explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2119: Video Orientation

2019-03-05T17:37:06Z

141.101.107.114:

{{comic
| number = 2119
| date = March 4, 2019
| title = Video Orientation
| image = video_orientation.png
| titletext = CIRCULAR VIDEO - PROS: Solves aspect ratio problem. CONS: Never trust anyone who talks to you from inside a circle.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This was created by a TRUSTWORTHY CIRCULAR VIDEO. Need to make interpretation of circular text neutral, ideally by enumerating all the interpretations listed in the comments. Is the following relevant? Nothing about Bold and Dynamic. Better explanation on horizontal and vertical needed. DO NOT DELETE THIS TOO SOON (It already was once.)}}

This comic compares selected pros and cons of 3 video "orientations" (also known as angling), one of which is entirely made-up. This comic could have been inspired {{Dubious}} by articles like https://mashable.com/2017/12/28/vertical-video-mainstream-year/#GEK.NgJ74mqR, and https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/video-looks-most-natural-horizontally-but-we-hold-our-phones-vertically/, which comment on how videos are now filmed vertically through smartphones.

From Randall's comments on horizontal vs vertical, it seems that he is in favor of horizontal videos. However, he does love a good [[690|compromise]][[Category:Compromise]], so he suggests "Diagonal Orientation" as a third option to equally dissatisfy both types of user. The issue with this is that diagonal angling fails to fully capture the benefits of either horizontal or vertical angling.

'''Horizontal orientation'''
# Good for people not used to phones, and has been used for centuries for capturing video.
# Not the best at capturing a human's entire body, without also capturing much of their surroundings.
# Potentially uncomfortable for the one making the recording to maintain over a long period of time, as most phones were designed for vertical holding.

'''Vertical orientation'''
# The norm for most users capturing video on their smartphone.
# Not ideal for capturing the background, as our world is mostly a "horizontal plane".

'''Diagonal orientation'''
# Not a standard format of video, thus "bold and dynamic". {{Citation needed}}
# Equally annoying to all viewers.
# Flawless, as in perfect in every way.{{Dubious}}

Diagonal angling is commonly known as "oblique angle" or "{{w|Dutch angle}}" in cinema and is often used to portray psychological uneasiness or tension in the subject being filmed.

The title text quip about circular video could be a reference to having a demon trapped inside a summoning circle, or being spoken to by members of a select or secretive circle of people, hence not trusting anything what is said to you due to perhaps lacking evidence of their motivations, or HAL 9000 from {{w|2001: A Space Odyssey}}. It could also be a reference to Loki in The Avengers, who is the god of trickery and is held at one point in a circular cell. The title text quip may also be a reference to an advertising trope where a talking head in a circle is superimposed over images of the product being advertised, usually this is a the case in low budget productions for "as seen on TV" products.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[The image shows three columns by three rows with the following headers:]
:'''Video Orientation'''
:'''Pros'''
:'''Cons'''

:[First row:]
:[A wide picture with a text above:]
:Horizontal
:[Pros are:]
:*Looks normal to old people
:*Format used by a century of cinema
:[Cons are:]
:*Humans are taller than are wide
:*I'm not turning my phone sideways

:[Second row:]
:[A high picture with a text above:]
:Vertical
:[Pros are:]
:*How most normal people shoot and watch video now so we may as well accept it
:[Cons are:]
:*Human world is mostly a horizontal plane

:[Third row:]
:[A picture rotated by 45 degrees with a text above:]
:Diagonal
:[Pros are:]
:*Bold and dynamic
:*Equally annoying to all viewers
:*Good compromise
:[Cons are:]
:*None

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Compromise]]

Talk:2105: Modern OSI Model

2019-01-30T08:21:38Z

141.101.107.114: Added another view point on the Google and Amazon "blob"

Randall seems to be saying that a startup doesn't need to create a new computer system to service their customers, all they have to do is put up a Facebook page which uses Google to find products and then has Amazon deliver them. The middle layer "Transport" is a joke because Amazon literally ships physical boxes, but the OSI model is not about actual boxes; it's about information and the way the information is presented to the user vs what goes on behind the scenes.
But I don't get the part about the horcruxes. Is it just the fact that there are seven of them? Or is there some subtle connection I'm missing here? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.180|162.158.106.180]] 05:50, 30 January 2019 (UTC)
:(Spoilers alert) Voldemort uses signifying objects of his life, heritage and his school's founders as horcruces. When the OSI layers are used as horcruces, one problem would be that Google/Amazon would have taken control of two horcruces, the other that some of the layers are frayed at the sides. Randall should not have put his horcruces in living standards - that was a very dangerous move. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.46|172.68.110.46]] 07:54, 30 January 2019 (UTC)

Is there a meaning of the widths of the layers - not a block or a triangle/pyramid? Are there more layers than the named ones? Or the named ones multiple times? This would correspond to the design of ever more layers, virtualizations, abstractions and overall complexity of computer systems as time moved forward. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.46|172.68.110.46]] 07:49, 30 January 2019 (UTC)

I think Google & Amazon are the grey blob that is slowly absorbing all of the layers [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.114|141.101.107.114]] 07:55, 30 January 2019 (UTC)
: Excellent remark! Google & Amazon are inserted between the Data Link and Network layers, and while it seems like an eight layer from the shape profile, they do not sit in their own bordered rectangle. Another view point is maybe Randall tried to display the fight between the Infrastructure providers to capture a new layer in gestation. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.114|141.101.107.114]] 08:21, 30 January 2019 (UTC)

Trivia: (Major Spoiler alert) Voldemort originally intended to create six horcruces to divide his soul into 7 (including his own body) pieces. The 6th unintended horcrux is Harry Potter by Voldemort killing his parents. Later on after his revival Voldemort made the snake Nagini to his seemingly 6th horcrux, which was actually his 7th. Does that mean Randall embodies one of the OSI layers from the beginning of his existence? :-) Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.46|172.68.110.46]] 08:01, 30 January 2019 (UTC)

Talk:2105: Modern OSI Model

2019-01-30T07:55:21Z

141.101.107.114:

1970: Name Dominoes

2018-03-25T19:08:34Z

141.101.107.114: Fixed a typoed link.

{{comic
| number = 1970
| date = March 21, 2018
| title = Name Dominoes
| image = name_dominoes.png
| titletext = In competition, you can only play a name if you know who the person is. No fair saying "Frank ... Johnson. That sounds like a real person! Let me just Google him real quick."
}}

*A large version of the comic picture can be found [https://xkcd.com/1970/large/ here].
*A numbered version can be found [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/73/1970-_Name_Dominoes_-_The_large_image_with_numbers.jpg here].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by Fats Domino: Table links should be checked and explanation and connections added. (Add a full transcript... "Done!" And good luck with that! "Thanks".) Do NOT delete this tag too soon. }}

{{w|Dominoes}} is a family of boardgames played with rectangular "domino" tiles. A domino tile is divided into two squares, each displaying a number. Under most rules, a domino tile is placed on the table adjacent to another tile, and the adjacent ends must match in some way (usually by the number displayed on the touching ends). Randall's "name dominoes" shows a set of domino tiles with people's names instead of numbers, and adjacent tiles are matched by whether the closest name is the same (such as how Chris Evans' family name matches Evan Taylor Jones' given name).

The title text spells out a rule that a player may only place a tile if they know who that person is. This is a variation of a rule in {{w|Scrabble}}, where a player loses a turn if their chosen word don't survive a dictionary challenge over the validity of the word. This rule implies that players are allowed to create new name dominoes tiles and that it is not a fixed set. In this case the player that is challenged has used the name Frank Johnson of which there are {{w|Frank Johnson|12 exact matches}} on Wikipedia along with six with a middle name and more. (The player was likely trying to place a tile in the upper-right area of the board, in an attempt to connect the "Frank Vincent" and "Lyndon Johnson" dominoes. The move was subsequently made impossible when the "Francis Drake" domino was played.) In a google search as of the day the comic came out the first hit was {{w|Frank Johnson (basketball)|Frank Johnson}} who is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. Randall has made several [[:Category:Basketball|references to basketball]] in his comics.

A large board is covered in rectangular "dominoes" (271 pieces), with each domino bearing the name of a "well-known" person or character (fictional). The dominoes are arranged as if a game of dominoes were being played, but instead of the game requiring the number of spots of adjacent dominoes to match up, this game requires adjacent ''names'' to match up. Because most people have two or more names, different matches are made at each end of a domino. Fun fact is that two of the people are "named after" the game: {{w|Fats Domino}} and {{w|Domino Harvey}}.

