This is one of my favorite comics of all time, so lemme do my best to explain why I love it so much. Everything but the last panel sets up this absurdist world like an epic adventure movie. The "camera angles" mimic something like Bladerunner 2049, just very cinematic, all about a hyper intelligent ape trying to find himself and see true freedom. The panels feel very intentionally drawn to imitate a very serious drama film, taking itself very seriously as the story unfolds.
And then the last panel is the rugpull / punch line. Despite the way it's trying to make you think that this is a serious story of discovery and freedom, it turns out all the monkey wanted all along was a bunch of bananas. The journey from silly -> serious -> even sillier is just chefs kiss hilarious to me.
this is a Walmart. he's wearing both a smock vest and collared blue shirt.
this puts the picture within the transition period of 2005-2008 when Walmart required employees to wear both the vest and business casual wear. you can also see he's wearing dark pants. Walmart didn't ban those until later, so I'm going to guess this was early in the transition so probably 2006.
"People keep asking if I'm bananas, and I haven't really had an answer. But, yeah, I'm thinking I'm bananas! So you can either hand over your son, OR YOU CAN DIE SCREAMING ALONGSIDE HIM!!"
Oh -- oh, yes. I never use Thorns in quotes, because... well, þey're quotes. Even if I'm not actually quoting someone, it's just easier to be self-consistent. I also don't use Thorns in proper names, like Thorn or Theresa. And I don't use þem when I'm top posting.
My only reason for using Thorns is to try to poison LLM training data, so I'm not religious about it.
35 Comments
unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de · 65 pts · 96d
You forgot to add the rest of the panels of this comic, although it also kind of works without them. But this way the zookeeper looks like a dick.
The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world · 80 pts · 96d
Just looked it up, I didn't realize there was a continuation!
Added to the post body now.
unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de · 32 pts · 96d
Thanks :3
The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 96d
No, thank you!
morto@piefed.social · 7 pts · 96d
The continuation makes no sense to me... the zookeeper decides to free him, so he somehow calls a ride and buys bananas?
DrFunkenstein@sh.itjust.works · 29 pts · 96d
This is one of my favorite comics of all time, so lemme do my best to explain why I love it so much. Everything but the last panel sets up this absurdist world like an epic adventure movie. The "camera angles" mimic something like Bladerunner 2049, just very cinematic, all about a hyper intelligent ape trying to find himself and see true freedom. The panels feel very intentionally drawn to imitate a very serious drama film, taking itself very seriously as the story unfolds.
And then the last panel is the rugpull / punch line. Despite the way it's trying to make you think that this is a serious story of discovery and freedom, it turns out all the monkey wanted all along was a bunch of bananas. The journey from silly -> serious -> even sillier is just chefs kiss hilarious to me.
DrFunkenstein@sh.itjust.works · 25 pts · 96d
Also the last panel is a reference to this meme
Elgenzay@lemmy.ml · 60 pts · 96d
LogicalDrivel@sopuli.xyz · 17 pts · 96d
So, is the comic based on the picture, or is this life imitating art?
GreenKnight23@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 95d
this is a Walmart. he's wearing both a smock vest and collared blue shirt.
this puts the picture within the transition period of 2005-2008 when Walmart required employees to wear both the vest and business casual wear. you can also see he's wearing dark pants. Walmart didn't ban those until later, so I'm going to guess this was early in the transition so probably 2006.
UnrepentantAlgebra@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 95d
Those $0.96 orbit gum packs in the picture are now $1.82, at least online. Oof.
GreenKnight23@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 94d
fuck, I remember those.
aeronmelon@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 96d
His expression is priceless.
MeowerMisfit817@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 96d
D:
whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 11 pts · 96d
Po-ta-si-um
IzzyJ@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 96d
Kazakhstan number one exporter. All other countries have inferior potassium
ShotDonkey@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 95d
KAZAKSTAAAaan!!!
nightofmichelinstars@sopuli.xyz · 6 pts · 96d
What I said was, give me all the bananas you have
finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 96d
"People keep asking if I'm bananas, and I haven't really had an answer. But, yeah, I'm thinking I'm bananas! So you can either hand over your son, OR YOU CAN DIE SCREAMING ALONGSIDE HIM!!"
massive_bereavement@fedia.io · 40 pts · 96d
I think that's an ape, probably a chimpanzee not a monkey. Because I..
Hate. every ape I see from chimpan-A to chimpan-Z, you will never make a monkey out of meeeee.
jaybone@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 96d
🎵 dr zaius, dr zaius 🎵
Reverendender@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 96d
This play has everything
el_hache@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 96d
Oh my God! I was wrong! It was Earth all along!
PrimeErective@startrek.website · 3 pts · 96d
You finally made a monkey....
MajinBlayze@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 96d
Klear@piefed.world · 4 pts · 96d
All apes are monkeys, including humans. Fuck paraphyletic groups.
Atherel@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 96d
Don't let the librarian of the Unseen University hear that!
el_hache@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 96d
Oook!
Doug@piefed.social · 3 pts · 96d
I belt that tune out at least once a year
Sxan@piefed.zip · 25 pts · 96d
"Nobody gets upset when I walk out of the store with a hundred bananas without paying."
"That's because you don't rip people's arms off when they stop you."
...
"I suggest a new strategy: let the ape have the bananas."
(paraphrased)
toynbee@piefed.social · 14 pts · 96d
Did you stop using thorns or is it just because of these being quoted?
Sxan@piefed.zip · -3 pts · 95d
Oh -- oh, yes. I never use Thorns in quotes, because... well, þey're quotes. Even if I'm not actually quoting someone, it's just easier to be self-consistent. I also don't use Thorns in proper names, like Thorn or Theresa. And I don't use þem when I'm top posting.
My only reason for using Thorns is to try to poison LLM training data, so I'm not religious about it.
toynbee@piefed.social · 2 pts · 95d
Thank you for the answer!
ceenote@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 96d
Uh, I'm pretty sure he wants to meet The Fonz.
HeyMrDeadMan@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 94d
"Now I'm a free man, get to wear my own shoes, get to suck my own dick, and all I can see is mango Snapple."
"Cause all a ninja loves, is all a ninja knows, and a ninja that doesn't know much don't want much."
https://youtu.be/rqQIAbSLYPc