' home. As they head for the house, Garfield spies a tombstone with his name and a death date of October 30, 1982. [[spoiler:Two strips later, Garfield and Jon are terrified out of their wits by a shadowy figure, who turns out to be Jon's dad (who'd come looking for them). With this reveal, Garfield remarks "One life down, eight to go."]]

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* ''ComicBook/{{Tintin}}'': In ''Recap/TintinCigarsOfThePharaoh'', Tintin and Snowy enter an Egyptian tomb where several bodies of other archeologists are who dared to enter it have been mummified. They all stand next to each other on display. At the end of these, to his horror, there are empty sarcophaguses bearing the names of himself, Snowy and Dr. Sarcophagus. He immediately realizes he needs to escape.

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* The short comic ''[[http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=109863&page=1 It's Your Funeral Nintendo ... Again]]'' features one with the date being updated.

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* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E8MotherSimpson Mother Simpson]]": When Homer [[{{ItMakesSenseInContext}} fakes his death]], Patty and Selma visit Marge to present her a gravestone with Homer's name on it, revealing they have been saving for it since Marge's wedding day (the epitaph is "We are richer in having lost him"). After Marge throws them out, they start using it as a coffee table, which is how Mr Burns and the FBI eventually find out who Mona Simpson is.

--> '''Skinner''': Did they have to guess my date of death?
--> '''Chalmers''': Just be grateful for once.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "[[Recap/SpongebobSquarepantsS3E2ClubSpongebobMyPrettySeahorse Club SpongeBob]]", Patrick is seen building coffins for himself, [=SpongeBob=] and Squidward when they're lost in a kelp forest.

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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{Tintin}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prematurely_marked_grave.jpg]]]]

* A RunningGag in ''LuckyLuke'' is that the town morticians would often start measuring Luke, or some other unfortunate character, for a coffin when they're about to face down a dangerous outlaw.

* In ''Film/{{Yojimbo}}'', the local gravedigger sizes up the titular ronin for the coffin he'll need to be building.
* In ''Film/AFistfulOfDollars'' (a remake of ''Yojimbo''), the local undertaker looks the protagonist over before leaving. Another character comments that the one hard look is all that the coffinmaker needs, because there has been so much business.

** One episode has Skinner be given a dedication for his many years as principal, which includes a plaque being installed on the school wall. Unfortunatly, for some reason the carvers put in a ''death'' date on it as well (which has, ironically, passed since the episode aired)

* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy''. A variation of this appears in "Know it All Ed," in which a squirt gun craze (actually turkey basters) cause the cul-de-sac kids to adopt a Wild West atmosphere; the Eds are set to face the Kankers in a high noon style showdown, but as they journey to the construction sight, they pass what looks like three graves dug in the ground for them -- Ed thinks it's cool, and Double D is only frightened even more, but Eddy brushes it off. After they continue on their way, it turns out that they were individual mud pits that Rolf dug for his pigs.

* ''ComicBook/{{Tintin}}'': In ''Recap/TintinCigarsOfThePharaoh'', Tintin and Snowy enter an Egyptian tomb where several bodies of other archeologists are who dared to enter it have been mummified. They all stand next to each other on display. At the end of these, to his horror, there are empty sarcophaguses bearing the names of himself, Snowy and Dr. Sarcophagus. He immediately realizes he needs to escape.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E8MotherSimpson Mother Simpson]]": When Homer [[{{ItMakesSenseInContext}} fakes his death]], Patty and Selma visit Marge to present her a gravestone with Homer's name on it, revealing they have been saving for it since Marge's wedding day (the epitaph is "We are richer in having lost him"). After Marge throws them out, they start using it as a coffee table.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': In module I6 of the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' setting, an NPC named Ireena Kolyana is accompanying the {{PC}}s so they can protect her. Deep in the crypts under Castle Ravenloft she (and they) will discover an empty crypt with her name on it -- her intended resting place after Strahd turns her into a vampire.

