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Warning: Display title "<i>Xkcd</i>" overrides earlier display title "xkcd" (help).
xkcd
Panel from "Philosophy"
Author(s)Randall Munroe
Websitehttp://xkcd.com/
Current status/scheduleMondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Launch dateSeptember 2005
Genre(s)Geek humor
Men's romance

XKCD (or xkcd[1]) is a webcomic created by Randall Munroe,[2][3] a former contractor for NASA.[4] Munroe describes it as "a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language."[5][6] It is a widely read webcomic (it tallied between 60 and 70 million page views during October 2007[7] ) and has been recognized in mainstream media such as The Guardian.[8]

Munroe states there is no particular meaning to the name and it is simply a four-letter word without a phonetic pronunciation, something he describes as "a treasured and carefully-guarded point in the space of four-character strings."[6] The subjects of the comics themselves vary. Some are statements on life and love (some love strips are simply art with poetry), and some are mathematical or scientific in-jokes. Some strips feature simple humor or pop-culture references. Although it has a cast of stick figures,[9][3] the comic occasionally features landscapes, intricate mathematical patterns such as fractals (for example, strip #17 "What If" shows an Apollonian gasket, or #543 "Sierpinski Valentine" and #95 "Sierpinski Penis" for a Sierpinski triangle[10]), or imitations of the style of other cartoonists (as during "parody week"). Occasionally, realism is featured.[11][12][13]

The comic is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.[14] New comics are added three times a week, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday[4] at midnight Eastern Time,[15] although on four occasions so far they have been updated every weekday: parody week, the "Choices" series, the "1337" series, and the "Secretary" series.

History

Randall Munroe, the creator of xkcd

The comic began in September 2005 when Munroe decided to scan doodles from his school notebooks and put them on his webpage. Eventually the comic was changed into a standalone website, where Munroe started selling t-shirts based on the comic. He currently "works on the comic full time,"[6] making xkcd a self-sufficient webcomic.

In May 2007, the comic caught the attention of many by depicting online communities in geographic form.[16] Various websites were drawn as continents, each sized according to their relative popularity and located according to their general subject matter.[16] This put xkcd at number two on The Post-Standard's "The new hotness" list.[17]

xkcd is not an acronym, and Munroe attaches no meaning to the name, except in a joking manner within the comic.[18] He claims that the name was originally a screen name, which he selected as a combination of letters that would be meaningless, as well as phonetically unpronounceable.[6][4] Some people have, however, inferred other potential meanings for the term xkcd: the Short Minds webcomic, for example, makes light of the fact that the ordinal values of the letters X, K, C and D add up to 42, Douglas Adams' celebrated Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.[19]

On September 23, 2007, hundreds of people gathered at coordinates mentioned in a strip: 42.39561 -71.13051. Fans converged on a park in North Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the strip's author appeared, commenting, "Maybe wanting something does make it real," reversing the conclusion in the last frame of the same strip.[20][21]

On April Fool's Day 2008, xkcd was part of a three-webcomic prank involving Dinosaur Comics and Questionable Content wherein each comic's URL displayed another comic's web page: questionablecontent.net displayed the Dinosaur Comics website, qwantz.com (the Dinosaur Comics website) displayed xkcd, and xkcd.com displayed the Questionable Content website. The prank was orchestrated by Randall Munroe, as Jeph Jacques, author of Questionable Content, announced on his website on April 2:[22]

For those of you still baffled/alarmed by yesterday's little switcheroo, I remind you that it was April 1st. Thank you for all the well-intentioned "I think your site has been hacked!" emails. I can't take credit for the prank as it was Randall's idea, but it was too good not to take part in (also thanks Ryan for playing along and bearing the brunt of my readers' confusion).

