TODAY’S COMIC: “Hackers”

CURSE YOU, HACKERS!

“Skitter” is the comic strip THIS strip is referring to.

I kinda get the feeling this news spider… who has no name yet other than News Bug… kinda looks like Larry King. I don’t know if that was on purpose or subconscious.

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UPDATE 2016-12-24

After reading a book by Greg Dean about joke writing, I came to undrestand why my good comic strips were good, and why my bad ones were bad. So I’ve been changing a few to hopefully make them better. This comic was one of them.

Here’s the original version:

The concept of a joke is that you tell a story to lead the audience to think one idea, then surprise them with a different meaning or outcome that is compatable with the original idea. “Take my wife… please…”

In the original version of this comic, my intention was that Jack ws already fully aware of the released comic strip and what that meant to him: he was gonna get squished. So by the time the newsbug tells him what’s in the strip, he’s just continuing a stunned behavior that he had previous to the interview. It was like he was already in a daze from when he previously heard the news. The newsbug isn’t revealing anything jack that Jack didn’t already know. There was no surprise.

In an attempt to salvage this one, I tried to add the surprise. Jack didn’t know what was in the released comic strip. The newsbug drops the bomb on him during the interview, causing him to react by being stunned and /or horrified.

I also revamped the art a bit. I redrew Jack’s head in the more current style I’m doing these days (this strip is about 2 years old). More importantly, I drew Jack in the second panel to be calm, and in the third panel to be shocked.

In my opinion, the new version of this comic is a better joke. Or at least it better fits the structure of a joke. I also like Jack’s new heads. I think they’re more funny-lookin’.

There are other definitions of funny that I’ve picked up from Scott Adams (“ Dilbert “) . He has a humor checklist of elements that help make a joke work. They are: Clever, Bizarre, Cute, Cruel, Recognizable, and Naughty. He also states that when someone’s status is lowered in some way, we laugh. Like a pie to the face, he/she’s been disrespected and it’s funny. Scott Adams claims you should have some of these elements to help a joke’s comedy potency. So what elements does the new and improved comic strip contain? I belive it has: Clever – Hackers releasing the final Skitter comic strip

– Hackers releasing the final Skitter comic strip Bizarre – A talking spider. A spider newscaster.

Cute – Jack’s ne calm expression. Jacks new shocked expression

Cruel – Jack’s death. Jack’s reaction to the death.

Recognizable – A newsbug that resembles Larry King

Naughty – Jack getting hit with a flyswatter

Lowered Status – Jack finding out he’s gonna die at the end of Skitter I’m more satisfied with this new version of the strip. Other strips I’ve changed so far are “Inspiration“, “Skitter“, “Fixer Upper” and “Hangover”

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

↓ Transcript NEWS ANCHOR: "This week, hackers broke into the "Skitter" comic strip server and released the final strip online, revealing a major spoiler: Jack dies..."

NEWS SCROLL: "Final 'Skitter' comic revealed..."



NEWS ANCHOR: "With me tonight is Jack himself, who is only now learning of this situation."

NEWS SCROLL: "... It was mildly funny at best..."



NEWS ANCHOR: "Jack... having seen your own inevitable, tragic, and very violent demise, what are your initial thoughts? Jack... Jack?..."

NEWS SCROLL: "... Public elated that Jack will die..."





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