* Creator/AAPessimal's ''{{Discworld}}'' fic '''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10383608/5/The-Prospectus The Prospectus]]''', aimed at parents of prospective Assassins' Guild School pupils, describes the exciting range of craft activities open at the School. Stomemasonry, for instance, has boys carving their own tombstones (with dates of demise left blank) as, well, you never know. Similarly, the Woodwork Department turns out coffins and caskets to a ''very'' high professional standard. This is designed to focus the minds of student Assassins on the unfortunate fact they are aspiring to enter a high-risk profession, and it also means [[CrazyPrepared all eventualities of a typical School term are covered]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E8MotherSimpson Mother Simpson]]": When Homer fakes his death, Patty and Selma visit Marge to present her a gravestone with Homer's name on it, revealing they have been saving for it since Marge's wedding day (the epitaph is "We are richer in having lost him"). After Marge throws them out, they start using it as a coffee table.

->''Under my feet was a tombstone carved with a death's head under which I was to be buried; it was marked with my name.''

** In the 2nd pilot "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E3WhereNoManHasGoneBefore Where No Man Has Gone Before]]", Commander Gary Mitchell has gained tremendous psionic powers, threatening the Enterprise and its crew. When Captain Kirk tracks him down and confronts him, Mitchell causes a grave and a headstone to appear. The headstone has Kirk's name and the stardates of his birth and (anticipated) death.

----

* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', one of Harry's enemies buys him a tombstone engraved with "Here Lies Harry Dresden. He Died Doing The Right Thing." She has enough clout to have it installed at Graceland Cemetery and illegally held open until such time as it is needed. [[spoiler:Harry eventually finds himself in said grave... and finds it rather homely, what with being dead at the time]].

** In 2nd pilot "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E3WhereNoManHasGoneBefore Where No Man Has Gone Before]]", Commander Gary Mitchell has gained tremendous psionic powers, threatening the Enterprise and its crew. When Captain Kirk tracks him down and confronts him, Mitchell causes a grave and a headstone to appear. The headstone has Kirk's name and the stardates of his birth and (anticipated) death.
** In "[[Recap/StarTrekS3E12TheEmpath The Empath]]", the PowerTrio finds two scientists dead in experiment cases and three more cases with their names.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': In module I6 of the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' setting, an NPC named Ireena Kolyana is accompanying the {{PC}}s so they can protect her. Deep in the crypts under Castle Ravenloft she (and they) will discover an empty crypt with her name on it - her intended resting place after Strahd turns her into a vampire.

* In the MysteryCaseFiles game ''Escape From Ravenhearst'', the Master Detective finds a tombstone with her title on it, and a date-of-death that matches the RealLife date on which the scene is played.

-->'''Aram''': This is where the adventure ends.
* The short comic ''[[http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=109863&page=1 It's Your Funeral Nintendo... Again]]'' features one with the date being updated.

* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy''. A variation of this appears in "Know it All Ed," in which a squirt gun craze (actually turkey basters) cause the cul-de-sac kids to adopt a Wild West atmosphere; the Eds are set to face the Kankers in a high noon style showdown, but as they journey to the construction sight, they pass what looks like three graves dug in the ground for them - Ed thinks it's cool, and Double D is only frightened even more, but Eddy brushes it off. After they continue on their way, it turns out that they were individual mud pits that Rolf dug for his pigs.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''. After Rango takes on the job of the new sheriff of Dirt, the citizens already prepare for his demise, including the undertaker constructing a new coffin for him.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' episode "[[Recap/SpongebobSquarepantsS3E2ClubSpongebobMyPrettySeahorse Club SpongeBob]]", Patrick is seen building coffins for himself, [=SpongeBob=] and Squidward when they're lost in a kelp forest.

* During the [[DynastiesFromShangToQing Warring States period]] in ancient China, the army of Wei, led by Pang Juan, attacked the state of Han and their allies in Qi sent a force led by the general Tian Ji and his famously brilliant advisor Sun Bin to assist them. According to folklore, Sun Bin lured the Wei forces into a night ambush and carved the words "Pang Juan dies under this tree" onto the trunk of a tree. When Pang Juan lit a torch to read the words the Qi archers fired on the light, wounding him and slaughtering his men, leading Pang Juan to [[DrivenToSuicide commit suicide on the spot from shame]]. For added irony, Pang Juan was an EvilFormerFriend to Sun Bin who, driven by jealousy of his talents, had framed him for treason, causing him to be crippled for life.