In October 2008, The New Yorker magazine online published an interview and "Cartoon Off" between Randall Munroe and Farley Katz. For the "Cartoon-Off," Katz and Munroe each drew: "the Internet, as envisioned by the elderly," "String Theory," "1999," and "your favorite animal eating your favorite food."[23]

Recurring items

While there is no specific storyline to the comic, there are some recurring themes[24] and characters, many of which are touched on in an xkcd parody of the Discovery Channel's I Love the World commercial.[25]

Themes

"Wikipedian Protester", with title-text "SEMI-PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION"

A large number of the strips are mathematics or computer science jokes. These jokes often feature university-level subjects, although many are written in such a way that a clear understanding of the subject is not required to get the punch line. Romance is another subject often visited in the comic, with many strips not intended to be humorous.[24] There are also many strips opening with "My Hobby:" and usually depicting the non-descript narrator character describing some type of humorous or quirky behavior often involving language games.[26] References to Wikipedia articles or to Wikipedia as a whole are an occasional theme in xkcd.[27] xkcd also frequently makes reference to Munroe's "obsession" with potential raptor attacks,[28][29] and to many "your mom" jokes.[30] There have also been several strips featuring "Red Spiders" and Joss Whedon's short-lived series Firefly.

Each comic also has a tooltip, specified using the title attribute in HTML. The text usually contains an afterthought or annotation related to that day's comic.[31]

Characters

Although the artist does not maintain a list of characters, some recurring characters can be identified by their visual features (for example, hats) and mannerisms.

  • A man who looks like a normal stick-figure xkcd character, but for the addition of his trademark black hat. The man's hat is a reference to Aram from the now-defunct webcomic Men in Hats, not to black hat hackers as is often supposed.[32] This character first appeared in the comic Poisson (the twelfth comic published on the website).[33] The character refers to himself as a "Classhole" (a portmanteau of "classy" and "asshole").[34] He does not shy from pointing out the foibles of others and has at times used extreme violence in order to emphasize a point.[35][36] In the January 30, 2008 comic, his hat was taken by a woman, who to date is the only person to foil one of his schemes. The latest appearance of the two together was comic #542.[37] The character is one of the most frequently occurring in the comic, though he remains unnamed (he was referred to in the tooltip for comic #493 as "hat guy").[38] In the "Secretary" story arc, he is nominated for the post of Secretary of the Internet when the Internet has started to collapse, but after a variety of hijinks involving Ron Paul, Cory Doctorow, and the Auto-Troll Shuffle, is sentenced to death, escaping by filling the Capitol rotunda with plastic ball pit-style balls, which distracts the pursuers, while he flees on Doctorow's hot-air balloon.[39]
  • The most common recurring female "character" is known as Megan in several strips; she was first referred to by name in comic #159 - Boombox,[40] and again several times afterward.[41][42][43] She is recognized by her short, dark hair.
  • A boy in a barrel has appeared in five strips. Unlike most other characters, he is not a stick figure. He was repeatedly seen inside a barrel, floating in a large body of water. The boy in the barrel was one of many doodles in the older comics, but has not been seen since comic #31.[44]
  • Another set of recurring characters is the nihilist and the existentialist. Until comic #291, they had only been seen together, never separately. They are first seen in the "Nihilism" comic,[45] and again in "Kayak,"[46] "Hypotheticals",[47] and "Dark Flow."[48]
  • Fictionalised versions of well known real-life figures in the computing and scientific community sometimes appear, such as free software advocates Richard Stallman,[49][50] Cory Doctorow,[50][51] and physicist Richard Feynman.[52][53]
  • Mrs. Roberts was a main character in the "1337"[54] series, and has appeared in other comics along with her children, Robert'); DROP TABLE Students;-- aka "Little Bobby Tables," (a reference to SQL injection) and Help I'm Trapped In A Driver's License Factory Elaine Roberts, the protagonist of the "1337" series.[55]
  • Firefly character River Tam—and actress Summer Glau, who played her—have appeared in a few comics, usually in a dream sequence where a character in the strip makes reference to her.[56]

Activities inspired by xkcd

"Wikipedian Protester" in Cambridge, 23 September 2007

On several occasions, fans have been motivated by Munroe's comics to carry out, in real life, the subject of a particular drawing or sketch. Some notable examples include:

Awards and recognition

xkcd has been recognized at the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards: in the 2008 Awards, it was nominated for "Outstanding Use of the Medium," "Outstanding Short Form Comic," "Outstanding Single Panel Comic," and "Outstanding Comedic Comic," and won "Outstanding Single Panel Comic."[70] xkcd was also voted Best Online Comic by readers in the 2007 Weblog Awards.[71]

Translations

Many xkcd comics have been translated into Spanish by one reader.[72] The comics available are the ones that, according to the translator, can be translated without losing their humor.[73] Near a half of the comics have also been translated into Russian by a community of readers.[74]

References

  1. ^ "The preferred form is "xkcd", all lower-case. In formal contexts where a lowercase word shouldn't start a sentence, "XKCD" is an okay alternative. "Xkcd" is frowned upon." xkcd - A webcomic
  2. ^ Cohen, Noam (2008-05-26). "This Is Funny Only if You Know Unix". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2008-05-30. ... Randall Munroe, the 23-year-old creator of xkcd, a hugely popular online comic strip (at least among computer programmers)...
  3. ^ a b Guzmán, Mónica (2007-05-11). "What's Online". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D7. Retrieved 2008-05-30. Created by math and programming geek Randall Munroe, the xkcd comic updates every Monday with a new adventure for its cast of oddball stick figures.
  4. ^ a b c Fernandez, Rebecca (2006-11-25). "xkcd: A comic strip for the computer geek". Red Hat Magazine. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
  5. ^ The Times (June 6, 2007) xkcd.com; The click; Wednesday. Section: Features; Page 2. (writing, "Web comics have thrived and one of the best is xkcd.com. The comic strip of 'romance, sarcasm, math and language' is brilliant on the stupidity of people who comment on YouTube videos and, oddly, how we take dreaming in our stride: 'I'm gonna go comatose for a few hours, hallucinate vividly, then maybe suffer amnesia about the whole experience.'")
  6. ^ a b c d "About xkcd". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
  7. ^ So, Adrienne (2007-11-03). "Real Geek Heart Beats in Xkcd's Stick Figures". Wired. Retrieved 2008-09-17. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ 100 top sites for the year ahead The Guardian (18 December 2008). Retrieved on 18 December 2008.
  9. ^ Kalamazoo Gazette (August 17, 2006) Ad lib. Section: Ticket.
  10. ^ "What If (#17)". xkcd. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
  11. ^ "The Cure (#56)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
  12. ^ "Girl sleeping (Sketch -- 11th grade Spanish class) (#7)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
  13. ^ "The Raven (#133)". xkcd. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  14. ^ "License". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
  15. ^ xkcd » Blog Archive » Ghost
  16. ^ a b Tossell, Ivor. (May 18, 2007) Globe and Mail We're looking at each other, and it's not a pretty sight. Section: The Globe Review 7; Page R24
  17. ^ Cubbison, Brian; Thompson, Keith. (May 6, 2007) The Post-Standard. Get each of these links at the news tracker blog at blog.syracuse.com/Newstracker and remember, our blogs don't need www. our blogs start with blog. Section: News; Page A2.(Compiled from news services and online research by the authors)
  18. ^ "What xkcd Means (#207)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
  19. ^ "x+k+c+d=42". Short Minds. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
  20. ^ Dream Girl (#240)
  21. ^ Cohen, Georgiana (September 26, 2007). "The wisdom of crowds". The Phoenix. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  22. ^ Questionable Content (Number 1112: Quick Thinking)
  23. ^ Katz, Farley (2008-10-15). "Cartoon-Off: XKCD". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2009-01-17. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ a b Moses, Andrew (2007-11-21). "Former NASA staffer creates comics for geeks". The Gazette. University of Western Ontario. Retrieved 2007-11-22.
  25. ^ "xkcd Loves the Discovery Channel (#442)". xkcd. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
  26. ^ See, for example, xkcd comics #37, #53, #60, #75, #79, #148, #168, #174, #236, #259, #287, #296, #326, #331, #389, #437, #451, and #559.
  27. ^ See, for example, xkcd comics #214, #285, #333, #446, #545 and #547.
  28. ^ O'Kane, Erin (2007-04-05). "Geek humor: Nothing to be ashamed of". The Whit Online. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  29. ^ See, for example, xkcd comics #87, #135, #155, and #292.
  30. ^ See, for example, xkcd comics #116, #176, #320, and #366.
