Comic Genesis Forums

In my never ending quest to learn about humour I'm finding myself wondering what other people think on the subject.

What are your theories on comedy?

Does anyone here have an idea about what makes something funny?

Anything:

Formulas, theories, anecdotes, checklist requirements, comedic conversion algorithms?

What is humour?

Dallawalla wrote:What is humour?

Subjective.

A man getting hit in the crotch by a football.

"Humour is simply something unexpected, set up with subtlety and delivered with drama."

- Joel Fagin

Humor is everywhere if you look for it. There is no specific formula or method behind it... it is just making light of one's (and others) circumstances to make life more bearable and enjoyable.

Just everytime you're making your comic keep the following in your mind:

"What would Bill Watterson do?"

Joel Fagin wrote:"Humour is simply something unexpected, set up with subtlety and delivered with drama."

- Joel Fagin

Out of curiosity, are you quoting yourself? Because there's humour in that.

Also, that's the first description of something as complex as comedy i've seen that starts with "is Simply"

Energy is simply mass multiplied by the speed of light squared.

What is humour?

A noun.

...Whaaaaaaaat?

Anyway, humor's different for everyone. I go for Terry Prachett's brand of humor--character driven and situational humor and satire... other people might not. I don't think someone getting hit in the crotch is funny--but a lot of people do. Humor can be found in anything, depending how you look at it.

Thus, humor is a state of mind. ^_^

Surprise seems to be the basic element of humor. So ti's all about building up tension then releasing it with something sudden and unexpected.

example:

Freudian slips are commonplace especially with my family. I remember at dinner I wanted to ask my mother to pass the salt, but instead I said "You stupid old cow you've ruined my life."

That's a highbrow example. With comics and imagery you might want to try Absurdism instead.

Humor is like porn. You just kinda know it when you see it.

Let's define art next.

Dallawalla wrote:Out of curiosity, are you quoting yourself? Because there's humour in that.

Um... Maaaybe.

I make them up, occassionally on the fly but mostly when I'm bored. Then I use them in stories so I don't have to resort to Earth sayings in other-dimensional fantasy worlds or far-flung-future cultures. I mean, that would be silly.

Also, that's the first description of something as complex as comedy i've seen that starts with "is Simply"

"A good analogy is worth a thousand words. A bad one, maybe a hundred."

Energy is simply mass multiplied by the speed of light squared.

I'm going to nitpick and say you're wrong. That's not what energy is. That's how much you can make.

Yeahduff wrote:Let's define art next.

"You don't know art. You feel it. It has a resonance in the mind and in the heart. It is an effect, not a process."

- Joel Fagin

If you find it funny,
If your friends find it funny,
If a complete stranger who is not aware of any in-jokes finds it funny,

Then it is funny.

A technique for gag writing - think of an ordinary everyday statement, and then add another statement onto the end of it to make it funny.

eg start with "My train was delayed this morning."

Think of a statement to follow it that could make it funny (not everything thing you think of will be funny - most of it will be crap).

eg "It thought it had left the gas on."

Um, other examples:

I saw George Bush on the telly this morning.
I asked him to leave the house.

The new Indiana Jones film was realeased last week.
It took us seven hours to recapture it.

If you have friends they can think of the first statement and you have to end it.

I'm going to betray my profession now by giving you some more to complete yourself:

My car broke down on the way to work.
I bought a new tumble dryer this week.
I went to the shops for some milk.
Some people prefer red wine...

Joel Fagin wrote: Anything I say...ever!

Aren't you supposed to plug http://mcduffies.comicgenesis.com/tutorjokes.html ? Or McD should. Especially when you (plural) have the knack for technical details.

Redtech wrote:Aren't you supposed to plug http://mcduffies.comicgenesis.com/tutorjokes.html ? Or McD should. Especially when you (plural) have the knack for technical details.

Normally, yes, but he's lapsed with his bribe payments.

- Joel Fagin

Humour is how the rest of the world spells "humor". Humor is also something Tim B>Uckley can't get (or at least drawing it).

Humor is "I am Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to Die."

So absolutely everyone outside the UK spells it humor, do they?

Hmm... news to me...

EvilFlea wrote:So absolutely everyone outside the UK spells it humor, do they?

Hmm... news to me...

And that's why I will never learn this language properly.

One day I wrote a paper about The Times's view on the WTC attack. I was shocked when I found out the British spelled "Centre" instead of "Center". Oh, and my Professor pointed out my "misspelling" in every time I mentioned the word in the text.

Same with "arse" and "ass".

Indeed. An ass is a donkey.

Fabio Ciccone wrote:And that's why I will never learn this language properly.

One day I wrote a paper about The Times's view on the WTC attack. I was shocked when I found out the British spelled "Centre" instead of "Center". Oh, and my Professor pointed out my "misspelling" in every time I mentioned the word in the text.

Same with "arse" and "ass".

Well, then stick to the American spelling... =P

The great Spike Milligan once wrote: “Just when I had made my today secure with safe yesterdays I see tomorrow coming with it's pale glass star called hope. It shatters on impact and falls like splinters on cruel rain, and I see the red oil of life running from my wrists onto tomorrows heaven.”

Make of that what you will.