Zorphbert and Fred
is a webcomic by Dawn Griffin about two extraterrestrials on Earth disguised as pet dogs in order to study humanity... no, seriously. It used to be updated on The Duck but has since moved to its own domain. Much of the humour is based on the mundane seen through the eyes of an extraterrestrial. They were adopted by expys of the creator and her husband.
The humour is light and never really mean, and while there is a sort of continuity, you're not required to understand it to enjoy the comic. For example, seeing Fred trip out from excessive sugar intake works all on its own.
Pop culture references abound; after all, the aliens are studying it. It's Serious Business.
The Comic Contains Examples of:
- Alien Among Us: DUH. Notable that this is Zorphbert and Fred's assignment — they're not trying to get home. If they do, they'll get busted down a rank again.
- Amusing Alien: Again, DUH.
- Author Avatar: Subverted and played straight simultaneously, as Dawn puts parodies of herself and her husband in the comic as Zorphbert and Fred's owners, but they never 'talk to the audience' or do much in the way of Author Filibuster.
- Bizarre Alien Biology: One word: Tentacles.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Zorphbert and Fred.
- Humanity Ensues: Subverted in that these are aliens disguised as dogs as part of their assignment. They don't want to be dogs, but it's a living.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Tell me, what breed of dog do you know has antennae, eye holes and zippers? And yet we have...
- Latex Perfection: At the same time, despite the presence of obvious zippers and antennae, apparently those costumes do a really good job at hiding extremely long, nightmare-fuel–level tentacles.
- Immune to Drugs: Inverted. See the above sugar-rush strip.
