[12/11/07]
Comic note: I’m attempting to start a new plotline here. I’m also attempting not to overthink things. Also attempting not to underthink things. Hitting this balance is going to be tricky to say the least; I think I failed the last time I tried.
EDIT: Looks like I’m probably going to fail again. See secondary rant at bottom.
And now, ranting.
I like crossovers. And references (to other things). Perhaps a bit too much. Nah, definitely a bit too much. I’m surprised I don’t hang out at the crossover imageboard. (Handy wiki references for “crossover” and “imageboard“.) The only problem is, and I quote the original script for this comic:
I like in-jokes … but I’m never in on anything.
Basically, I find references hilarious, but for a lot of things I haven’t actually seen the thing being referenced and don’t realize it’s a reference until I look it up, at which point I go and investigate the thing being referenced in the first place, after which I finally get it. Then I laugh. But not as much as I would have if I had gotten the references in the first place.
And so, things like Pani Poni Dash! land right in my niche. I probably got about 50% of the references while watching that, learning of others though the pdf notes one fangroup released to help explain all the stuff seen onscreen. It’s still funny, even if I didn’t “get” the references.
Speaking of this particular niche, I expect I’ll probably enjoy Lucky ☆ Star for the same reason — funny + references — but I’m currently resisting, for the same reason I resisted watching Haruhi: “too popular”. I’m not sure if I’m inherently reactionary or counter-culture, or if I’m worried about becoming one of “them” (gigantic horde of fans). Of course, this resulted in a pretty weird result when I discovered that Pani Poni Dash! is pretty darn popular in Japan. (Perhaps this is to be expected, seeing as it’s a “WJT”.) I still like it. A lot. Possibly a bit too much?
Nah, not possible.
So, basically, I think I’ve lost the ability to draw stuff that’s genuinely funny; for example, I’ve been unable to hit stuff on this level lately. The general conclusion (meaning, “Derek and I think this is the case”) rests on the concept of “Garbage In, Garbage Out” (GIGO). Basically, I’m recieving inferior data inputs, in the form of my environment, but particularly in the images / manga / anime / other stuff I choose to view / read / watch / whatever, respectively. Basically, the concentration of “good” stuff was higher in the early days of the comic. I should really make a chart of this to see the trend visually.
So, this next story arc’s probably going to be a weird ride, folks. I’m hoping it’ll redeem itself somehow, though.
