Line #33 Webcomic/Wondermark


1	%% Zero Context Examples have been commented out. Please don't uncomment without adding additional context. Remember also that WeblinksAreNotExamples.
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3	[[quoteright:295:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/CaffeineWithdrawalHeadache.gif]]
4	[[caption-width-right:295:Marooned: Day 2 [[note]]Yup, that's Alexander Hamilton.[[/note]]]]
5
6	->''"An Illustrated Jocularity."''
7
8	What happens when you mix Victorian-era illustrations with modern day insanity?
9
10	Welcome to the world of David Malki !'s ''[[http://wondermark.com/ Wondermark]]''. A world of top hats and Steampunk laptops played down to contrast the modern, neurotic characters that populate it. A gag-a-day webcomic with NegativeContinuity and no recurring characters (except maybe [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent the alien Gax]] and [[ButtMonkey "superevil" puppy butt Mr Meanscary]]), each strip is a brief window into the lives of absurd but not entirely unrealistic new people.
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12	The humor is a little diverse on a strip-to-strip basis but the bulk of it comes from good ol' human neuroses and eccentricities. Common subjects are banter and 'duels', often between spouses, observations about society and culture, poop jokes and a healthy dose of hypocrisy and narcissism. There's also an occasional abstract strip that relies more on visual gags and general weirdness. One thing that always remains prevalent is a strong sense of irony.
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14	The author has arranged some of his favorite strips on a single page as an introduction to new readers; this can be found [[http://wondermark.com/bestof.html here]]. Of particular interest to tropers is [[http://wondermark.com/554/ this strip]], featuring the [[SteamPunk Electro-Plasmic Hydrocephalic]] [[{{Troperiffic}} Genre-Fiction Generator]] [[AdvancedTech2000 2000]].
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16	Also worth checking out are ''[[http://wondermark.com/comic-strip-doctor/ The Comic Strip Doctor]]'', a critical dissection of newspaper comics, and ''[[http://wondermark.com/dispatches/ Dispatches From Wondermark Manor]]'', a series of parody Victorian novels, both by the same author.
17	----
18	!!''Wondermark'' provides examples of:
19	* AdvancedTech2000: The Electro-plasmic Hydrocephalic Genre-Fiction Generator 2000, a cutting edge steampunk device to automatically generate genre fiction summaries.
20	* AffectionateParody: Of Literature/{{Misery}} [[https://wondermark.com/c/055/ here]].
21	* AltText: Of the bonus joke kind.
22	* AnachronismStew: [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture The DeLorean as a]] [[http://wondermark.com/463/ train]].
23	* ArtStyleDissonance: The art is taken straight from sophisticated Victorian art. The jokes are absurd and often nonsensical.
24	* AuthorTract: Frequently subverted. Characters will start off making a typical 'angry webcomic author' rant at someone, only to go somewhere very, very strange. [[https://wondermark.com/606 Example.]]
25	%%* BeatPanel
26	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The [[https://wondermark.com/808/ Starhorse arc]] invokes this in the most frustrating way possible--the fisherman ends up only catching one of five horse-heads, and every time he tries to make a wish the single head warns him that whatever he wishes for will be reduced to one-fifth in the most inconvenient way possible. [[spoiler:It's ultimately revealed that it could have granted him a whole wish at any time it wanted.]]
27	-->'''Linehorse:''' ...But alone, I can only ''one-fifth'' grant wishes.\
28	'''Fisherman:''' ''Ah!'' So if I were to ask for ''five million dollars'', might I still get ''one?''\
29	'''Linehorse:''' Kind of like that. You would get five million ''fifth-dollars''. Like, ''bills,'' but only ''one-fifth'' of each bill. Or sacks and sacks of ''wedge-shaped coins.'' No vending machine will take them.
30	* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: "[[https://wondermark.com/482/ At the Walforth Barber Academy]], our credentialed graduates coif ''kings,'' ''popes,'' and ''emperor-pope-kings.''"
31	* ComedicSociopathy: All over the place, but especially Gax, who loathes the Earth and everyone on it.
