Let's take a look...
698
685
642
636
615
601
592
584
572
561
539
523
513
511
489
486
473
464
458 (I say it's in the same spirit, even if there's no actual couple presented)
449 oh god how i hate this one
445
439 kinda
429
427
420
415
383 what the fuck is up with that one, seriously
379
366
334
240 though arguably there was a broader point there, with the time and date
223
215
128
112, sort of?
104 is creeeeepy
76
58
44
So what do we see? Like with the memes, these started out very rare but are now quite frequent. The first 250 comics saw 7 of this type, the next 250 saw 16, 13 of which were in the last 100. If anyone wants to do further quantifying here, I'd love to see a chart of sad-relationship comics over time (basically this list) compared to happy-relationship comics over time. I suspect they are about inversely proportional. In any case, I worry about Randy. His work seems so...sad.
So tell me - What should I add, what should I take off?
Actual date of posting not March 3rd, but December 3rd.
523
513
511
489
486
473
464
458 (I say it's in the same spirit, even if there's no actual couple presented)
449 oh god how i hate this one
445
439 kinda
429
427
420
415
383 what the fuck is up with that one, seriously
379
366
334
240 though arguably there was a broader point there, with the time and date
223
215
128
112, sort of?
104 is creeeeepy
76
58
44
So what do we see? Like with the memes, these started out very rare but are now quite frequent. The first 250 comics saw 7 of this type, the next 250 saw 16, 13 of which were in the last 100. If anyone wants to do further quantifying here, I'd love to see a chart of sad-relationship comics over time (basically this list) compared to happy-relationship comics over time. I suspect they are about inversely proportional. In any case, I worry about Randy. His work seems so...sad.
So tell me - What should I add, what should I take off?
Actual date of posting not March 3rd, but December 3rd.
Why not, I have a few minutes.
ReplyDelete--
OK, here's what I found:
http://xkcd.com/513/
http://xkcd.com/511/
http://xkcd.com/489/
http://xkcd.com/486/ (kind of - the alt text makes it seem less so)
http://xkcd.com/473/
http://xkcd.com/464/
http://xkcd.com/449/
http://xkcd.com/443/ (more quirky than a breakup)
http://xkcd.com/436/
http://xkcd.com/429/ (iffy)
http://xkcd.com/420/ (megan!)
http://xkcd.com/415/
http://xkcd.com/366/
This is between now and like 350 - there might be earlier ones than that, but I can't really remember.
WAIT I FOUND ONE here it is! http://xkcd.com/215/ And it has Megan too.
ReplyDeleteOh awesome. Thanks Jay. The only one I disagree with is 443. I guess is does fit in the category technically (it does, after all, explicitly say their relationship is strained) but somehow it doesn't have the same emo annoying quality as the rest. I don't know, I guess I have to think more about it.
ReplyDeleteRest of the list was great though. ARGH I hate these comics
i just opened all of those, and then read them one after the other.
ReplyDeleteif anyone was thinking of doing the same, i highly recommend you don't. it is too painful.
We all know this one right?
ReplyDeletehttp://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4021/xkcdwz7.jpg
I have seen that, and I completely love it. You could redraw it with Randall replaced by "Carl" and Megan replaced by "that comic" that's how much I love it.
ReplyDeleteEither I have a brain tumor or you wrote your first paragraph twice.
ReplyDeleteIt has been fixed. Your brain tumor, of course, is not something I can fix on such short notice.
ReplyDeleteThanks....
Your last three links are just to xkcd not the specific comic. Seems like everyone is lazy these days.
ReplyDeletebaaaaaaah you are right. ok, it's fixed.
ReplyDeleteman i suck at html...
Carl I am wondering what that imageshack image is because it appears to now be a broken link.
ReplyDeleteOk, I copied it to blogger so hopefully this link will last longer. Wonderful parody of the "xkcd loves the discovery channel" comic.
ReplyDeleteAhahah. My favorite is the holding hands one, I think.
ReplyDeleteYou should set some tags for every post you make, making it insta archived.
ReplyDeleteKinda like "love-despair"
or "math-joke"
I did that at the beginning but then got kind of bored and it was too much work. I guess I could get back to it.
ReplyDeleteOk, I went and tagged all the posts linked to in the post with "Troubled Romance." Perhaps some day I will get around to the rest, but I will try tagging new posts and we'll see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteAnyone ever heard of recurring jokes?
ReplyDeleteWe have indeed except that these are not jokes. They are "hey, hey look at me, hey I am so emo look I can be deep!"
ReplyDeleteThis is seriously one of the dumbest posts I've seen. How can you be infuriated about romantic comics on a webcomic that is "romance, sarcasm, math, and language?" There's no foundation for your complaints.
ReplyDeleteYou can be infuriated when it's the same crap over and over and over again that has no meaningful message to give or make and is neither funny or interesting in any kind of respect.
ReplyDeleteI've seen about 50 or 60 of these comics and the only one that has made me chuckle a bit is the raptor google search comic. I honestly am surprised anyone likes these.
And good god at those relationship comics. The one maurik posted is just a parody comic mocking xkcd right? Right!? RIGHT!?
Yes.
ReplyDeleteWho is this Megan?
Megan-questioning Anon: It seems that any time Randall mentions a name for a female character, her name is Megan. I haven't done the listing/research on this but a lot of people have noticed, and the suspicion is that Randy has an ex girlfriend named/called (I say 'called' because he could have just assigned her this name at random) Megan that he hasn't quite got over, and so he writes about her all the time and tries to slip references into his Illustrated Picture Blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm honestly more inclined to assume he just likes the name, but Randall is exactly the type of person who has that one ex he never really got over. (This is not an insult; I know several people who have this trait and they are just fine.)
Incidentally, is there a term for that? I feel like there must be one. A romantic figure that continues to haunt someone. At least some literary or mythological reference. I'm drawing a blank.
I think we have to call that "a Megan"
ReplyDeleteor actually "an Annie Hall" would work well too.
I like the word 'Megan Syndrome' better
ReplyDelete(As for the official term for this All I can come up with is Attachment
Sucker
ReplyDeleteI thought #104 title-text was sort of funny, ass-carl.
ReplyDeleteI don't hear anyone complaining about A Softer World having a lot of baby and kitten jokes. It's called a recurring theme and it's a humor device, get over it.
ReplyDeleteok, let's change that: A Softer World is annoying and weird and not funny and I don't like it.
ReplyDeletewhen rob and I get married and get divorced, it will be over an argument about A Softer World.
Don't forget to add 584.
ReplyDeleteJust got into this site and all I can think is "man, if u dont like it, dont read it". Its not like someone is forcing you to it.
ReplyDeletePut all the effort of this site on something useful, and maybe someday you'll get someone to say that your work sucks too.
abcdario
You forgot one.
ReplyDeletehttp://xkcd.com/701/