Sumerian Flatulence
Aug 1, 2008 General Nonsense |
An alert reader busted me for creating essentially the same comic twice.
http://digg.com/comics_animation/Boo_to_Scott_Adams_for_reusing_old_jokes_PIC
After drawing about 7,000 Dilbert comics, you might wonder how many times this has happened before. My best guess is that is has happened at least 70 times, some instances more egregious than others. That's because there are only about 100 different jokes in the universe. All jokes are rehashes of something that came before. The best you can do is disguise them.
It makes me wish I had been born around 1,900 B.C. when the first great innovation in humor was invented: the fart joke.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7536918.stm
After that, every seemingly new fart joke was nothing but a rehash. I've used the fart joke several times in Dilbert, with just enough subtlety to get published. Here's one
And another...
The joke in both Dilbert comics is about 4,000 years old. And that assumes the Sumerians didn't steal the joke from someone else.
My strip that runs today (August 1, 2008) is only a second cousin to the fart joke, and maybe the naughtiest thing I ever got away with.
Votes: +5
Comments
User Name: FletchKennedy
Aug 28, 2008
0
Wow, the person who originally blogged about it was correct, but maybe a tad...harsh? You "expect" new material from him? Or what? you're going to stop reading the daily entertainment he provides you for free? And Scott makes a really good point that after so many years, a bit of repetition is inevitable. I highly doubt Scott is sitting there combing his archives for bits to repeat - it would probably be more work than just coming up with something new. And even if he is, it's his fire to play with, if you know what I mean.
User Name: Bob boB
Aug 12, 2008
0
It appears that he has a life beyond cyber space - who knew? I blame !$%*!$% I bet she didn’t let him take his CrackBerry either.
He’ll be back once he recovers from jetlag…
He’ll be back once he recovers from jetlag…
User Name: DiscomBob
Aug 12, 2008
0
oops, guess I thought comments were still being reviewed prior to posting, apparently not. Maybe Scott is dead. Or maybe he just smells funny.
User Name: DiscomBob
Aug 12, 2008
0
I figure someone must be alive somewhere, since at least some comments are being posted. How about a progress meter on the status of Scott's recovery?
User Name: ina
Aug 12, 2008
0
User Name: bobman1235
Aug 12, 2008
0
Knowing Scott, he's just not posting for an extended period of time as some kind of social experiment to see how long it takes people to react.
User Name: gilknut
Aug 11, 2008
0
Come on, Uncle Scott... you simply *can't* leave this one alone...?!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/08/11/invisibility.cloak.ap/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/08/11/invisibility.cloak.ap/index.html
User Name: daveywest
Aug 11, 2008
+1
I was pretty impressed with Sunday, Aug. 10's take on this issue.
(P.S. Where has Scott gone?)
(P.S. Where has Scott gone?)
User Name: ginger_wookey
Aug 11, 2008
+5
Hi Scott
Just getting a bit concerned - even on your honeymoon you managed to blog more frequently than 10 days. Has the new puppy eaten your computer? Have there been (please not) problems from the op?
Just a quick note would be appreciated - looking at the comments I am not the only one to be worried about you... whatever is going on I hope that
a) it's a good thing, or
b) if it's a bad thing that it's not too bad, and also nearly over and fixable, or
c) has Rita Mae finally managed to stalk you?
Just getting a bit concerned - even on your honeymoon you managed to blog more frequently than 10 days. Has the new puppy eaten your computer? Have there been (please not) problems from the op?
Just a quick note would be appreciated - looking at the comments I am not the only one to be worried about you... whatever is going on I hope that
a) it's a good thing, or
b) if it's a bad thing that it's not too bad, and also nearly over and fixable, or
c) has Rita Mae finally managed to stalk you?
User Name: kunalm1983
Aug 11, 2008
+2
hi scott, here's an avid fan from india. why are we seeing probably the longest hiatus in the history of this blog? is everything ok with your neck operation? please tell us whats going on. thanks!
User Name: CmdrSue
Aug 9, 2008
0
And to think, Vonnegut didn't know any of this when he wrote the ending to Galapagos.
