33: Self-reference

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Self-reference

Title text: I think about self-reference a lot. Example: this comment.

Explanation

Self-reference is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics and computer science (it is the basis of recursion).

In this comic, Cueball promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise.

Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise.

Transcript

[Cueball standing alone.]

Cueball: I promise to never again squeeze humor out of self-reference.

[Cueball standing alone.]

[Cueball standing alone.]

Cueball: God dammit.

Trivia

• This is the thirty-fifth comic originally posted to livejournal. The previous was 32: Pillar. The next was 41: Old Drawing.

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Discussion

• This comic is not exactly clear to me. What is the self-reference, or what is the humour? TheHYPO (talk) 14:29, 21 August 2012 (UTC)
  • I added a bit. Does that help clarify? Of course, one of the hallmarks of self-reference is that clarity tends to be lost. Blaisepascal (talk) 14:44, 21 August 2012 (UTC)