Editing 1378: Turbine
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
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| − | + | In this comic, Megan is speaking to a {{w|wind turbine}} which in real life would have no ability to respond to her (an example of {{w|anthropomorphism}} - attributing the qualities of human beings to animals or objects). | |
| − | The title text | + | A wind turbine is a mechanical device that generates power via the mechanical {{w|Work (physics)|work}} produced from the turning of its blades by the wind, and converts it into electricity. A wind turbine is visually very similar to a {{w|mechanical fan|fan}}, whose fan blades spin via electrical (or other) power in order to move air (i.e. create wind) to provide a cooling effect. In this way, a fan is essentially the opposite of a wind turbine. |
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| + | The punchline of this comic is a {{w|pun}} which plays on a second meaning of the word "{{w|Fan (person)|fan}}" as a colloquial short form for "fanatic" - someone who is a supporter of something (e.g. a football team, a band, an idea etc.). | ||
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| + | Megan suggests that the wind turbine blow air at her so that she can use a kite to lift off the ground. When Megan asks what the turbine thinks of the idea, the turbine's response is both literal (it is a turbine, not a huge fan, and therefore can't blow air) and colloquial (the expression "I'm not a huge fan" is an example of {{w|understatement}}, commonly used to mean one actually ''does not like'' something). | ||
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| + | Wind turbines have been used in earlier comics: In [[556: Alternative Energy Revolution]] the wind turbines are also alive, but somewhat more dangerous than just being ironic. In [[1119: Undoing]], Cueball highlights the differences between a wind turbine and a fan. | ||
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| + | The title text contains an alternative suggestion: to build a makeshift {{w|trebuchet}}, a type of catapult. The idea is that when the kite's string gets tangled in the turbine's blades, the kite will be spun around and it will fling the attached rock. The setup seems similar to a {{w|trebuchet#traction trebuchet|traction trebuchet}}, rather than the more common counterweight trebuchet. | ||
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| + | Trebuchets has been the subject of the comics [[382: Trebuchet]] and [[1160: Drop Those Pounds]], and they were also part of the story in [[1190: Time]]. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
| − | :[Megan is talking to a wind turbine.] | + | :[Megan is talking to a giant wind turbine.] |
:Megan: I'll hold up a big kite, and you blow air at me until I lift off! | :Megan: I'll hold up a big kite, and you blow air at me until I lift off! | ||
:Megan: What do you think of that idea? | :Megan: What do you think of that idea? | ||
:Wind turbine: I'm not a huge fan. | :Wind turbine: I'm not a huge fan. | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] | ||
[[Category:Trebuchet]] | [[Category:Trebuchet]] | ||
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Windmills]] |
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