NakedElf wrote:"Little kids running around being little kids" does not appeal to everyone.
Looking back at this, and jogged by what RCMonroe said as well, I don't think there actually are many comics of any kind that feature ;little kids running around being little kids'.
Most of the time you'll see them speaking and thinking like adults and speaking that way. I don't think there's all that many at all that portray kids behaving, thinking and talking much like kids really do.
At least, I could probably count the ones I've found on the fingers of one head.
Remember when your imagination was real? When the day seemed
longer than it was, and tomorrow was always another game away?
The early Peanuts did, basically... Which is one reason why I really like them. I think Schultz had a much better conception of how kids *actually* act than the vast majority of writers.
For the most part I think kids in comics, tv, movies, etc., don't actually act like kids because A. real kids are hard to write, and B. adults seem to have an extremely fictionalized idea of what childhood is like, and so don't like things which disturb those notions. (And then, of course, those same adults write many of the kid characters...) And let's face it, *real* little kids aren't always all that interesting. They're often stupid and narrow-minded and egotistical. Sure, if they're *yours* they're the greatest thing ever, but other people's kids can be hella boring. :P
That guy wrote:So I want to know: who else uses these kinds of jokes, and which childhood characters have been living in YOUR head since your underoos matched your bedspread?
Going back to the original topic, I was wondering if ThatGuy is familiar with Homestar Runner. The creators of that site fill their little movies with all sorts of obscure 80's references that I have trouble catching. You might get a kick out of it.
I haven't used any of those types of jokes yet but the ones I'm planning mostly include The Maxx, The Dark Crystal, The Secret of NIMH... Stuff like that...
orinocou wrote:Going back to the original topic, I was wondering if ThatGuy is familiar with Homestar Runner. The creators of that site fill their little movies with all sorts of obscure 80's references that I have trouble catching. You might get a kick out of it.
I know them well. I had a Strong Bad messenger bag in college, and even now I've got a couple shirts. Been a fan for a while.
My main claim to fame is that I had a handcrafted Trogdor, uh...well, they don't wanna say what it is on the Homestar wiki...appear in the Happy Trogday video.
snail wrote:The Secret of NIMH... Stuff like that...
Wow, I haven't heard that book/movie mention in a long long time. Hooray for nostalgia. And I shall have to read Robby's comic more closely to see those references as I watched some Hanna Barbera in my day.
snail wrote:The Secret of NIMH... Stuff like that...
Wow, I haven't heard that book/movie mention in a long long time. Hooray for nostalgia. And I shall have to read Robby's comic more closely to see those references as I watched some Hanna Barbera in my day.
That was the old line up. I'm working with someone to help me write the gags now since I get writers block >_< I'll tell you if I weasle something in though
Also, I think they still show NIMH once in a while on Cartoon Network...
Recently I put up a strip featuring a few of the kids... but one was wearing a pyjama top with a made up logo featuring a local State semi celebrity... it was a little joke for myself more than anything else.
I was mightily chuffed when someone commented back, having known exactly who it was, and paying enough attention to the illustration to recognise him.
If one person you don't know picks up on the giggle, then you've done your job, eh?
Remember when your imagination was real? When the day seemed
longer than it was, and tomorrow was always another game away?
Dutch! wrote:I was mightily chuffed when someone commented back, having known exactly who it was, and paying enough attention to the illustration to recognise him.
...If one person you don't know picks up on the giggle, then you've done your job, eh?
So, "chuffed" is... good, then? You wacky Aussie, you.
The thing about INSIDE JOKES is that they're 10 times funnier to the people on the inside and 10 times more stupid to the people on the outside. You irritate half your audience just to better amuse the other half. I guess that's the real draw to pop culture. Enough people KNOW the old TV shows, video games, and movies of their childhood that it appeals to a wide audience, but because they watched it alone or with their family/friends it seems like an inside joke anyway.
The real trick is making the joke work even if the reference is missed (as in your case, Dutch). That way it's still funny even if no one ever noticed that a reference had taken place.
I wish I could say my comic had more childhood hero references... but it's pretty much just scatterd with music references.... (immensely scattered...)
Putting in pop culture references, even obscure ones, are okay, because at least things like TV shows and video games are accessible to most everyone.
The worst kind of inside joke is when you put yourself and friends as characters in a strip. Of course, everyone loves seeing themselves drawn in a comic, but what's the point if no one outside your little circle is going to understand it?
orinocou wrote:Putting in pop culture references, even obscure ones, are okay, because at least things like TV shows and video games are accessible to most everyone.
Don't be so sure about that.
Of course, you can do whatever you want, but know that any pop culture reference is going to be lost on a great number of people. If you still want to use them, make sure the joke works even if people are unfamiliar with the reference.
I haven't used any of those types of jokes yet but the ones I'm planning mostly include The Maxx, The Dark Crystal, The Secret of NIMH... Stuff like that...
You wacky Aussie, you.