User Name: aaronread
Aug 9, 2008
0
Hi Scott - this has nothing to do with repeating comics, but I thought you'd be interested to know that R.Stevens has decided to discontinue doing his webcomic (Diesel Sweeties) as a syndicated newspaper comic as well.
http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/07/r-stevens-steer.html
The reason he gives is that he was actually making LESS money by doing a webcomic (and managing his own merch sales) and doing a syndicated comic...than he was when he wasn't doing a syndicated comic.
I find this fascinating within the context of your Basic Instructions experiment a little while back (for the record, I am now a regular BI reader, and I'm going to buy the Help is On the Way book). The overarching concept was that if Scott Meyer successfully became syndicated, then by default he would make more money in the end. (among other things)
I wonder if Diesel Sweeties turns that idea on its head. In that, obviously, maybe R.Stevens just wasn't doing it "right". But maybe, as newspapers sink deeper and deeper into insolvency, has the syndication business become such a mug's game that you really can make more money just by being a webcomic and managing your own merch sales?
P.S. Loved the blog post about saving a million people by not making a joke about Vista !$%*!$%* I called my friends at Marketplace (public radio) and told 'em they ought to do a story on it. :-)
http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/07/r-stevens-steer.html
The reason he gives is that he was actually making LESS money by doing a webcomic (and managing his own merch sales) and doing a syndicated comic...than he was when he wasn't doing a syndicated comic.
I find this fascinating within the context of your Basic Instructions experiment a little while back (for the record, I am now a regular BI reader, and I'm going to buy the Help is On the Way book). The overarching concept was that if Scott Meyer successfully became syndicated, then by default he would make more money in the end. (among other things)
I wonder if Diesel Sweeties turns that idea on its head. In that, obviously, maybe R.Stevens just wasn't doing it "right". But maybe, as newspapers sink deeper and deeper into insolvency, has the syndication business become such a mug's game that you really can make more money just by being a webcomic and managing your own merch sales?
P.S. Loved the blog post about saving a million people by not making a joke about Vista !$%*!$%* I called my friends at Marketplace (public radio) and told 'em they ought to do a story on it. :-)
User Name: ina
Aug 8, 2008
+2
hrrr, this prolonged silence is scary. having in mind Scott's recent operation and all.
i wish i did not know the comics are drawn far in advance :(
i wish i did not know the comics are drawn far in advance :(
User Name: tartanmarine
Aug 7, 2008
0
Someone needs to get a life. Okay, I can steal enough time from my job to read today's strip, but to go back over old strips and compare? What's his payoff? Scott gets rich (Deservedly so. Read Thomas Sowell's "Basic Economics," a great book.) and the nipwitpicker gets what? Satisfaction?
I thought both strips were amusing. And will if I'm lucky enough to be around in 10 years to read the sanme joke again.
I thought both strips were amusing. And will if I'm lucky enough to be around in 10 years to read the sanme joke again.
User Name: WinSome
Aug 7, 2008
0
Hey It's Dave,
For some one who has stopped reading Dilbert 10 years ago, you sure notice a lot of nitty gritty details.
That is the beauty of Dilbert, its simplicity in the complexity of the issue that it presents.
For some one who has stopped reading Dilbert 10 years ago, you sure notice a lot of nitty gritty details.
That is the beauty of Dilbert, its simplicity in the complexity of the issue that it presents.
User Name: Haliverpool
Aug 7, 2008
+1
Hey Scott,
Are you OK? I know you said you wouldn't be blogging as much, but couldn't we have at least a crumb? There's been nothing for six days!
-HAL
Are you OK? I know you said you wouldn't be blogging as much, but couldn't we have at least a crumb? There's been nothing for six days!
-HAL
User Name: hesitantgenius
Aug 6, 2008
0
The second "fart joke" comic has been cut off by Dilbert's handstand for 5 days. Yawn. Nobody at the helm of Dilbert.com BETA?
User Name: the_muteKi
Aug 5, 2008
0
I disagree that the comic you're referring to as the dirtiest you got away with really is the one.
I think that the one where Alice talks about a space heater keeping Uranus warm (or the Uranus-Hertz product name) is far more so. That said, though, I'm not 100% sure what "Getting away with it" means, seeing as how several newspapers might have pulled either.
I think that the one where Alice talks about a space heater keeping Uranus warm (or the Uranus-Hertz product name) is far more so. That said, though, I'm not 100% sure what "Getting away with it" means, seeing as how several newspapers might have pulled either.