32	-->'''Jascobb:''' I wonder how many times you or I [[ForWantOfANail have some very generic bad luck, like missing a job interview, and it redounded to the absolute life-changing benefit of some stranger we'll never meet.]]\
33	'''Gax:''' I hope ''every'' action I take is [[DisasterDominoes causing ripples of unfathomable misery]] that'll eventually blight the life of ''every'' human being on this putrid planet, otherwise I've been ''wasting my efforts''.
34	* ContinuityNod: Strip [[https://wondermark.com/245/ #245]] features an elephant on a runaway wheeled contraption. More than 10 years later, [[https://wondermark.com/c1425/ Strip 1425]] provides an origin story of sorts for this elephant, showing how he ended up on his wild journey. A series of strips starting at Strip 1437 are also sequels to the first 25 strips or so.
35	* CutAndPasteComic: ''Most'' of the time, made from old Victorian etchings cut and pasted together. Though image manipulation is fairly common.
36	* DeadAllAlong: WordOfGod [[https://wondermark.com/comic-666/ says this has been true]] for everyone since the very beginning.
37	* DeliberateFlawRetcon: In-universe, the plot of #1074. A writer tries to write a book where the characters have flaws and immaturities, with the goal of showing a more realistic setting. When he shows it to someone, she notes that she doesn't like any of the characters, at which he declares that they were actually meant to be unsympathetic all along.
38	* {{Disneyfication}}: Discussed and defended in [[https://wondermark.com/c1180/ this comic]], where the turban-wearing man says that most original fairy stories were [[ScareEmStraight barely-disguised lectures]] that rewarded [[PinballProtagonist children who obeyed rules]], and part of the value of {{Disneyfication}} is recognising children want stories where [[HeroProtagonist the heroes get to make choices]] and [[CharacterDevelopment improve themselves]].
39	* TheFantasticTropeOfWonderousTitles: Electro-plasmic Hydrocephalic Genre-Fiction Generator 2000, with a long, elaborate, and slightly made-up name for a wondrous steampunk fiction summary-generating device.
40	%%* FateDrivesUsTogether
41	* {{Feghoot}}: Comics #1414 through #1436 all consist of scenarios that exist to end with the punchline "Check out my sick elephant", the references becoming increasingly convoluted and pun-based with time.
42	* FranchiseZombie: In-universe example in the ''Comic Strip Doctor'' column, Malki dissects this phenomenon as it relates to newspaper comics. Established strips run on brand recognition for decades after they cease to be funny, and newspapers are afraid to take risks on new artists. The result is, it's extremely difficult to get into the business, and the majority of newspaper comics are boring, predictable drivel. He considers webcomics to be the cure, because the truly talented now have an outlet to get their work recognized without having to compete for space on the funny page with the likes of ''ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS'' and ''ComicStrip/{{Ziggy}}''.
43	* GibberishOfLove: Possibly. A woman says hello to a baseball player, who responds with "GROOB". An awkward silence follows. They never meet again, and he never gets over it.
44	* GodIsEvil: Discussed in a series of strips beginning [[http://wondermark.com/804/ here]].
45	* GrammarNazi: Larry the Language Nerd. He grows out of it, saying that correcting people becomes more annoying than the mistake itself. Except...
46	-->'''Man''': Ginormous.\
47	'''Larry''': ''(convulsing with rage)'' AAAHHHHH
48	* IceCreamKoan:
49	-->''"God, with a sword, can make a man a king. But a king, with a sword, can only make a man a knight. A knight, with a sword, can make a man a corpse. So... I kind of forgot where I was going there."''
50	* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: [[InWhichATropeIsDescribed In which most of the comics are named as such.]]
51	* InUniverseFactoidFailure: [[http://wondermark.com/558/ This one]]:
52	-->'''Salesman:''' ''"Hello sir for order a camel?"''
53	-->'''Customer:''' ''"Capital! Thank you! Just one question before I set off. How high can this beast fly? Are we talking mountain-vaulting altitudes or is it more a graze-the-steeples type of affair?"''
54	* InWhichATropeIsDescribed: Most strips have titles like "In which X happens".