The match can be exact (e.g., "Kevin" on one domino adjacent to "Kevin" on another), homonymic (e.g., "Klein" adjacent to "Kline"), or nickname-based (e.g., "James" adjacent to "Jimmy", which in turn is adjacent to "Jim"). Sometimes last names are matched up with first names (e.g., "{{w|Elizabeth Warren}}" adjacent to "{{w|Warren Beatty}}"), and in some cases only a single name is used (e.g., "{{w|Columbo}}", "{{w|Drake_(musician)|Drake}}", "{{w|Garfield_(character)|Garfield}}", "{{w|Prince_(musician)|Prince}}"). Singular names are represented by a half-size square "domino" (or "{{w|Polyomino|monomino}}"), with a few exceptions: "{{w|Garnet_(Steven_Universe)|Garnet}}" has a full-size tile (a complex reference explained below), and "{{w|Batman}}" and "{{w|Superman}}" have full-size tiles and are placed as though they were two-part names: the first square of "Superman" is matched with "Super", and the second square is matched with the second square of "Batman" (as though both characters had the last name "Man"). Some people have three or more names (e.g., "{{w|Frank Lloyd Wright}}") and have a 3-square domino tile (or "straight {{w|Tromino|tromino}}", 50% longer than normal) which permits matching to a middle name (e.g. "Frank Lloyd Wright" is matched to "{{w|Lloyd Alexander}}" and "{{w|Harold Lloyd}}").

The names come from a wide variety of fields: scientists (e.g., {{w|Isaac Newton}}), historical figures ({{w|George Washington}}), musicians ({{w|Drake (musician)|Drake}}), politicians ({{w|John Kerry}}), actors ({{w|Kevin Costner}}), writers ({{w|Washington Irving}}), fashion designers ({{w|Oscar de la Renta}}), and so on. Most of the names are real people but a few are fictional characters, including some non-human characters like {{w|Garfield_(character)|Garfield}} and {{w|Grover#Super_Grover|Super Grover}}. In one case the nick name for a company is used: {{w|Ma Bell}} aka Bell System.

One notable reference beyond just the use of a name is in the bottom left, there is the connection [ {{w|William Safire}} ][ Garnet ][ {{w|Jack Ruby|Ruby, Jack}} ]. The connection seems to be based on the fact that {{w|Sapphire}}, {{w|Garnet}} and {{w|Ruby}} are all {{w|gemstones}}, which does not match the implied rules of the game. This tile is a reference to the character {{w|Garnet_(Steven_Universe)|Garnet}} in the cartoon {{w|Steven Universe}}, who is a "fusion" formed by two Gems: Ruby and Sapphire. Thus, the name "Garnet" is treated as though it was two names "Ruby" and "Sapphire", requiring a two-square tile despite having a one-word name. Randall has previously made references to this universe in [[1608: Hoverboard]]. (See [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/39/1608_1031x1095y_Steven_Universe_family_and_ice_cream_prediction.png this] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/f/fa/1608_1077x1109y_Darth_Vaders_talks_about_Steven_Universe_on_the_bridge_Megan_adjust_antenna.png this] image from that comic).

Additionally, Ayn Rand, Paul Ryan and Rand Paul have been mentioned before, in the title text of [[1277: Ayn Random]]. That idea may have been the prototype for this.

In at least one case it is not entirely clear who is being referred to: "John Kelly" most likely refers to Gen. {{w|John F. Kelly}}, Donald Trump's chief of staff, but the name is extremely common and could equally refer to {{w|John Kelly|any number of people}}.

==Table of names==
*The number # refers to the numbers on this [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/73/1970-_Name_Dominoes_-_The_large_image_with_numbers.jpg numbered picture].
**Read more on this page:
***[[1970: Name Dominoes/Numbered images]]
*Wiki links not tested as they were set in only from the name in the comic.
**Spell checking...

