Difference between revisions of "35: Sheep"
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| date = November 26, 2005 | | date = November 26, 2005 | ||
| title = Sheep | | title = Sheep | ||
| + | | before = <big><big><span class="plainlinks">[https://web.archive.org/web/20060529063441/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/#:~:text=Friday%27s%20Drawing%20%2D%20Sheep Original title</span>]: '''Friday's Drawing - Sheep'''</big></big> | ||
| image = sheep.jpg | | image = sheep.jpg | ||
| − | | titletext = I think it's the sheep zapping the cactus and not vice-versa | + | | titletext = I think it's the sheep zapping the cactus and not vice-versa<br><br><span class="plainlinks">[https://web.archive.org/web/20060529063441/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/#:~:text=Friday%27s%20Drawing%20%2D%20Sheep Original caption</span>]: I'm still on vacation, sorry this is a bit late. I forgot what day it was. Anyway, I'll be back Monday, possibly with new drawings about cereal! |
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
| − | Due to Randall's vacation, he picked out comics from his old high-school notebooks | + | This was the thirty-seventh comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]]. The previous one was [[41: Old Drawing]], and the next one was [[42: Geico]]. |
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| + | Due to Randall's vacation, he picked out comics from his old high-school notebooks for the second time in a row. It is an unusual drawing, especially with The comic [[520: Cuttlefish]] may be a reference to this comic. It may also be a {{w|Pokémon}} reference, with the sheep being the Electric type {{w|Mareep}} or its evolution {{w|Flaaffy}}, and the cactus being {{w|Cacnea}} or {{w|Cacturne}}. | ||
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| + | The title text suggests that it may be the sheep that is zapping the cactus, while the original caption apologizes for the late comic release. This is the second time in a row that a Friday comic was released on a Saturday, as [[32: Pillar]] was also released late. | ||
===Poem by Scott=== | ===Poem by Scott=== | ||
| − | In the comment | + | In the comment section of the original LiveJournal post, an anonymous used that called himself "Scott" [https://web.archive.org/web/20060529063755/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/9868.html#:~:text=new%20comment)-,from%20Scott,-(Anonymous)%0A2005 posted a poem about the sheep in the comic]. It's unclear if this is the same [[Scott]] who is a friend of Randall. |
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:I had a little cactus and I treasured it with pride, | :I had a little cactus and I treasured it with pride, | ||
:admiring its spines and dainty flowers. | :admiring its spines and dainty flowers. | ||
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:It grows apace now, once again, but all it blooms is steel wool! | :It grows apace now, once again, but all it blooms is steel wool! | ||
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:[Caption in a black frame above the image written in normal letters not all caps:] | :[Caption in a black frame above the image written in normal letters not all caps:] | ||
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==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
| − | + | This comic was [[:Category:Saturday comics|released on a Saturday]] | |
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
Revision as of 10:01, 8 August 2023
| Sheep |
| Original title: Friday's Drawing - Sheep |
 Title text: I think it's the sheep zapping the cactus and not vice-versa Original caption: I'm still on vacation, sorry this is a bit late. I forgot what day it was. Anyway, I'll be back Monday, possibly with new drawings about cereal! |
Explanation
This was the thirty-seventh comic originally posted to LiveJournal. The previous one was 41: Old Drawing, and the next one was 42: Geico.
Due to Randall's vacation, he picked out comics from his old high-school notebooks for the second time in a row. It is an unusual drawing, especially with The comic 520: Cuttlefish may be a reference to this comic. It may also be a Pokémon reference, with the sheep being the Electric type Mareep or its evolution Flaaffy, and the cactus being Cacnea or Cacturne.
The title text suggests that it may be the sheep that is zapping the cactus, while the original caption apologizes for the late comic release. This is the second time in a row that a Friday comic was released on a Saturday, as 32: Pillar was also released late.
Poem by Scott
In the comment section of the original LiveJournal post, an anonymous used that called himself "Scott" posted a poem about the sheep in the comic. It's unclear if this is the same Scott who is a friend of Randall.
- I had a little cactus and I treasured it with pride,
- admiring its spines and dainty flowers.
- Until the day - oh tragic day! - when it was RAMIFIED,
- by a ram with strange psychokinetic powers.
- Baaing deep, this shaman sheep came whiffling through the brambles.
- It gazed upon my cactus and, with yellow flash and thudrous crash,
- with dashing, brash, and rash panache,
- it blew the plant to shambles.
- I was, I confess, horrified - I sat and cried my eyes out!
- Oh stupid sheep, satanic sheep, so wrong and rash and willful!
- I nursed the cactus best I could, till finally it came about.
- It grows apace now, once again, but all it blooms is steel wool!
Transcript
- [Caption in a black frame above the image written in normal letters not all caps:]
- Another from my high-school notebooks.
- [A sheep and a green saguaro cactus in a brown pot are linked by an arcing yellow electricity bolt.]
Trivia
This comic was released on a Saturday
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refresh comments!Discussion
It's Mareep attacking Cacnea! --173.245.51.212 20:43, 3 July 2014 (UTC)
Do Cacti Dream of Electric Sheep? --108.162.238.180 01:29, 17 May 2015 (UTC)
My theory: the cactus was draw first. It is a much higher quality drawing than the sheep or electricity, so it was probably drawn separate. Later, he drew a sheep zapping it... doesn't explain much, but does agree with the theory that the sheep is zapping the cactus. Also, 173.245.56.180 21:09, 23 May 2015 (UTC)
I'm confused; did he erase the lines in the grid when he drew the lightning cloud? Otherwise, why wouldn't the grid lines show? 173.245.56.172 16:27, 21 July 2015 (UTC)
- He did color in. See the partial grid lone at bottom right. If you look very closely, you'll see mostly yellowish shade inside the cloud. Not sure what technique it is, but looks like white and yellow mixed together. 108.162.238.163 00:31, 17 October 2015 (UTC)
- Looks like the grid lines were covered by thin yellow drawn lines (there's a place on the upper left of the cactus where the drawn line doesn't align very well with the actual grid line). I think there are also thin drawn yellow lines in other directions (especially visible in the lower right part). 172.68.10.83 14:46, 17 September 2016 (UTC)
What if this is related to static electricity experiments of wool and,um, cactus 162.158.255.19 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
"Sind Schäfchens Locken schwarz und braun, dann liegt das am Elektrozaun." Translation: "When the sheep's wool is black and brown, it's because of the electric fence." ...but in German it rhymes. Fabian42 (talk) 08:19, 28 August 2017 (UTC)
The Cactus shot first.141.101.76.16 16:40, 9 January 2018 (UTC)
- Indeed, I was about to comment that I felt the poem was off-base, because the drawing is of the cactus zapping the sheep, not vice-versa. — Kazvorpal (talk) 01:20, 21 January 2024 (UTC)
- What evidence is there that the cactus is zapping the sheep, not the other way around as Randall himself thought? 172.71.147.64 22:49, 23 March 2024 (UTC)