55	* ItsBeenDone: [[https://wondermark.com/845/ A man claims to have invented]] "''food'' inside of ''bread''." He's less than happy to be told that dumplings already exist. In [[http://wondermark.com/846/ the followup strip]], he thinks he still deserves some recognition for inventing them independently -- a claim which, even if true, his friend finds unimpressive.
56	-->'''Ben's Friend''' [''wrapping up'']: But ''so what?'' What do you want, a medal?\
57	'''Ben:''' What is ''that''\
58	'''Ben's Friend:''' It's like... an award, that you wear around your neck.\
59	'''Ben:''' ''Dangit'' I had ''that'' idea ''too!''\
60	'''AltText:''' Well, in MY conception they'd mainly give them out for military heroism and athletic achievement...you're KIDDING ME. YOU ARE KIDDING ME. FOR CRYING. OUT. LOUD.
61	* IWishedYouWereDead: Parodied [[https://wondermark.com/126/ here]]. A child angrily wishes his mother was dead. Her response: faking cancer for 20 years until he apologizes.
62	* JerkassGenie: Turns out that the [[spoiler: one-fifth of a starhorse]] could have granted [[spoiler: one whole wish whenever it wanted to]].
63	* LongGame: ''[[https://wondermark.com/c1511/ in which a neighbor takes action]]'' has a neighbor accuse the other one of gently scuffing his shoes on his driveway every day for eight years so just enough cement remains so that when it rains, the puddle spells "a turbo choad lives here."
64	* MeaningfulName: [[https://wondermark.com/745/ Mr. Meanscary]], a child-eating monster that happens to look like the backside of a dog. He angrily claims his grandfather was given the name on Ellis Island (although the AltText indicates he's still a child-eater).
65	* MistakenForPedophile: In [[http://wondermark.com/346/ strip 346]], an artist is giving a child a lesson until the child's mother angrily and incorrectly accuses him of being a pedophile.
66	%%* MoralGuardians: [[https://wondermark.com/567/ O selfless saviors!]].
67	* MundaneMadeAwesome: [[https://wondermark.com/1k67/ What was going through your mind?]] An interview with a football player just trying to catch the ball turns into a mystical journey.
68	* NecessaryFail: [[https://wondermark.com/659/ In one strip]], a father posits that all mistakes and bad things that happen are necessary to avoid a BadFuture, and have already been attempted and evaluated by time travelers.
69	* NegativeContinuity: While there are some recurring characters, most strips are one-offs with no continuity, though occasionally there are short story arcs.
70	* NinjaPirateZombieRobot:
71	** [[https://wondermark.com/345/ Next years memes predicted]], which mashes up random creatures and things.
72	** [[https://wondermark.com/238/ Ninja on a unicycle]].
73	** [[https://wondermark.com/495/ PIRANHAMOOSE]]. ...''awesome.''
74	* NobodyHereButUsStatues: [[https://wondermark.com/wp-content/uploads/2005/08/drabbledoc.gif This]] ''Drabble'' RemixComic from ''The Comic Strip Doctor''.
75	* OhWaitThisIsMyGroceryList: Applied to an unfortunate Cyrano [[https://wondermark.com/106/]], who mixes up his grocery list with his love poems.
76	* OnceAnEpisode: The ''Comic Strip Doctor'' column always ends with, "See you in the funny pages."
77	* OpinionMyopia: InUniverse: [[https://wondermark.com/1k77/ "It's tough to be cursed with perfect taste."]]
78	* OverlyLongAirplaneBannerGag: Done in [[https://wondermark.com/508/ this]] strip, using a bird rather than an airplane.
79	* OverlyLongGag: Strips #1414-1436 all consist of increasingly [[{{Feghoot}} convoluted]] [[IncrediblyLamePun puns]] around the phrase "Check out my sick elephant". Lampshaded in #1424, where a character says, "Don't worry, I'm practicing getting a ''lot'' of mileage out of some ''very'' thin material."
80	* ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish: [[http://wondermark.com/576/]]
81	* PianoDrop: [[https://wondermark.com/394/ This is why you don't eat those little desiccant packets.]]