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!style="width:15%"|Domino
!style="width:45%"|Notability and notes
!style="width:15%"|Connections
!style="width:20%"|Mode
!style="width:5%"|#
|-
|{{w|Christian Campbell}}
|Canadian American stage and screen actor, writer, and photographer. Most likely refers to the actor, but there are also a Trinidadian-Bahamian poet called {{w|Christian Campbell (poet)|Christian Campbell}}.
|
|
|1
|-
|{{w|Neve Campbell}}
|Canadian actress, known for starring in the movie series {{w|Scream (1996 film)|Scream}}.
|
|
|2
|-
|{{w|Joe McCarthy}}
|Joseph McCarthy, (also called {{w|Joseph_McCarthy#Legacy|Joe McCarthy}}), served as U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. {{w|McCarthyism}} is named after him. It was the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence, especially caused by fear of Communist influence during the beginning of the cold war. McCarthyism has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from 1947 to 1956.
|
|
|3
|-
|{{w|Eugene McCarthy}}
|Eugene Joseph McCarthy was an American politician, poet, and a long-time Congressman from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. (He is not to be confused with the other Senator McCarthy, Joseph McCarthy, see #3)
|
|
|4
|-
|{{w|Gene Vincent}}
|American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly.
|
|
|5
|-
|{{w|Gene Kelly}}
|American actor and dancer known primarily for musicals such as 'Singing in the rain'
|
|
|6
|-
|{{w|Kate Hudson}}
|Golden globe winning American actress. Won for playing Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous in 2000.
|
|
|7
|-
|{{w|Rock Hudson}}
|American actor who was viewed as a prominent 'heartthrob' of the Hollywood Golden Age, staring as the lead man in many movies during the 1950s and 60s, among other {{w|Giant (1956 film)|Giant}}, James Deans last film, for which both where nominated for an Oscar in the best actor category. He later became known for his secret homosexual life. Hudson died from AIDS-related complications in 1985, becoming the first major celebrity to die from an AIDS-related illness.
|
|
|8
|-
|{{w|Gordon Brown}}
|British Prime Minister from 2007-2010.
|
|
|9
|-
|{{w|James Brown}}
|American singer, known as the Godfather of Soul
|
|
|10
|-
|{{w|Jon Brown}}
|Former British long-distance runner who specialized in 10,000 meters, cross country running and the marathon. His real first name was Jonathan, but he is the only one on Wikipedia known as Jon Brown, among several other {{w|Jonathan Brown|Jonathan Browns}}.
|
|
|11
|-
|{{w|John Howard}}
|Australian politician. Served as 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 1996-2007. There are several other {{w|John Howard (disambiguation)|John Howards}} but this Prime Minister is by far the best known among them.
|
|
|12
|-
|{{w|Columbo}}
|Fictional character. Homicide detective from American TV show "Columbo"; portrayed by actor Peter Falk.
|
|
|13
|-
|{{w|Chris Columbus (filmmaker)|Chris Columbus}}
|Film director and screenwriter.
|Columbo Christopher Columbus Chris Hughes
|Last-Only (approximate) First-First (approximate) and Last-Last First-First
|14
|-
|{{w|Christopher Columbus}}
|Italian explorer. Credited with "discovering" the Americas in 1492 by leading voyages and establishing continued ties between Europe and the Americas.
|
|
|15
|-
|{{w|Naomi Campbell}}
|British model and actress.
|
|
|16
|-
|{{w|Joseph Campbell}}
|American author. Most known for his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces about the hero type found throughout world mythologies.
|
|
|17
|-
|{{w|Joseph Smith}}
|American religious leader; founder of Mormonism. Publisher of The Book of Mormon.
|
|
|18
|-
|{{w|Frank Vincent}}
|American actor.
|
|
|19
|-
|{{w|John Kelly}}
|White House Chief of Staff under President Donald Trump. Retired US Marine Corps general.
|
|
|20
|-
|{{w|Katherine Johnson}}
|African-American mathematician at NASA. Calculated trajectories, launch windows, and flight paths for NASA moon missions and the Space Shuttle.
|
|
|21
|-
|{{w|The Rock}}
|Nickname for Dwayne Johnson, a pro wrestler and actor.
|
|
|22
|-
|{{w|Chris Rock}}
|American comedian.
|
|
|23
|-
|{{w|Chris Isaac}}
|American musician.
|
|
|24
|-
|{{w|James Newton Howard}}
|American composer, conductor, music producer and musician.
|
|
|25
|-
|{{w|John Wayne}}
|American actor, known primarily for roles in Westerns
|
|
|26
|-
|{{w|Howard Stern}}
|Radio talk show host. Known for {{w|The Howard Stern Show}}.
|
|
|27
|-
|{{w|Howard Hunt}}
|Former CIA operative, convicted for Watergate burglary.
|
|
|28
|-
|{{w|Chris Hughes}}
|
|
|
|29
|-
|{{w|Naomi Watts}}
| Australian actress, born in Britain
|
|
|30
|-
|{{w|Naomi Klein}}
|Best known for the book "No Logo"
|
|
|31
|-
|{{w|Kevin Kline}}
|American actor
|
|
|32
|-
|{{w|Francis Bacon}}
|16th century English philosopher. Commonly credited with the phrase "knowledge is power".
|
|
|33
|-
|{{w|Francis Drake}}
|English privateer
|
|
|34
|-
|{{w|Lyndon Johnson}}
|Former American president (1963-1969)
|
|
|35
|-
|{{w|Oscar the Grouch}}
|A muppet from the children's TV show {{w|Sesame Street}}.
|
|
|36
|-
|{{w|Oscar Isaac}}
|Actor.
|
|
|37
|-
|{{w|Isaac Hayes}}
|American singer-songwriter
|
|
|38
|-
|{{w|Isaac Newton}}
|Well-known 1600s physicist who created the three laws of motion.
|
|
|39
|-
|{{w|Wayne Newton}}
|Musician.
|
|
|40
|-
|{{w|Wayne Knight}}
|
|
|
|41
|-
|{{w|Helen Hunt}}
|American actress
|
|
|42
|-
|{{w|Helen Hughes}}
|
|
|
|43
|-
|{{w|James Watt|James Watt (Steam)}}
|Scottish inventor who perfected on the earlier Newcomen steam engine with a design that made it practical for widespread use and is credited with helping to usher in the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain. His name became the SI unit for power.
|
|
|44
|-
|{{w|James G. Watt|James Watt (Interior)}}
|
|
|
|45
|-
|{{w|Kevin Costner}}
|Academy award winning American actor.
|
|
|46
|-
|{{w|Kevin Bacon}}
|American actor. Known for {{w|Footloose (1984 film)|Footloose}}, and for {{w|Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon}}.
|
|
|47
|-
|{{w|Kevin Love}}
|
|
|
|48
|-
|{{w|Lisa Frank}}
|
|
|
|49
|-
|{{w|Frank Drake}}
|
|
|
|50
|-
|{{w|Drake}}
|Grammy award winning Canadian rapper.
|
|
|51
|-
|{{w|Oscar de la Renta}}
|Fashion designer.
|
|
|52
|-
|{{w|Oscar de la Hoya}}
|Professional boxer who won multiple titles in different weight classes as well as an Olympic gold medal before his retirement in 2009.
|
|
|53
|-
|{{w|Sean Hayes (actor)|Sean Hayes}}
|
|
|
|54
|-
|{{w|Wallace Shawn}}
|
|
|
|55
|-
|{{w|Wayne Howard}}
|
|
|
|56
|-
|{{w|Wayne Brady}}
|American comedian, known for {{w|Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?}}
|
|
|57
|-
|{{w|James Brady}}
|White House Press Secretary for US President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) who was shot during an assassination attempt against Reagan in 1981. Subsequent gun control legislation known as the "Brady Bill" was named for him.
|
|
|58
|-
|{{w|Tom Brady}}
|Quarterback for the {{w|New England Patriots}}. Notable for winning 5 Super Bowls.
|
|
|59
|-
|{{w|Helen Thomas}}
|
|
|
|60
|-
|{{w|Tom Hanks}}
|Academy award winning actor. Known for {{w|Forrest Gump}}, {{w|Saving Private Ryan}}, {{w|Cast Away}}, and several other famous films.
|
|
|61
|-
|{{w|Hank Aaron}}
|Former Major League Baseball player. Hit 755 career home runs, a record at the time.
|
|
|62
|-
|{{w|Aaron Carter}}
|American singer.
|
|
|63
|-
|{{w|Stephen James}}
|
|
|
|64
|-
|{{w|Will Smith}}
|American actor. Known for {{w|The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air}}
|
|
|65
|-
|{{w|Kevin Smith}}
|American movie director
|
|
|66
|-
|{{w|Kevin James}}
|American actor. Known for {{w|Paul Blart: Mall Cop}}
|
|
|67
|-
|{{w|Garfield (character)|Garfield}}
|A fictional cat and the star of the eponymous ''{{w|Garfield}}'' comic by {{w|Jim Davis (cartoonist)|Jim Davis}}. Previously appeared in [[78: Garfield]].
|
|
|68
|-
|{{w|James Garfield}}
|20th President of the United States. Notably, he was assassinated after only 6 months.
|
|
|69
|-
|{{w|Warren Buffett}}
|Billionaire and CEO of {{w|Berkshire Hathaway}}.
|
|
|70
|-
|{{w|Jimmy Buffett}}
|American country musician.
|
|
|71
|-
|{{w|Warren Beatty}}
|Actor.
|
|
|72
|-
|{{w|Elizabeth Warren}}
|Massachusetts state Senator since 2013. Known for her work as a consumer rights activist.
|
|
|73
|-
|{{w|Earl Warren}}
|Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969. Presided over several landmark cases including ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'' (ruled segregation of public schools unconstitutional), ''Reynolds v. Sims'' (electoral districts for state legislature must be equal in population), and ''Miranda v. Arizona'' (suspects detained by police must be informed of their rights as an accused).
|
|
|74
|-
|{{w|Elizabeth Kolbert}}
|
|
|
|75
|-
|{{w|Stephen Colbert}}
|American talk show host. Known for {{w|The Colbert Report}} and {{w|The Late Show with Stephen Colbert}}
|
|
|76
|-
|{{w|George Wallace}}
|American politician, who initially supported, but later renounced racial segregation.
|
|
|77
|-
|{{w|Charles Wallace}}
|
|
|
|78
|-
|{{w|James Monroe}}
|Foundign father and Fifth president of the USA
|
|
|79
|-
|{{w|Marilyn Monroe}}
|American actress and pin up model from the 50s. She was immensely famous during her time, and unexpectedly committed suicide at age 36.
|
|
|80
|-
|{{w|Hank Williams}}
|Country singer
|
|
|81
|-
|{{w|William C. Williams}}
|
|
|
|82
|-
|{{w|Steve Harvey}}
|Host of {{w|Family Feud}}.
|
|
|83
|-
|{{w|Domino Harvey}}
|
|
|
|84
|-
|{{w|Harvey Milk}}
|American politician and gay rights activist.
|
|
|85
|-
|{{w|James Saint James}}
|
|
|
|86
|-
|{{w|Etta James|Etta James (1)}}
| Used again in 266
|
|
|87
|-
|{{w|Jim Jones}}
|Cult leader behind the 1978 {{w|Jonestown}} mass suicide in Guyana.
|
|
|88
|-
|{{w|James Earl Jones}}
|American actor. Voiced {{w|Darth Vader}} in the original Star Wars.
|
|
|89
|-
|{{w|Charlie Parker}}
|Jazz musician.
|
|
|90
|-
|{{w|Ray Parker Jr.}}
|Singer and songwriter who wrote and performed the theme song to the 1984 film {{w|Ghostbusters}}.
|
|
|91
|-
|{{w|Ray Charles}}
|American blues musician. Blind from the age of 7.
|
|
|92
|-
|{{w|Charles Manson}}
|Cult leader of the {{w|Manson Family}}. Convicted of 7 murders.
|
|
|93
|-
|{{w|Marilyn Manson}}
|American musician. Known for esoteric performances.
|
|
|94
|-
|{{w|Robin Williams}}
|American stand up comedian. Voiced the Genie in {{w|Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin}}.
|
|
|95
|-
|{{w|Billy D. Williams}}
|American actor best known for playing {{w|Lando Calrissian}} in ''{{w|The Empire Strikes Back}}'' and ''{{w|Return of the Jedi}}''.
|
|
|96
|-
|{{w|Will Wright}}
|
|
|
|97
|-
|{{w|Fats Domino}}
|Jazz musician.
|
|
|98
|-
|{{w|Bill Clinton}}
|42nd president of the United States. Known for having an affair in office. His wife, {{w|Hillary Clinton}}, ran against {{w|Donald Trump}} in the 2016 presidential election.
|
|
|99
|-
|{{w|Jimmy John}}
|Founder of the sandwich shop chain Jimmy John's.
|
|
|100
|-
|{{w|Tom Jones}}
|Can refer to the Welsh Singer or to the fictional character from the book of the same name by Henry Fielding
|
|
|101
|-
|{{w|Tommy John}}
|Former baseball pitcher who had a surgical graft done to replace a blown ligament in his pitching elbow in 1974; the procedure is now called Tommy John surgery.
|
|
|102
|-
|{{w|Quincy Jones}}
|American Jazz musician
|
|
|103
|-
|{{w|James Earl Ray}}
|Killer of Martin Luther King Jr.
|
|
|104
|-
|{{w|Man Ray}}
|Photographer (Dada, Surrealism).
|
|
|105
|-
|{{w|Rachel Ray}}
|Celebrity chef.
|
|
|106
|-
|{{w|Ray Allen}}
|Professional basketball player who retired in 2013. Won two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics.
|
|
|107
|-
|{{w|Tim Allen}}
|American actor. Voiced Buzz Lightyear in {{w|Toy Story}}.
|
|
|108
|-
|{{w|Tim Cook}}
|Current (as of the time of this comic) Chief Executive Officer of {{w|Apple, Inc.}}
|
|
|109
|-
|{{w|Tim Howard}}
|Former goalkeeper for the United States men's national soccer team. Holds the record for most saves made in a World Cup match (15 against Belgium in 2010).
|
|
|110
|-
|{{w|Robin Wright}}
|American actress, aka Robin Wright-Penn
|
|
|111
|-
|{{w|Wilbur Wright}}
|One of the two Wright Brothers (the other was Orville) who made the world's first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903.
|
|
|112
|-
|{{w|Fatty Arbuckle}}
|Comedian. Not so funny in RL.
|
|
|113
|-
|{{w|Fat Joe}}
|Real name Joseph Antonio Cartagena, rapper.
|
|
|114
|-
|{{w|George Clinton}}
|Could be either the {{w|George Clinton (vice president)|19th Century politician}} who served as Governor of New York and later as Vice President under {{w|Thomas Jefferson}} and {{w|James Madison}}, or the {{w|George Clinton (musician)|musician}} who rose to fame in the 1970's as one of the biggest acts in funk music and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
|
|
|115
|-
|{{w|John Kerry}}
|Secretary of State under {{w|Barrack Obama}}. Ran against {{w|George W. Bush}} in the 2004 presidential election.
|
|
|116
|-
|{{w|Kerry Washington}}
|
|
|
|117
|-
|{{w|John Irving}}
|Author.
|
|
|118
|-
|{{w|John Quincy Adams}}
|Sixth president of the United States and son of John Adams.
|
|
|119
|-
|{{w|John Adams}}
|Second president of the United States and father of John Quincy Adams.
|
|
|120
|-
|{{w|Amy Adams}}
|
|
|
|121
|-
|{{w|Aimee Mann}}
|Singer/Songwriter.
|
|
|122
|-
|{{w|Superman}}
|Superhero owned by DC comics.
|
|
|123
|-
|{{w|Batman}}
