Am I the only one who doesnt get this comic?

[Kranden]

While I think the art is nice I just don't understand any of the humor in this comic. Is the world based around a previous piece of media or a spoof on something else? And I have given it a chance I have re-read the first 20ish pages or so at least 3 times trying to figure it out and nothing. I'm not trying to insult this comic just it seems like I'm missing something here.

[Prowl]

edit: whoops wrong comic

It's a spoof on what living in a turn-based strategy game might be like. The game that comes to mind for me is Warlords II, but there are plenty of others in the genre to which it could also apply.

[Tirian]

And the world is based on kitschy 70's culture (Evel Knievel, Charlie's Angels, KISS, Grease, West Side Story, and so on).

[DariusAPB]

Warlords 2, the earlier HOMM games (why, oh why oh how did they go so wrong with 4 and 5?)
Baiscally any hex based turn based strategy you can think of, then sprinkle pop culture references generously into the mix.

[Werekat]

I used not to get it. Not being initially from an English-speaking culture, and more of a tabletop gamer than a computer gamer, it took me three re-readings and quite a bit of digging to get most of the references. This was the case for quite a few of my acquaintances and friends, as well. I find it was well worth the effort, however: it's an intelligent and fun read. For me - mostly about the issues of dealing with an insane reality that, though insane, is one you are essentially familiar with. This dichotomy of alien and familiar is what makes the comic enjoyable for me. Though, admittedly, you probably have to have a specific sense of humor for this. I find that you have to get yourself to read past the initial exposition to really enjoy it - and then the exposition begins to make sense as well. Try reading it through - it might catch your interest then.

[Krelon]

A big discussion what the comic is really about what it is supposed to mean starts on page 3 of the current issue discussion (124, page 112) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92119&page=3). It goes on for 8 pages of forum discussion, a bit lengthy for me but lots of things have been picked apart. Every one's a critic so read and your own reply.

As for the references I agree with you that it is hard to get them all if you are not an english-native like for example me. I did miss many of the anglo-american pop-"culture" references, however being lucky to having started reading this comic early I could read the explanations in the forum shortly after each strip's been published. If it is too hard for you ti browse the archives just ask for each thing you don't get specifically .. I can think of several experts *cough* nerds *cough* who'd love to explain to you.

[Olibarro]

Also note that humor is not the primary focus of the comic. There are bits that are ironic or funny, but Erfworld is certainly not meant to be a joke-a-day comic. And I love love love this comic, but I cannot wait for it to come out in book form. I really think Erfworld will truly shine as a book. I appreciate getting it on the web like this, but it really works better when it can be read all in one sitting.

[TamLin]

Is the world based around a previous piece of media or a spoof on something else?

Seemingly, it's a spoof of almost EVERY previous piece of media.

[Kranden]

It's a spoof on what living in a turn-based strategy game might be like. The game that comes to mind for me is Warlords II, but there are plenty of others in the genre to which it could also apply.

well that definitely explains a lot. I suppose Order of the Stick was more blatant in the comic being in the D&D universe. By not giving any real hints to that which it wants to parody Erfworld is a little confusing without that knowledge.

But I'll give it another chance thanks.

[Prowl]

well that definitely explains a lot. I suppose Order of the Stick was more blatant in the comic being in the D&D universe. By not giving any real hints to that which it wants to parody Erfworld is a little confusing without that knowledge.

But I'll give it another chance thanks.

I think the big difference is that Erfworld is not specific about which game in particular it is based off of; indeed, it doesn't even have to be a particular one, the entire genre of turn-based wargames has elements in common and the author can pick and choose and still remain internally consistent. I don't think it's based off any one game, it seems to have its own set of specific rules (that helpfully assist with writing a good story).

Things like not being able to move on your own turn, having units just 'pop' at the beginning of your turn, unit upkeep costs, cities being the basis of 'sides', unit stacks and stack limits, things like food and supplies being a non-issue, and many other details are found in so many games of this type that there really is no need to pick just one.

OotS, on the other hand, is very specifically based on Dungeons and Dragons, and even more specifically on the 3.5 version. So it's a lot easier to get into heavy analysis of that strip since the rules of the game are very well known and easily referenced.

[Capt'n Ironbrow]

Actually, I think Erfworld: TBoGK has kind of an "European" feel to it, mainly because of almost every single name being a pun of something... which is extremely prevalent in most "all audiences" Belgian and French Comics. especially in Belgian Comics. There's even a Belgian BD in which almost everyone the protagonist family meets has a name that, when you combine the first and last name are an object, occupation or creature: Luc Saflex, Bob Sled, dr. Van Pier (bad pun on vampire... for a guy who works at a blood transfusion clinic), Han De Laar (handelaar= Merchant, character is probably a salesman) etc. these kind names are usually not given to the regular cast of characters, who quite often have names that are just silly (Frou Frou, a cookie. Constantinople, a city) while also entirely realistic because Belgians seem to have a tendency to have weird names from a Dutch point of view... especially for girls, who might have names that translate to English as "sweet" (Lieve), "good" (Goede/Goedele), or "Feather" (Veerle)... not to mention that the daughter of the protagonist is a gorgeous girl who's called Fanny (which is/could be hilarious for English speakers)

Asterix comes to mind too... Cacafonix the "terrible musician" for exmaple, while Spike and Suzy (suske en wiske) also feature pun-names for quite a few persons (usually foreigners)... Ambrose for example, is called Lambik in the Dutch edition which is based on the Crique Lambique beer... and if Ambrose has one great passion in life, it's (Belgian) beer.

