Editing 2076: Horror Movies 2

{{comic
| number    = 2076
| date      = November 23, 2018
| title     = Horror Movies 2
| image     = horror_movies_2.png
| titletext = When I was a kid, someone told me the end of The Giver was ambiguous, which surprised me. I had just assumed Jonah died--because the book had a medal on the cover, and I knew grown-ups liked stories where sad stuff happens at the end for no reason.
}}

==Explanation==

This comic is the second in the [[:Category:Horror Movies|Horror Movies]] series, and is the follow-up to [[2056: Horror Movies]] released a month earlier. 

While the first Horror Movies comic was about giving voice to [[Randall|Randall's]] inability to enjoy horror movies, this comic takes Randall's previous position and exaggerates it.

[[White Hat]] and [[Cueball]] (as Randall) discuss the appeal of {{w|horror movies}} and tragic plots. Cueball expresses his dissatisfaction with stories that focus on evoking negative feelings. As an example he mentions how he disliked the ending of ''{{w|Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic}}'' where Jack sacrifices his life in order to save Rose. White Hat does not seem to share Cueball's point of view on successful storytelling and sarcastically promises to send feedback to the movie director {{w|James Cameron}} as well as the 16th century playwright and writer {{w|William Shakespeare}}, whose most famous works include tragedies like ''{{w|Romeo and Juliet}}''.

In the title text Cueball (as Randall?) discusses the ending of the science fiction novel ''{{w|The Giver}}'' where the fate of the main character Jonah [sic, [[2076: Horror Movies 2#Trivia|see Trivia]]] had been left ambiguous. The joke is a [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathByNewberyMedal stereotype] that the {{w|Newbery Medal}}, a children's literature award, is only given to books with tragic endings. However, the protagonist lives, as there are three more titles in the series, two of which have the main character as a side character. However, those three books are rather obscure. 

This was the first of two comics in a row to reference a specific movie genre, this one horror movies, the next one, [[2077: Heist]], heist movies.

==Transcript==
:[White Hat and Cueball are walking, with Cueball holding his arms out in front of him.]
:White Hat: So you don't like '''''any''''' horror movies?
:Cueball: Spooky stuff is neat but I hate jump scares and watching people get murdered.
:Cueball: Why would you '''''want''''' to see that?

:[Zoom in on the two.]
:White Hat: It's like roller coasters. People like experiencing powerful feelings in a safe, controlled setting.
:Cueball: But why not '''''good''''' feelings?

:[In a frame-less panel Cueball stops and turns towards White Hat.]
:White Hat: We've always been into tragic stories. Romeo and Juliet, Titanic...
:Cueball: See, that's another thing I don't get!

:[Zoom out again as White Hat walks past Cueball who now hold his arms out to the side as he looks after White Hat.]
:Cueball: I loved ''Titanic'' because Rose and Jack found each other and seemed so happy! I just hated the ending.
:White Hat: I'll be sure to give James Cameron and Shakespeare your feedback.

==Trivia==
*In the original (current) title-text, there is a typo where the protagonist of ''The Giver'' is referred to as "Jonah" instead of "Jonas."

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Horror Movies]]
[[Category:Comics sharing name|Horror Movies 02]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Fiction]]