|Superhero owned by DC comics.
|
|
|124
|-
|{{w|Ayn Rand}}
|Russian political author, known for {{w|Atlas Shrugged}}. XKCD frequently makes fun of Rand's philosophy.
|
|
|125
|-
|{{w|Lily Allen}}
|
|
|
|126
|-
|{{w|Paul Allen}}
|Co-founder of {{w|Microsoft}} along with Bill Gates and current owner of several professional sports teams in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trail Blazers, part of Seattle Sounders FC).
|
|
|127
|-
|{{w|Ron Howard}}
|Actor and director. Most famously acted in ''{{w|Happy Days}}''; later directed ''{{w|Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13}}''.
|
|
|128
|-
|{{w|Howard Hughes}}
|American business tycoon
|
|
|129
|-
|{{w|Joe Kennedy}}
|US ambassador to the United Kingdom and father of {{w|John F. Kennedy}}.
|
|
|130
|-
|{{w|George Bush}}
|{{w|George H. W. Bush}} and {{w|George W. Bush}} (father and son, respectively), were both presidents of the United States.
|
|
|131
|-
|{{w|George Washington}}
|First president of the United States, and general during the Revolutionary War.
|
|
|132
|-
|{{w|Washington Irving}}
|Short story author who wrote "{{w|Rip Van Winkle}}" and "{{w|The Legend of Sleepy Hollow}}"
|
|
|133
|-
|{{w|Martha Wasington}}
|Wife of George Washington.
|
|
|134
|-
|{{w|Ma Rainey}}
|
|
|
|135
|-
|{{w|Jack Ma}}
|
|
|
|136
|-
|{{w|Super Grover}}
|
|
|
|137
|-
|{{w|Jack Black}}
|Singer and actor.
|
|
|138
|-
|{{w|Rand Paul}}
|Republican senator from Kentucky; member of the {{w|Tea Party movement}}. Ran in the 2016 Republican presidential primary.
|
|
|139
|-
|{{w|Paul Ryan}}
|Republican representative from Wisconsin. Served as Speaker of the House at the time this comic was published.
|
|
|140
|-
|{{w|Paul Simon}}
|Singer.
|
|
|141
|-
|{{w|Ron Paul}}
|Libertarian politician. Known for running for president in many elections.
|
|
|142
|-
|{{w|John Hughes}}
|
|
|
|143
|-
|{{w|Langston Hughes}}
|
|
|
|144
|-
|{{w|John F. Kennedy}}
|35th president of the United States. Known for his public assassination during a parade; subject to many conspiracy theories.
|
|
|145
|-
|{{w|Little Richard}}
|Singer
|
|
|146
|-
|{{w|Rich Little}}
|
|
|
|147
|-
|{{w|Martha Stewart}}
|American TV personality. Convicted of insider trading in 2004.
|
|
|148
|-
|{{w|Yo Yo Ma}}
|Chinese cellist. Known for winning 18 Grammys; considered a child prodigy.
|
|
|149
|-
|{{w|Ma Bell}}
|Aka Bell System, the system of companies, led by the Bell Telephone Company and later by AT&T, which provided telephone services to much of the United States and Canada from 1877 to 1984.
|
|
|150
|-
|{{w|Grover Cleveland Alexander}}
|Pitcher named after the president; co-holds record for most wins by a pitcher in the National League (374).
|
|
|151
|-
|{{w|Grover Cleveland}}
|22nd and 24th president of the United States. Notably the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
|
|
|152
|-
|{{w|Jack White}}
|American musician. Part of {{w|The White Stripes}}.
|
|
|153
|-
|{{w|Jack Ryan}}
|Fictional character in the novels by Tom Clancy. Portrayed in Movies by Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, and Ben Affleck
|
|
|154
|-
|{{w|Debby Ryan}}
|
|
|
|155
|-
|{{w|Carly Simon}}
|Singer. "You're so vain" referenced on xkcd in <insert here>
|
|
|156
|-
|{{w|Carly Hughes}}
|
|
|
|157
|-
|{{w|Charles Evans Hughes}}
|
|
|
|158
|-
|{{w|John Williams}}
|American composer. Known for many famous movie soundtracks, including Star Wars and Harry Potter.
|
|
|159
|-
|{{w|Little John}}
|Fictional character in the Robin Hood Legend. Known for great stature and strength.
|
|
|160
|-
|{{w|Stuart Little}}
|Fictional character.
|
|
|161
|-
|{{w|Potter Stewart}}
|
|
|
|162
|-
|{{w|Kristen Stewart}}
|American actress. Known for {{w|Twilight (2008 film)|Twilight}}.
|
|
|163
|-
|{{w|Kristen Bell}}
|American actress, known for various romantic comedies.
|
|
|164
|-
|{{w|Kristen Hooks}}
|
|
|
|165
|-
|{{w|Alexander Graham Bell}}
|Scottish inventor, credited with inventing the telephone.
|
|
|166
|-
|{{w|Franklin Graham}}
|
|
|
|167
|-
|{{w|Lloyd Alexander}}
|
|
|
|168
|-
|{{w|Meg White}}
|
|
|
|169
|-
|{{w|Meg Ryan}}
|American actress. Known for 'WHen Harry met Sally'
|
|
|170
|-
|{{w|Debbie Reynolds}}
|American singer and actress.
|
|
|171
|-
|{{w|John Reynolds}}
|
|
|
|172
|-
|{{w|Carly Fiorina}}
|Former CEO of {{w|Hewlett-Packard}}. Ran for president in the 2016 Republican primaries.
|
|
|173
|-
|{{w|Grace Lee Boggs}}
|
|
|
|174
|-
|{{w|Wade Boggs}}
|American baseball player. Played with the {{w|Boston Red Sox}}.
|
|
|175
|-
|{{w|William Safire}}
|Writer and publicist.
|
|
|176
|-
|{{w|Prince William}}
|Member of the British Royal Family. Second in line for succession to the throne.
|
|
|177
|-
|{{w|Little Prince}}
|One of the main characters of ''{{w|The Little Prince}}'', a novella by {{w|Antoine de Saint-Exupéry}}. The Little Prince has previously appeared in [[618: Asteroid]], as well as [http://what-if.xkcd.com/68 article 68] of ''[[what if?]]''.
|
|
|178
|-
|{{w|Harry Potter}}
|Fictional character in the books by J.K. Rowling
|
|
|179
|-
|{{w|James Potter}}
|Fictional character, father of harry Potter
|
|
|180
|-
|{{w|James Hook}}
|Fictional character from 'Peter Pan'
|
|
|181
|-
|{{w|James Dean}}
|American actor and teen icon.
|
|
|182
|-
|{{w|Aretha Franklin}}
|Soul singer.
|
|
|183
|-
|{{w|Frank Lloyd Wright}}
|American architect, known for his unconventional buildings.
|
|
|184
|-
|{{w|Barry White}}
|Singer.
|
|
|185
|-
|{{w|Walter White}}
|Main character from the TV show {{w|Breaking Bad}}.
|
|
|186
|-
|{{w|Walt Whitman}}
|American poet. {{w|Walt Whitman Bridge|A bridge in Philadelphia}} was named after him.
|
|
|187
|-
|{{w|John Kelly}}
|
|
|
|188
|-
|{{w|Grace Lee}}
|
|
|
|189
|-
|{{w|Nancy Grace}}
|
|
|
|190
|-
|{{w|Garnet_(Steven_Universe)|Garnet}}
|A {{w|garnet}} is a gem stone and the two names around here are {{w|William Safire}} (almost {{w|Sapphire}}) and {{w|Jack Ruby}} as in {{w|Ruby}}. But it is not just used because they are all {{w|gemstones}}. It is instead a reference to the character {{w|Garnet_(Steven_Universe)|Garnet}} in the cartoon {{w|Steven Universe}}. She is a "fusion" formed by two gems: Ruby and Sapphire, hence the legal connection in the Name Dominoes... Randall has previously made references to this universe in [[1608: Hoverboard]]. (See [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/39/1608_1031x1095y_Steven_Universe_family_and_ice_cream_prediction.png this] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/f/fa/1608_1077x1109y_Darth_Vaders_talks_about_Steven_Universe_on_the_bridge_Megan_adjust_antenna.png this] image from that comic).
|{{w|William Safire}} {{w|Jack Ruby}}
|Last-Only (as a Sapphire gem stone) Last-Only (as a Ruby gem stone) Both used to fuse together to Garnet.
|191
|-
|{{w|Prince (musician)|Prince}}
|American musician, part of the Rock and Roll hall of fame. He died two years prior to the release of this comic.
|
|
|192
|-
|{{w|Prince Fielder}}
|Professional baseball player who retired in 2016 after playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers.
|
|
|193
|-
|{{w|Prince Harry}}
|Member of the British royal family. Fifth in line for succession to the throne.
|
|
|194
|-
|{{w|Harry Styles}}
|
|
|
|195
|-
|{{w|John Dean}}
|
|
|
|196
|-
|{{w|Benjamin Franklin}}
|One of the founding fathers of the United States. Credited with "discovering" electricity by flying a kite in a thunderstorm.
|
|
|197
|-
|{{w|Harrold Lloyd}}
|
|
|
|198
|-
|{{w|Harrold Ford}}
|
|
|
|199
|-
|{{w|Betty White}}
|American comedian. Known as the only surviving member of the {{w|The Golden Girls}}.
|
|
|200
|-
|{{w|Meg Whitman}}
|
|
|
|201
|-
|{{w|Christine Todd Whitman}}
|Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, then served as Director of the Environmental Protection Agency under {{w|George W. Bush}} from 2001 to 2003.
|
|
|202
|-
|{{w|Megyn Kelly}}
|American TV news anchor. Worked for Fox news until 2017, then switched to NBC.
|
|
|203
|-
|{{w|Grace Kelly}}
|American actress and Princess of Monaco
|
|
|204
|-
|{{w|Grace Jones}}
|Singer and actress.
|
|
|205
|-
|{{w|Jack Nicholson}}
|Actor who has appeared in many films from ''{{w|The Shining (film)}}'' (as Jack Torrance) to ''{{w|Batman (1989 film)}}'' (as the Joker) to ''{{w|A Few Good Men}}'' (as Colonel Jessup).
|
|
|206
|-
|{{w|Jack Ruby}}
|Jack Ruby is known for shooting and killing {{w|Lee Harvey Oswald}} on national television. Oswald was the prime suspect in the {{w|assassination of John F. Kennedy}}. Ruby's involvement is the subject of many conspiracy theories.
|
|
|207
|-
|{{w|Jack Russel}}
|
|
|
|208
|-
|{{w|Harry Fielder}}
|
|
|
|209
|-
|{{w|Harry Truman}}
|33rd president of the United States. Known for authorizing the use of atomic weapons against Japan at the end of World War 2.
|
|
|210
|-
|{{w|Harry Jon Benjamin}}
|
|
|
|211
|-
|{{w|John Edward}}
|
|
|
|212
|-
|{{w|Benjamin Harrison}}
|23rd president of the United States
|
|
|213
|-
|{{w|Harrison Ford}}
|American actor. Known for playing Han Solo in the ''{{w|Star Wars}}'' films and the titular character in the ''{{w|Indiana Jones}}'' films.
|
|
|214
|-
|{{w|Henry Ford}}
|Founder of the {{w|Ford Motor Company}}. Credited with inventing the assembly line.
|
|
|215
|-
|{{w|Betty Ford}}
|Wife of Gerald Ford, 38th president of the United States.
|
|
|216
|-
|{{w|Betty Friedan}}
|
|
|
|217
|-
|{{w|Chris Christie}}
|Governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Ran for president in the Republican primaries in 2016.
|
|
|218
|-
|{{w|Chris Pratt}}
|American actor. Known for {{w|Parks and Recreation}}
|
|
|219
|-
|{{w|Maggie Grace}}
|
|
|
|220
|-
|{{w|Grace Hopper}}
|American computer scientist. Helped develop the {{w|COBOL}} programming language.
|
|
|221
|-
|{{w|Russel Crowe}}
|Australian actor
|
|
|222
|-
|{{w|Russ Smith}}
|
|
|
|223
|-
|{{w|John Smith}}
|John Smith is the most common name in the United States. {{w|John Smith|See Wikipedia}} for a list of people this may refer to.
|
|
|224
|-
|{{w|Justin Long}}
|
|
|
|225
|-
|{{w|John Bel Edwards}}
|
|
|
|226
|-
|{{w|John Candy}}
|Canadian comedian and actor. Known for {{w|Spaceballs}}.
|
|
|227
|-
|{{w|John Henry}}
|American folk hero
|
|
|228
|-
|{{w|Henry James}}
|
|
|
|229
|-
|{{w|Bill James}}
|
|
|
|230
|-
|{{w|Chris Cooper}}
|
|
|
|231
|-
|{{w|Chris Hemsworth}}
|Actor.
|
|
|232
|-
|{{w|Chris Evans}}
|
|
|
|233
|-
|{{w|Topher Grace}}
|
|
|
|234
|-
|{{w|Van Morrison}}
|Singer.
|
|
|235
|-
|{{w|Sheryl Crow}}
|Singer.
|
|
|236
|-
|{{w|Sheryl Sandberg}}
|
|
|
|237
|-
|{{w|Cameron Crow}}
|
|
|
|238
|-
|{{w|Long John Silver}}
|Fictional antagonist from {{w|Treasure Island}}.
|
|
|239
|-
|{{w|Olivia Newton John}}
|American actress. Known for ''Grease''
|
|
|240
|-
|{{w|Huey Long}}
|Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932, and US Senator from 1932 until his assassination in 1935. Known for his "Share Our Wealth" proposal to address the hard economic conditions of the Great Depression.
|
|
|241
|-
|{{w|John Edwards}}
|American politician. Democratic candidate for presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.
|
|
|242
|-
|{{w|Candy Crowley}}
|
|
|
|243
|-
|{{w|Alestier Crowley}}
|Satanist. And it's Aleister. Go directly to Hell.
|
|
|244
|-
|{{w|James Fenimore Cooper}}
|Author of ''{{w|The Last of the Mohicans}}''.
|
|
|245
|-
|{{w|James Cook}}
|18th century British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy.
|Alistair Cooke Cokie Roberts Alistair Cookie James Fenimore Cooper
|Last-Last (approximate) Last-First (approximate) Last-Last (approximate) First-First
|246
|-
|{{w|Robert Frost}}
|19th century American poet
|
|
|247
|-
|{{w|Bob Evans}}
|
|
|
|248
|-
|{{w|Evan Tayler Jones}}
|
|
|
|249
|-
|{{w|Van Jones}}
|
|
|
|250
|-
|{{w|James Cameron}}
|American director. Known for {{w|Terminator}} and {{w|Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic}}.
|
|
|251
|-
|{{w|Cam Newton}}
|Quarterback for the {{w|Carolina Panthers}}.
|
|
|252
|-
|{{w|Cameron Diaz}}
|American actress. Voiced Fiona in {{w|Shrek}}.
|
|
|253
|-
|{{w|Huey Newton}}
|
|
|
|254
|-
|{{w|Huey Lewis}}
|Singer.
|
|
|255
|-
|{{w|John Lewis}}
|
|
|
|256
|-
|{{w|Jenny Lewis}}
|
|
|
|257
|-
|{{w|Ryan Lewis}}
|
|
|
|258
|-
|{{w|Burt Reynolds}}
|American actor. Known for a wide variety of western and/or action films.
|
|
|259
|-
|{{w|Alistair Cooke}}
|Name misspelled Alistiar Cooke in the comic.
|
|
|260
|-
|{{w|Monsterpiece_Theater#Alistair_Cookie|Alistair Cookie}}
|A parody of Alistair Cooke "played" by Cookie Monster in the Sesame Street sketch "Monsterpiece Theatre" in the 1980s, a parody of the PBS series "Masterpiece Theatre".
|James Cook Alastair Reynolds
|Last-Last (approximate) First-First (approximate)
|261
|-
|{{w|Cokie Roberts}}
|National Public Radio (NPR) political correspondent known for her recurring segment "Ask Cokie" in which she answers listener submitted questions.
|
|
|262
|-
|{{w|John Roberts}}
|Current Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court at the time of the comic's publication.
|
|
|263
|-
|{{w|Robert Johnson}}
|
|
|
|264
|-
|{{w|Robert E. Lee}}
|Confederate general during the {{w|American Civil War}}.
|
|
|265
|-
|{{w|Tommy Lee}}
|
|
|
|266
|-
|{{w|Tommy Lee Jones}}
|American actor known for 'The Fugitive'
|
|
|267
|-
|{{w|Etta James|Etta James (2)}}
|Used first time in 86
|
|
|268
|-
|{{w|John Oliver}}
|American talk show host. Known for {{w|Last Week Tonight}}.
|
|
|269
|-
|{{w|Ryan Reynolds}}
|Canadian actor. Known for several romantic comedies, and {{w|Deadpool (film)|Deadpool}}.
|
|
|270
|-
|{{w|Alastair Reynolds}}
|SF writer.
|
|
|271
|}

