Makeshift Mannequin

Makeshift Mannequin was released in 2007 as part of the Lorwyn expansion set for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. The set drew heavily from Celtic mythology and folklore, shifting the game's aesthetic away from high fantasy toward a more whimsical, pastoral, and sometimes eerie interpretation of the Fae. The card was designed to function as an instant-speed reanimation spell, allowing players to return a creature from their graveyard to the battlefield with a temporary durability buff that would vanish once the creature became the target of a spell or ability.

The artwork was illustrated by Dave Dorman, a celebrated artist known for his cinematic and moody approach to fantasy and science fiction. Dorman opted for a visceral, slightly unsettling depiction of a scarecrow-like construct being animated by dark magic, which perfectly aligned with the dark whimsical tone prevalent in the Lorwyn block. Upon its release, the card became a staple in various control and combo decks, praised by the community for its strategic flexibility and the thematic consistency it brought to the black-aligned cards of the set.