Why This Cartoon Doesn’t Work (I Think) #2

OK, now the flip side. Here’s one that’s an oldie and a baddie:

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The gag here is that the men are all outside, and so none of them get the inside joke.

Ahem.

Let’s look at the art:

As is usually the case with a really bad cartoon, I spent a fair amount of time on the art. There was a lot of scenery to do, four characters in different poses and nowhere to hide any bodies, and a decent amount of shading to get the night effect right.

Also, you’ll notice that I used a white airbrush in Photoshop around the border to crop a crappy composition.

Add to it that the guy talking takes a minute to find, and it’s a train wreck from start to finish.

On to the joke:

Actually, I sort of like the gag, but I’m not sure there’s a way to do the art successfully enough to really get it across quickly. And, OK, the joke is weak.

Also, it kinda gets you thinking “is the joke here that there is no joke? Is that the ‘inside joke?'” Which is just a mess.

And the sale:

Nada. Nothing. No one ever bought this, liked it, or understood it. And I really can’t blame them.

So there’s a big fat failure, and not the last. More to come soon…

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