==Transcript==
:[This comic a large grid, 27 units wide and 35 units high, with 271 black "domino" tiles. On each tile there is a name written with white text. The grid is arranged so that each touching side corresponds with the first or last name of another person (or at least there are some kind of relation between the names on the end of connecting tiles). Some of the domino tiles are rotated 90, 180 or 270 degrees so the text is either to be read down, up-side down or up. The names on the tiles are listed here below in approximate reading order, thus staring top left and moving over the grid from left to right and down. Each swipe left to right covers approximately tiles that are within a span of one standard tile in height. To be exact it lists the names in the order they were numbered in this [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/73/1970-_Name_Dominoes_-_The_large_image_with_numbers.jpg image]. One name is used twice, Etta James.]
:Christian Campbell
:Neve Campbell
:Joe McCarthy
:Eugene McCarthy
:Gene Vincent
:Gene Kelly
:Kate Hudson
:Rock Hudson
:Gordon Brown
:James Brown
:Jon Brown
:John Howard
:Columbo
:Chris Columbus
:Christopher Columbus
:Naomi Campbell
:Joseph Campbell
:Joseph Smith
:Frank Vincent
:John Kelly
:Katherine Johnson
:The Rock
:Chris Rock
:Chris Isaac
:James Newton Howard
:John Wayne
:Howard Stern
:Howard Hunt
:Chris Hughes
:Naomi Watts
:Naomi Klein
:Kevin Kline
:Francis Bacon
:Francis Drake
:Lyndon Johnson
:Oscar the Grouch
:Oscar Isaac
:Isaac Hayes
:Isaac Newton
:Wayne Newton
:Wayne Knight
:Helen Hunt
:Helen Hughes
:James Watt (Steam)
:James Watt (Interior)
:Kevin Costner
:Kevin Bacon
:Kevin Love
:Lisa Frank
:Frank Drake
:Drake
:Oscar de la Renta
:Oscar de la Hoya
:Sean Hayes
:Wallace Shawn
:Wayne Howard
:Wayne Brady
:James Brady
:Tom Brady
:Helen Thomas
:Tom Hanks
:Hank Aaron
:Aaron Carter
:Stephen James
:Will Smith
:Kevin Smith
:Kein James
:Garfield
:James Garfield
:Warren Buffett
:Jimmy Buffett
:Warren Beatty
:Elizabeth Warren
:Earl Warren
:Eliabeth Kolbert
:Stephen Colbert
:George Wallace
:Charles Wallace
:James Monroe
:Marilyn Monroe
:Hank Williams
:William C. Williams
:Steve Harvey
:Domino Harvey
:Harvey Milk
:James Saint James
:Etta James
:Jim Jones
:James Earl Jones
:Charlie Parker
:Ray Parker Jr.
:Ray Charles
:Charles Manson
:Marilyn Manson
:Robin Williams
:Billy D. Williams
:Will Wright
:Fats Domino
:Bill Clinton
:Jimmy John
:Tom Jones
:Tommy John
:Quincy Jones
:James Earl Ray
:Man Ray
:Rachel Ray
:Ray Allen
:Tim Allen
:Tim Cook
:Tim Howard
:Robin Wright
:Wilbur Wright
:Fatty Arbuckle
:Fat Joe
:George Clinton
:John Kerry
:Kerry Washington
:John Irving
:John Quincy Adams
:John Adams
:Amy Adams
:Aimee Mann
:Superman
:Batman
:Ayn Rand
:Lily Allen
:Paul Allen
:Ron Howard
:Howard Hughes
:Joe Kennedy
:George Bush
:George Wasington
:Wasington Irving
:Martha Wasington
:Ma Rainey
:Jack Ma
:Super Grover
:Jack Black
:Rand Paul
:Paul Ryan
:Paul Simon
:Ron Paul
:John Hughes
:Langston Hughes
:John F. Kennedy
:Little Richard
:Rich Little
:Martha Stewart
:Yo Yo Ma
:Ma Bell
:Grover Cleveland Alexander
:Grover Cleveland
:Jack White
:Jack Ryan
:Debby Ryan
:Carly Simon
:Carly Hughes
:Charles Evans Hughes
:John Williams
:Little John
:Stuart Little
:Potter Stewart
:Kristen Stewart
:Kristen Bell
:Kristen Hooks
:Alexander Graham Bell
:Franklin Graham
:Lloyd Alexander
:Meg White
:Meg ryan
:Debbie Reynolds
:John Reynolds
:Carly Fiorina
:Grace Lee Boggs
:Wade Boggs
:William Safire
:Prince William
:Little Prince
:Harry Potter
:James Potter
:James Hook
:James Dean
:Aretha Franklin
:Frank Lloyd Wright
:Barry White
:Walter White
:Walt Whitman
:John Kelly
:Grace Lee
:Nancy Grace
:Garnet
:Prince
:Prince Fielder
:Prince Harry
:Harry Styles
:John Dean
:Benjamin Franklin
:Harrold Lloyd
:Harrold Ford
:Betty White
:Meg Whitman
:Christine Todd Whitman
:Megyn Kelly
:Grace Kelly
:Grace Jones
:Jack Nicholson
:Jack Ruby
:Jack Russel
:Harry Fielder
:Harry Trueman
:Harry Jon Benjamin
:John Edward
:Benjamin Harrison
:Harrison Ford
:Henry Ford
:Betty Ford
:Betty Friedan
:Chris Christie
:Chris Pratt
:Maggie Grace
:Grace Hopper
:Russel Crowe
:Russ Smith
:John Smith
:Justin Long
:John Bel Edwards
:John Candy
:John Henry
:Henry James
:Bill James
:Chirs Cooper
:Chirs Hemsworth
:Chirs Evans
:Topher Grace
:Van Morrison
:Sheryl Crow
:Sheryl Sandberg
:Cameron Crow
:Long John Silver
:Olivia Newton John
:Huey long
:John Edwards
:Candy Crowley
:Alestier Crowley
:James Fenimore Cooper
:James Cook
:Robert Frost
:Bob Evans
:Evan Tayler Jones
:Van Jones
:James Cameron
:Cam Newton
:Cameron Diaz
:Huey Newton
:Huey Lewis
:John Lewis
:Jenny Lewis
:Ryan Lewis
:Burt Reynolds
:Alistiar Cooke
:Alistair Cookie
:Cokie Roberts
:John Roberts
:Robert Johnson
:Robert E. Lee
:Tommy Lee
:Tommy Lee Jones
:Etta James
:John Oliver
:Ryan Reynolds
:Alastair Reynolds