  31. ^ Peter Trinh (2007-09-14). "A comic you can't pronounce". Imprint Online. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
  32. ^ Zelinsky, Joshua (2008-03-04). "Randall Munroe, writer of xkcd, talks about the comic, politics and the internet" (Interview). Wikinews. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
  33. ^ xkcd comic 12
  34. ^ Munroe, Randall (2006-03-06). "Classhole (#72)". xkcd. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  35. ^ "Words that End in GRY (#169)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
  36. ^ "Join Myspace (#146)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-03-06.
  37. ^ "Cover Up (#542)". xkcd. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  38. ^ "Actuarial (#493)". xkcd. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  39. ^ "Secretary: Part 1". Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  40. ^ Munroe, Randall (2006-09-20). "Boombox (#159)". xkcd. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  41. ^ Munroe, Randall (2007-01-26). "Letting Go (#215)". xkcd. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  42. ^ Munroe, Randall (2007-05-07). "Jealousy (#420)". xkcd. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  43. ^ Munroe, Randall (2008-09-19). "The Staple Madnes (#478)". xkcd. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  44. ^ The boy appears in comics #1, #11, #22, #25, and #31
  45. ^ "Nihilism (#167)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-10-04.
  46. ^ "Kayak (#209)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
  47. ^ "Hypotheticals (#248)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  48. ^ "Dark Flow (#502)". xkcd. Retrieved 2008-18-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  49. ^ "Open Source (#225)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
  50. ^ a b "1337 Part 5 (#345)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
  51. ^ "Blagofaire (#239)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
  52. ^ "Nash (#182)". xkcd. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
  53. ^ "Unscientific (#397)". xkcd. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
  54. ^ "1337: Part 1". Retrieved 2008-09-05.
  55. ^ "Exploits of a Mom". Retrieved 2008-01-10. Help I'm Trapped In A Driver's License Factory Elain Roberts' name is given in the tooltip for this comic.
  56. ^ "Action Movies". Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  57. ^ "Life Imitates xkcd, Part II: Richard Stallman". xkcd. 2007-04-19. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  58. ^ "Stallman trumpets free software". The Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
  59. ^ "Richard Stallman Debate". Blog of the YPU. 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
  60. ^ "Cory Doctorow, Part II". xkcd. 2007-03-28. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  61. ^ Chun Yu (November 12, 2007). "The man [hiding] behind the raptor". The Tartan. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  62. ^ "People Playing Chess on Roller Coasters". Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  63. ^ Spicuzza, Dustin (2007-11-11). "Inspired by XKCD: MBR Love Note". Virtualroadside.com. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
  64. ^ "wetriffs.com". Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  65. ^ Paul McNamara (October 9, 2007). "Researchers ping through first full 'Internet census' in 25 years". Buzzblog. Networkworld.com. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  66. ^ "62 Days + Almost 3 Billion Pings + New Visualization Scheme = the First Internet Census Since 1982". Information Science Institute. October 8, 2007 (Last modified October 9, 2007). Retrieved 2007-10-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  67. ^ "Map of the Internet (#195)". xkcd. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  68. ^ Moore, Matthew (2008-10-10). "YouTube 'play back' feature to humiliate inane commenters". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  69. ^ McNamara, Paul (2008-10-09). "YouTube Takes a Page From xkcd". PC World. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  70. ^ "2008 List of Winners and Finalists". Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
  71. ^ Aylward, Kevin (11 November 2008). "The 2007 Weblog Award Winners". Retrieved 6 January 2009.
  72. ^ http://es.xkcd.com/xkcd-es/
  73. ^ "xkcd-es". Retrieved 30 August 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  74. ^ "ru_xkcd". Retrieved 7 November 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)

Further sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Xkcd.
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