[Harr]

There IS a scene where it's pretty much pointed out that Erfworld is a turn-based tabletop wargame. Recall what Parson was doing right before he got zapped into Erfworld... setting up a turn based tabletop wargame, yes. A game in which the map was eerily similar to the terrain around which the plot revolves in the story.

Parson also has a little monologue on a funny bit of pop-subculture (how peeps are better slightly stale than fresh) right before he gets zapped to the world where peeps are actually living units, also pointing out that obscure subculture references are part of what makes the world.

I agree that a lot of references are pretty obscure and most of them (yeah not all of them, I know) fall into either a) you have to have been alive and aware of the world during the 70s or b) you have to have spent some amount of time on 4chan ebaumsworld etc, which is to say either pretty old or pretty nerdy (without any offense meant to either of those populations, as I happen to be both).

A lot of the rest of the jokes are also frequently so dry that they go right over most people's heads or are totally deniable or ignorable if the reader chooses them to be so (good girls get to eat sushi etc). In essence a lot of Erfworld requires the reader to actively look for (maybe even work for) the funny.

[Vossik]

Parson also has a little monologue on a funny bit of pop-subculture (how peeps are better slightly stale than fresh) right before he gets zapped to the world where peeps are actually living units, also pointing out that obscure subculture references are part of what makes the world.

Actually that was part of the spell he snacks gwiffons and eats marbits for breakfast.

[Silverlocke980]

The comic's fairly understandable if you approach it in two ways consecutively.

First off, it's a big riff on what "good and evil" look like in a fantasy gaming world, where all that is really different between them is the units they use: the "good" leader, Ansom, has psychotic delusions of grandeur that could make him fall apart if he's not careful, while the bad guys see themselves (at least to Stanley) as holy crusaders working for the gods.

Secondly, the jokes are bits on turn-based strategy games, and the irritations of living in such a system.

Approach it in these two ways- a rather hard, interesting take on what fantasy conventions would look like in the "real world", and how damn weird fighting under a turn-based system would be.

[Winterdusk]

I get most of the jokes, but even I miss a few here and there, for example, until I looked up links here I had no idea what the heck a Van de Graff was.

[Kranden]

Well I read the whole thing and I can say now its not bad Id give it a 7/10
its biggest problem in my opinion is it starts VERY slowly and doesn't grab reader interest right away. Would have been a much easier read in a graphic novel format.

[EBass]

I stumbled upon Order of the Stick through some link somewhere and loved it, but now I think I prefer Erfworld. (not that I don't still love OOTS) I just think the way the world is designed and shown is fantastic.

As for the humour, Erfworld isn't really a belly laugh comic, I mean people say the names are "puns" on things or jokes about something. But they aren't really jokes themselves per se, more a general sort of "wink wink" of everything being somehow refferenced to our world that permeates the comic with sort of amusing undertone.

[Pheldagriff]

Well I read the whole thing and I can say now its not bad Id give it a 7/10
its biggest problem in my opinion is it starts VERY slowly and doesn't grab reader interest right away. Would have been a much easier read in a graphic novel format.

I still remember wenn erfworld started and people all over the place complained that it sucked and that is was in every way inferior to OotS. I have to admit, I wasn't a fan in the beginning either. Luckily after some strips, the story got going and people quickly got to like erfworld.

[MoredanKantose]

For me, Erfworld is poetry. It uses metaphers, symbols, to tell a story.

At the beginning it was also too strange for me to enjoy. Now I can understand the world, and I like it.

And for me, it is not a funny story. Not at all. It is not about humor.


Another no-English-native reader.

[Zolem]

For me, Erfworld is poetry. It uses metaphers, symbols, to tell a story.

At the beginning it was also too strange for me to enjoy. Now I can understand the world, and I like it.

And for me, it is not a funny story. Not at all. It is not about humor.


Another no-English-native reader.

For me, it's a satirical look at war, with all the 'glory' turned into stupid puns and references and all the tragity in tact. It deals with religious fanatics and people who believe that they are superior by birth. The concept of good guys and badguys in war being false. It also deals with the idea of breaking the molds of steryotypes with Vampires beign the on the same side as the shining knight, and possibly being more heroic and noble than him.

[SteveMB]

For me, Erfworld is poetry. It uses metaphers, symbols, to tell a story.

At the beginning it was also too strange for me to enjoy. Now I can understand the world, and I like it.

And for me, it is not a funny story. Not at all. It is not about humor.

I recall Rob describing Erfworld as "a farce" at one point. I have a hunch that the story came out a bit more dramatic and a bit less comical than originally intended. (That doesn't make it better or worse, just different.)