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Large drawings]]

Talk:1971: Personal Data

2018-03-25T18:44:57Z

141.101.107.114: Added a comment.

To _whom_...[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.166|108.162.216.166]] 05:35, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

Added a very basic explanation, but I don't have the time to expand it or add links. Can someone work on it? [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 06:01, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

White Hat may be speaking facetiously to illustrate that Cueball and Ponytail's ignorance of personal data and the economy are as egregiously irresponsible as ignorance of taxes. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.130|162.158.78.130]] 18:15, 23 March 2018 (UTC) anaughtymaus
:Yes of course, but if the title text is ascribed to him, then he seems to take it a long way. Based on previous White Hat comics, he often makes suck mistakes. I belive it is not seen like this. Not understanding the economy of your country/Stock market, is not a big issue if you don't trade stocks. Also not understanding what personal data is, may not change the way you protect your self with password or fire walls antivirus/spyware programs. But not paying taxes can get you in jail in the worst case, if it is perceived as fraud, rather than ignorance (White Hat) in which case a (huge) fine may be the result. So it is not the same... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:59, 23 March 2018 (UTC)
:I don't recall ever seeing White Hat earn any money... Is it possible he has no income? [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 04:39, 25 March 2018 (UTC)

What does it mean "The US postal service prohibits sending cash by mail?" I checked, and I am pretty sure this is false. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.114|141.101.107.114]] 18:44, 25 March 2018 (UTC)

;New categories for this type of comic?
Do we need an economy category? Or a category about adults who have trouble dealing with grown-up issues, or still behave childlike? Here is a list that I just found from the first and following other links from there:
*[[150: Grownups]]
*[[219: Blanket Fort]]
*[[616: Lease]]
*[[1674: Adult]]
*[[441: Babies]]
*[[418: Stove Ownership]]
*[[905: Homeownership]]
What do you think of the ideas for categories, and do you have an idea for what the grown up issues category should be called? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:09, 23 March 2018 (UTC)

; Economy
In healthy economy it's not necessary to force people who wants to save their money to spend it. Inflation is a way to force responsible people to behave just as irresponsible and short-sighted as government itself. But our current economy is build on debt and is definitely neither healthy nor intuitive ... nor sustainable ... see [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AC6RSau7r8 Money as Debt] -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:26, 23 March 2018 (UTC)
:I completely agree about inflation being used to force responsible people to be irresponsible, and I think the description should be changed. But I've concluded that the Money As Debt film misdiagnoses our problems. There's nothing inherently wrong with debt – it just allows someone temporarily to use an IOU to buy goods or services before selling, while still committing them to selling goods or services later. Since sellers don't generally accept individuals' IOUs in payment, a prospective buyer who doesn't have any money yet goes to a bank, and offers their personal IOU in exchange for new IOUs from the bank. The bank's IOU is generally accepted by sellers, on the assumption that the bank is solvent. So money is a debt ''from'' a bank ''to'' the holder of the money, not the other way round. When the borrower has sold something later, the two debts between bank and borrower (one in each direction) can be written off. The ''real'' problem comes from people or corporations (whether commercial, charitable or government) writing IOUs which they can't or won't pay. For example, if banks make loads of loans to people with no income or assets, they rapidly become insolvent, meaning that their IOUs become worth less, perhaps much less. -- [[User:Striped-pad|Striped-pad]] ([[User talk:Striped-pad|talk]]) 22:30, 24 March 2018 (UTC)

1969: Not Available

2018-03-20T09:47:04Z

141.101.107.114:

{{comic
| number = 1969
| date = 19 March, 2018
| title = Not Available
| image = not_available.png
| titletext = If my country ever picks a new national flag, this is on my shortlist for designs to argue for, but I think in the end I'll go with the green puzzle piece or broken image thumbnail.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Update content a little bit further. What is a "broken image icon", please provide examples. Do not remove this tag too soon.}}

A very common, yet frustrating issue on the {{w|internet}} is finding a broken link, taking you to an "{{w|HTTP 404|Error 404}}" page. The purpose of the page is to tell the user that the content they were looking for has been either moved, or deleted. Randall suggested replacing the standard "page not found" text, to "This content is not available in your country". This could fool the user into thinking the media they are looking for is actually there, but is {{w|Regional lockout|region locked}}, which is another great source of frustration for internet users. Using a {{w|VPN}} and/or {{w|Tor (anonymity network)|TOR}} to try and access the content from another country wouldn't work, because it isn't actually region locked; it is just an error 404 page, wasting even more time, most likely frustrating the user a great deal in the process.