82	%%* PresentDayPast
83	* RemixComic: Some of the articles in ''The Comic Strip Doctor'' feature edited strips intended to feature better humor. One particular edit for ''ComicStrip/{{Cathy}}'' at first has the punchline, "You didn't put them back in the bags." David, deciding that nobody would get it outside of comic book nerds, changes it to, "I can't see the TV."
84	* TheRant: Malki!'s news post consists of a mix of commentary on the comics, behind-the-scenes how it's made type work, and sideproject announcements.
85	* {{Retraux}}: The whole visual theme involves mashing up steampunk stylings with modern scenarios.
86	* RunningGag:
87	** ''[[https://wondermark.com/520/ Punching Stuff Until It Blows Up]]'' and its [[http://wondermark.com/521/ two]] [[http://wondermark.com/522/ sequels]].
88	** An long-running, subtle trend gives most named characters names that sound almost like, but distinctly and goofily different from normal names. Stuff like Scamanthia, Jethica, etc
89	* SoBeautifulItsACurse: "[[https://wondermark.com/440/ Isn't it just awful being pretty?]]"
90	* SpaceJews: Parodied with a series of strips featuring the Mexicans, a race of aliens. Everyone assumes they're supposed to be an elaborate metaphor about immigration, but they have nothing to do with the real Mexicans of Earth.
91	* SpaceWhaleAesop: Parodied in strip #394. The real reason you're not supposed to eat those little dessicant packets is that if you do, you will be crushed by a falling piano.
92	* StereotypeFlip: A bunch of aliens from the planet Mexico, who are natural-born accountants and cobblers. When asked about them, Gax describes them as being renowned for their bravery, loyalty, and work ethic, only to reveal he was talking about the real Mexicans on earth, inverting the common "Lazy Mexican" stereotype.
93	* SpeciesSurname: Gax the Gaxian.
94	* SteamPunk: Most often used to stand-in for modern technology though more straight examples exist.
95	** [[https://wondermark.com/352/ SteamPunk robots]]
96	** Check out the SteamPunk ''computer'' [[http://wondermark.com/493/ here]].
97	** Observe - [[https://wondermark.com/368/ the 19th century Facebook]]
98	** You've... been... [[https://wondermark.com/538/ Steampunk'd!]]
99	* TheTalk: In the form of a tree trying to talk to his anguished son about "pollination."
100	* TalkingAnimal: Tagged as [[https://wondermark.com/tag/humanized-animals/ humanized animals]].
101	* ThoseMagnificentFlyingMachines: A regular fixture in many strips such as [[http://wondermark.com/550 this one]].
102	* TicketLineCampout: Subject of [[https://wondermark.com/321/ this strip]] where a bunch of people are supposedly camped out to buy the new Harry Potter book.
103	* TravelTransformation: Parodied, where aliens from planet Mexico [[http://wondermark.com/721/ achieve interstellar travel]] by converting their mass into energy and storing that energy in their starship's battery. The downside is this is the same battery the starship uses to operate. "When we left Mexico we were eleven feet tall."
104	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: If there are sights to be seen, odds are they're one of these. In this world, people can see anything from [[http://wondermark.com/115/ demons hiding in the skins of children]] to [[http://wondermark.com/1k58/ skateboarding]] [[http://wondermark.com/791/ manatees]] and take it all with a grain of salt.
105	* VampireVannabe: Parodied [[https://wondermark.com/241/ here]]. A woman is eager to be turned into a vampire, but unfortunately she's merely found an ordinary cannibal instead.
106	%%* TheVirus: [[https://wondermark.com/741/ GOOF'D!]]
107	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotDidactic: Parodied [[https://wondermark.com/720/ here]], where some people meet a group of aliens called Mexicans who they assume are part of a metaphor about immigration. They aren't.[[invoked]]
108	* WikiWalk: Played with in [[https://wondermark.com/420/ this strip]].
109	* YourNormalIsOurTaboo: [[https://wondermark.com/910/ Gaxians consider hair-brushing a very personal thing.]]

Context Webcomic / Wondermark