The title text suggests setting the picture as a national flag. This would be very ironic, as it would suggest that the country's flag itself, something that is used to represent the country across the globe, is region locked. The country in the title text likely does not refer to the United States, but rather to the new country featured in [[1815: Flag]]. The first flag of this country included a phone notification bar, so changing it to a "page not found" icon would continue with a trend of technology imagery. Instead he argues for a green puzzle piece, which is Firefox's and Chrome's "plugin is missing" icon. Although, Chrome's "plugin is missing" puzzle piece icon is gray. He also argues for an equally frustrating broken image icon (which is used in lieu of a photo that is either missing or incompatible with the browser).

==Transcript==
:[A gray box shown on a black background says "This content is not available in your country."]
:Caption: If you ever ''really'' want to make people mad, set this as your 404/"Not Found" page.

{{comic discussion}}

1620: Christmas Settings

2018-03-17T15:50:25Z

141.101.107.114: /* Trivia */ grammar : with out - > without

{{comic
| number = 1620
| date = December 23, 2015
| title = Christmas Settings
| image = christmas_settings.png
| titletext = SOUND DOGS MAKE: [BARKING] [HISSING] [LIGHTSABER NOISES] [FLUENT ENGLISH] [SWEARING]
}}

==Explanation==
The first of two [[:Category:Christmas|Christmas comics]] in a row, as it was followed by [[1621: Fixion]].

In this comic [[Ponytail]] is showing [[Megan]] around in a facility, where they are now reaching the "Universe Control Panel", and Ponytail points out the first panel and tells that these dials control {{w|Christmas}}.

Presumably the control panel is a set of panels with several dials each to control the entire universe, and anyone having access to a room with these controls would from our point of view be in a God like position. If such a room did exist it would most likely be situated outside our universe. Here it would be easy for [[Randall]] to use the panel to make [[#Universal constants control panel|physics references]], with dials to control the specific size of {{w|Physical constant|fundamental constants}} of the universe such as the {{w|speed of light in vacuum}} or the {{w|Planck constant}}. However, instead he chooses a more comedic angle in the spirit of Christmas (as he usually does in [[:Category:Christmas|comics released]] close to said holiday, this one being released on December 23rd).

We are only shown one of the dials on the Christmas control panel, the one that controls how {{w|Santa Claus}} enters people’s houses. The ''Santa enters houses through''-dial has [[#Options for Santa|ten different possible settings]]. The one it's set to at this point of the comic is the traditional ''chimney''. Among the other nine there is only one even more logical option the ''open window'', but surprisingly there is no option called ''the door''. The other eight options, however, are increasingly weird or even impossible (though of course not for Santa, who can deliver a billion packets in one night and fly in a sleigh drawn by flying reindeer…). These options ranges from the ”feasible” like ''mail slot'', ''heating vents'' or ''cat flap'' to the impossible/ridiculous (some even disgusting) as ''kitchen faucet'', ''shower drain'' or ''toilet'' over the truly magical ''bathroom mirror '' to the downright unpleasant - ''pores of your skin''. (See [[555: Two Mirrors]] regarding the mirror version).

In a quite unfortunate turn of events Megan trips and catches herself on the Santa dial, messing it up by clicking it twice. To make matters worse, when Megan asks what it was set to before so as to undo the mishap, Ponytail tells that she has forgotten. So they cannot put it back right.

The dial is shown in the comic only for the readers benefit, because as Megan tripped up before reaching it, she thus never looked at it, and as Ponytail is showing her around, it must have been her first visit here. The reason why Ponytail cannot remember to which option the dial was set before is most likely because she is not part of our universe (the control panel is located outside), and also she is probably not the creator of the control panel. She is clearly disturbed when the dial is turned (she holds up her hand to her mouth), and she would probably like not to have to tell her boss about this mess up. Another explanation is that by changing the dial, Megan and Ponytail's memories of Santa's entry methods are altered, and so whatever position the dial now rests at would seem normal to them. (This could mean that history has no effect outside the universe, so the single dial controls past, present, and future Santa methods. Perhaps the dial was formerly something more logical than a chimney, like "open window," and indeed ''we'' are the ones who now live in the altered universe!)

Then, as so often seen with human behaviors (if they are indeed human beings at all?), Megan says she will simply take a wild guess and hope she get it right. As the only thing she really knows is that it is not on the right setting now, there is only 1/9 that she will get it right assuming she will at least change it away from the setting she ended up on.

As we can see in the comic the dial clicks twice, implying it has moved two positions; Megan has thus most likely changed the dial to either "kitchen faucet" or "mail slot". Or the dial was moved one click away and one click back to the original position. As we do not know which of these she will now change away from, it is impossible to guess from the comic where she end up putting it, all ten options are possible.

Since the comic is released just before Christmas, here is a prank played on the reader/children who believe in Santa Claus. Now that the dial setting is probably changed, one can expect Santa to enter the house in a different way. So the believer could stay up and try to find out what way it would be.

The title text continues the idea of a universe control panel by showing another possible dial: ''[[#Options for dogs|Sound dogs make]]'' ranging from the norm (barking) to cat sounds (hissing, very embarrassing for a dog), "lightsaber noises" and speech to swearing. This is a dial most likely on another control panel for animal sounds (but it could of course specifically be the sound a dog would make in response to Santa's entry, by whatever method?). It would thus give the same option of changing the expected vocal response of the dog away from (our norm of) barking, as with the other dial with the way Santa enters the house. In popular culture, talking dogs are a commonly used trope; in contrast, swearing "dogs" are few, the most famous being {{w|Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog}}, a puppet created by {{w|Conan O'Brien}} and {{w|Robert Smigel}} and performed by the latter.

The comic might also be a joke on real-life controls often having no clear "default" value - which, by the way, is sometimes the case for virtual controls as well.

The Universe Control Panel is also referenced in [[1763: Catcalling]]

==Options for Santa==
*Below is a table with the ten possible settings for ''Santa enters houses through...''; starting with the originally chosen standard option and going clockwise through the rest:
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
|'''Option''' || '''Normal Entry/Exit for...'''
|-
|{{w|Chimney}} || {{W|Santa Claus}} typically comes in this way (see him here in a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I-b_GJ4ltk Victorian roof-top song and dance number]). Also {{w|The_Three_Little_Pigs|big bad wolves}} use [https://youtu.be/Olo923T2HQ4?t=432 this entrance] in Disney’s cartoon.
|-
|{{w|Shower#Drainage|Shower drain}} || Dirty shower water. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPgjOcdQ0fE Evil clowns].
|-
|{{w|Mail slot}} || Letters, post cards and small presents delivered by the mailman.
|-
|{{w|Duct (flow)|Heating vents}} || Hot air used for {{w|central heating}}.
|-
|{{w|Bathroom}} {{w|mirror}} || See {{w|Candyman (film)|Candyman}}, or {{w|Bloody Mary (folklore)|Bloody Mary}} (the latter has been used in [[555: Two Mirrors]]).
|-
|{{w|Skin pore|Pores of your skin}} || {{w|Sweat}} leaving the body.
|-
|{{w|Toilet}} || {{w|Human waste}} and {{w|The_Shawshank_Redemption|life-term prisoners}} (at least through the sewer).
|-
|{{w|Cat flap}} || Domesticated cats and dogs.
|-
|{{w|Sink|Kitchen faucet}} || Water.
|-
|{{w|Window|Open window}} || {{w|Burglars}} and other criminals. Also often used as an exit by teenagers in movies and other film media, or by people who have locked themselves out of their own house.
|}

==Options for dogs==
*Below is a table with the five possible settings for ''Sound dogs make''; starting with the current and continuing with the order in the title text:
{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
|'''Option''' || '''Normal sound for...'''
|-
|{{w|Bark (sound)|Barking}} || {{w|Dogs}} current standard sound in our universe...
|-
|[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hissing Hissing] || Typically a {{w|List of animal sounds|sound attributed }} to {{w|snakes}}, but also sometimes {{w|cats}} are [http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/why-do-cats-hiss/ said to hiss], for instance as a reaction against a barking dog. It would thus be very frustrating for dogs if their noise was changed into that of their arch enemies.
|-
|{{w|Lightsaber|Lightsaber noises}} || A lightsaber makes a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kpHK4YIwY4 unique sound], and as they are one of the most known props from the {{w|Star Wars}} universe, it is very relevant as the newest Star Wars movie {{w|Star Wars: The Force Awakens}} was released a week before this comic. Star Wars was also a major theme a month ago in the comic [[1608: Hoverboard]], the coin collecting game that celebrated [[Randall|Randall's]] new book.
|-
|{{w|Fluency#Speech|Fluent}} {{w|English language|English}} || [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRcUcxtaX-Q Speaking dogs] are a common trope as are {{w|talking animals}} in general. A person who is native to a country where they speak English will usually be fluent in speaking English.
|-
|{{w|Profanity|Swearing}} || It would be unpleasant for people who dislike swearing, and a big problems for movies such as {{w|Lassie}} where most of the soundtrack would have to be replaced by {{w|Bleep censor|bleeps}}. Swearing "dogs" are few, the most famous being {{w|Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog}}, a puppet created by {{w|Conan O'Brien}} and {{w|Robert Smigel}} and performed by the latter.
|}

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Ponytail are walking over to a console, Ponytail points towards it. They are drawn in a panel that is only half the width of the next panel below]
:Ponytail: Over here we have the universe control panel.
:Ponytail: These dials, for example, control Christmas.

:[A dial is shown. There is a label at the top and then there are ten settings, five symmetrically on the left and right side, but no setting straight up or down. It looks allot like the dial on a washing machine with different programs. The dial points towards the top left setting. All settings are labeled and there is a small line going to the point on the dial connected with each setting. The line at 3 and 9 o'clock are straight the other 8 are divided in two, where the first part goes horizontally and then bends either up or down, to end in the right position. Here the labele at the top and then the setting labels clockwise from top right, thus ending with the one the dial is set to:]
:'''Santa enters houses through...'''
:Shower Drain
:Mail Slot
:Heating Vents
:Bathroom Mirror
:Pores of Your Skin
:Toilet
:Cat Flap
:Kitchen Faucet
:Open Window
:Chimney

:[Ponytail is passing by this control panel looking back at Megan who trips and falls towards the console.]
:Megan: Whoops!
:Megans legs: Trip

:[Megan catches herself on the dial of the control panel and accidentally turns the dial. Ponytail has taken her hands to her mouth.]
:Dial: Click Click

:[Megan is standing in front of the console looking at the dial, Ponytail is standing behind it.]
:Megan: What was the Santa dial set to before?
:Ponytail: I forget.
:Megan: I'll just guess

==Trivia==
*In the [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/7/73/20151223160450!christmas_settings.png original version] of the comic Ponytail erroneously said: ''These dials, for example, '''controls''' Christmas.''
**This was soon changed to the current (and grammatically correct) version without the "s" at the end of controls ''These dials, for example, control Christmas.''
**Thus proving that it was intended that there were more than one dial, we just see the one that Megan later changed by mistake for the sake of the joke of the comic.
*The "Universe Control Panel" is later featured in [[1763: Catcalling]], but is referred to as the "Universe Control Console" instead.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Christmas]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Animals]]

Talk:1910: Sky Spotters

2017-11-01T17:58:52Z

141.101.107.114:

First [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.114|141.101.107.114]] 17:58, 1 November 2017 (UTC)

1910: Sky Spotters

2017-11-01T17:58:28Z

141.101.107.114: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1910
| date = November 1, 2017
| title = Sky Spotters
| image = sky_spotters.png
| titletext = Where I live, one of the most common categories of sky object without a weird obsessive spotting community is "lost birthday party balloons," so that might be a good choice—although you risk angering the marine wildlife people, and they have sharks.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a few people, and it certainly needs much more. - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In this comic it is explored how people with various hobbies notice strange things in the sky. In first panel plane enthusiasts notice that there {{w|Piper PA-24 Comanche}} in the sky belonging to company that has no flight plans, and wonder why is that, so decide to post about it on forums. In second panel a few bird enthusiasts are wondering why there is a {{w|Broad-winged hawk}} in the area out of season, and decide to send message to e-mail list. In last panel what looks like {{w|National Security Agency}} wonders how to disguise their drones so that people will not pay attention to it, and, as in the first two panels, discover that it does not appear to be legitimate no matter what it appears to be. This is the joke. Another suggestion to use a {{w|Weather balloon}} as a disguise is struck out, because it would attract UFO enthusiasts and "weather people".

In title text it is suggested that "lost birthday party balloons" should not attract too much attention. But then noted that it might make marine wildlife people angry. The concern of those probably being that balloons ultimately end up in some water body which threatens marine wildlife that gets trapped in plastic and other synthetic material that were dumped in the water. (see {{w|Marine debris}}) "Marine wildlife people with sharks" may be a reference to [[585: Outreach]], which also features a balloon. Another possible issue with disguising drones as "lost balloons" is that such balloons are quite rarely seen, and a sudden increase in the number of "lost balloons" seen would certainly raise suspicion even without a "spotting community" that focuses on them.

The reference to red trim on the Piper PA-24 Comanche could be a reference to the livery of {{w|Janet_(airline)}} which operates flights between Las Vegas, Area 51, and other desert military bases. Although, these planes are in fact registered to the Department of the Air Force rather than a holding company.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[White Hat and Hairy are standing in a field and holding their phones.]
:White Hat: That's odd—another PA-24 Comanche with red trim. Registered to a holding company, no recent flight plans.
:Hairy: I'll ask the forums if anyone knows who operates those.

:[Hairbun and another character, looking like an older Cueball, are standing in a field, using binoculars.]
:Hairbun: Goodness, I think that's a broad winged hawk!
:Other character: In November?! They should be long gone by now!
:Hairbun: I'll email the list.

:[Many characters sit around a table in a boardroom, which presumably belongs to the government as the table has a circular insignia.]
:Person on the left: Dammit, why are there so many different subcultures obsessed with staring at the sky?
:Ponytail: What else could we disguise our surveillance drones as?
:Cueball: Weather balloons?
:Ponytail: No, that gets the UFO people ''and'' the weather people.
:Ponytail: Don't know who's worse.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Drones]]
[[Category:Animals]]

1906: Making Progress

2017-10-23T16:27:15Z

141.101.107.114:

{{comic
| number = 1906
| date = October 23, 2017
| title = Making Progress
| image = making_progress.png
| titletext = I started off with countless problems. But now I know, thanks to COUNT(), that I have "#REF! ERROR: Circular dependency detected" problems.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Megan has made progress. While she started the day with lots of problems, she has entered those problems into a spreadsheet. This could allow her to resolve her problems and fix them more quickly.

Title text is a possible pun on "dependency."

==Transcript==
:[Megan is looking at a computer.]
:Megan: I started the day with lots of problems.
:Megan: But now, after hours and hours of work,
:Megan: I have lots of problems in a spreadsheet.
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}

665: Prudence

2017-01-16T21:17:00Z

141.101.107.114: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe remains the first book in the series, despite the later addition of a prequel.

{{comic
| number = 665
| date = November 20, 2009
| title = Prudence
| image = prudence.png
| titletext = Moments later, the White Witch rolls up and, confused, tries to tempt the probe with a firmware upgrade.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic references the fantasy novel series "{{w|The Chronicles of Narnia}}" by {{w|C. S. Lewis}}. In the first book / movie (second book by internal chronology), four children discover the fictional world of Narnia which can be accessed through a wardrobe.

The comic mocks at the imprudent behaviour shown by the protagonists of the novel, who enter the world of Narnia without knowing anything about its dangers. In the comic, Megan discovers the magical wardrobe while playing {{w|hide-and-seek}}. Unlike the original characters, Megan does not precipitately set foot into Narnia. Instead, she fetches her technical equipment and sends a remote-controlled probe through the wardrobe door in order to sound the situation first.

This procedure of sending a probe first can be seen in the early Stargate episodes. This draws a parallel between the wardrobe in Narnia and the Stargate, both connecting two distant worlds. The stargate probe can be seen at http://stargate.wikia.com/wiki/Mobile_Analytic_Laboratory_Probe

The probe can be seen in the sixth and eighth panel, encountering {{w|Mr. Tumnus}} the faun with an umbrella at a lamppost in a snowy wood on the last panel. This picture is the first impression of Narnia in the novels and was apparently Lewis' original idea for the series.

The {{w|White Witch}} mentioned in the title text is the main antagonist in the novel. She originally lures one of the protagonists with a hot drink and {{w|Turkish delight}}. In the scenario displayed in the comic, she tries to tempt the probe with a firmware update accordingly.

Megan takes a scientific approach to Narnia again in [[821: Five-Minute Comics: Part 3|a later comic]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan is running towards a closed wardrobe.]
:Someone off-panel: Everyone hide! 99... 98... 97...

:[Megan opens the wardrobe.]
:Wardrobe: click

:Megan, looking inside: !!!

:[Megan looks thoughtful.]

:[Megan walks away.]

:[Megan returns with an armful of electronics.]

:[Megan is kneeling, typing on a laptop, which has a cord extending into the wardrobe.]

:[A robotic probe is approaching Mr. Tumnus, the faun, under the lamppost in narnia.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan‏‎]]