Explain this comic to me.

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Some of you already know The Perry Bible Fellowhsip, one of the funniest comic strips published today. I usually enjoy the comic, but this particular strip left me baffled:

http://www.citypaper.com/sb/75194/perrybible.jpg

Can someone please explain what's the joke here?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 5 June 2005 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Oops, sorry, here's the strip:

http://www.citypaper.com/sb/75194/perrybible.jpg

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 5 June 2005 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

The dog attacked (but probably not too severely) a kid whose mask resembled the dog's chewing toy, so the dog is now muzzled.

― RS (Catalino) LaRue (RSLaRue), Sunday, 5 June 2005 12:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, I feel stupid now.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 5 June 2005 12:19 (twenty-one years ago)

that strip is great! he is so doggy.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 5 June 2005 12:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Is that third kid Momus?

― C J (C J), Sunday, 5 June 2005 12:41 (twenty-one years ago)

It's okay, Tuomas, I didn't get it initially either.

― Ian Riese-Moraine forever! (Eastern Mantra), Sunday, 5 June 2005 12:52 (twenty-one years ago)

This strip is so sad! I find it genuinely upsetting.

(but then, I think that about a lot of Perry Bible Fellowship stuff.)

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 5 June 2005 13:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I often feel guilty for laughing at them -- like the one with the kid who wishes his grandfather would live one more day and Gramps wakes up in the grave. Actually, I think that cartoon came out the same week my grandfather died.

― Ian Riese-Moraine forever! (Eastern Mantra), Sunday, 5 June 2005 13:15 (twenty-one years ago)

some of these are very, very funny.

― jermaine (jnoble), Sunday, 5 June 2005 13:51 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.citypaper.com/sb/75671/perrybible.jpg

― jermaine (jnoble), Sunday, 5 June 2005 13:52 (twenty-one years ago)

ihttp://www.citypaper.com/comics/story.asp?id=5129

― jermaine (jnoble), Sunday, 5 June 2005 13:53 (twenty-one years ago)

i meant
http://www.citypaper.com/sb/47796/perrybible-1.jpg

― jermaine (jnoble), Sunday, 5 June 2005 13:53 (twenty-one years ago)

http://cheston.com/pbf/PBF025BCDinosaurMeteors.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 5 June 2005 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

And this old classic:

http://cheston.com/pbf/PBF058BCSpacePrank.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 5 June 2005 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I love these.

http://www.citypaper.com/sb/70930/perrybible.jpg
http://www.citypaper.com/sb/67441/perrybible.jpg
http://www.citypaper.com/sb/51130/perrybible-1.jpg

― Ian Riese-Moraine forever! (Eastern Mantra), Sunday, 5 June 2005 14:16 (twenty-one years ago)

The coloring on that first strip is great.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Sunday, 5 June 2005 15:18 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.citypaper.com/sb/47802/perrybible-1.jpg

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Sunday, 5 June 2005 17:30 (twenty-one years ago)

i dont get this one:

http://cheston.com/pbf/PBF034BCBearPolice.jpg

― fe zaffe (fezaffe), Sunday, 5 June 2005 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Is that third kid Momus?

-- C J (CJ_The_Unrul...) (webmail), June 5th, 2005 9:41 AM. (C J) (later) (link)
I AM MOMUSFOR HALLOWEEN

― Cool Hand Luuke (ex machina), Sunday, 5 June 2005 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.jerkcity.com/jerkcity2411.gif

― Cool Hand Luuke (ex machina), Sunday, 5 June 2005 18:20 (twenty-one years ago)

http://cheston.com/pbf/PBF006BCBallerinaSlippers.jpg

― La Monte (La Monte), Sunday, 5 June 2005 18:36 (twenty-one years ago)

the one that makes me saddest is the one where the guy goes "i'd sell my soul for a puppy."

― Maria (Maria), Sunday, 5 June 2005 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.citypaper.com/sb/51138/perrybible-7.jpg

― jermaine (jnoble), Sunday, 5 June 2005 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

pbf has got to be the best comic strip since life in hell. have you all seen Nicholas Gurewitch page: http://www.cheston.com/pbf/
he's got some nice little films on there.

― sunny successor (katharine), Sunday, 5 June 2005 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I effing LOVE this guys comics. They are so whimsical, funny, weird and sometimes sad. Also, the guy who creates them (aforementioned Nicholas Gurewitch) is really really cute.

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 6 June 2005 00:38 (twenty years ago)

Also hahahaha JerkCity! I heart you Jon.

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 6 June 2005 00:41 (twenty years ago)

http://cheston.com/pbf/PBF007ADHappyBrothers.jpg

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 6 June 2005 01:22 (twenty years ago)

My favourite:

ihttp://cheston.com/pbf/PBF026ADTheyAreBack.html

(they're all fantastic really)

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 6 June 2005 04:44 (twenty years ago)

DOh.

http://cheston.com/pbf/PBF026ADTheAreBack.jpg

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 6 June 2005 04:44 (twenty years ago)

jeez
http://www.citypaper.com/sb/52283/perrybible-1.jpg

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 6 June 2005 04:50 (twenty years ago)

http://www.citypaper.com/sb/52283/perrybible-1.jpg

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 6 June 2005 04:50 (twenty years ago)

Haha this rules.

I sent the artist an email. Basically, "wow you worked for my friend, at this place I also worked, and your strip rules" and he wrote back, "yeah cool"

― -rainbow bum- (-rainbow bum-), Monday, 6 June 2005 05:31 (twenty years ago)

I don't get the bear police strip either.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 6 June 2005 09:06 (twenty years ago)

me either

― g-kit (g-kit), Monday, 6 June 2005 09:17 (twenty years ago)

I always wanted to drop him an email too but I'd only come off as some dribbling fangirl, so I havent :/

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 6 June 2005 09:58 (twenty years ago)

people don't like having dribbling fangirls?

― g-kit (g-kit), Monday, 6 June 2005 10:06 (twenty years ago)

Another vote for not getting the bear one. Some wise fellow help?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 6 June 2005 13:10 (twenty years ago)

I always assumed that the cop behaves just like the stereotypical American cop, eating donuts and coffee, but when it comes to apprehending criminals he doesn't have anything more subtle than hacking kids to death with his claws as a policing tool. It's the casual attitude of him in the final panel, in contrast to his brutality in the previous one, that's supposed to be the joke, I thinnk, because he doesn't know anything different than killing things. What with being a bear and everything.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 6 June 2005 13:19 (twenty years ago)

The closest I can get to the bear one:

1) he brutally mauls two kids (notice the blood squirt)
2) yet he enjoys the company of a little bird and a cup of tea

Study in contrasts?

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 6 June 2005 13:19 (twenty years ago)

I just thought it was a take-off on the 'friendly public serve animal mascot' like Smokey the Bear or McGruff the Crime Dog.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 6 June 2005 13:24 (twenty years ago)

i don't understand this one:

http://cheston.com/pbf/PBF077BCDealwiththeDevil.jpg

― DV (dirtyvicar), Monday, 6 June 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

Dude sees a dead bird and sweetly wishes it was alive, but when the devil pops up to grant him one wish, he of course wishes for a 20 ft cock instead.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 6 June 2005 19:43 (twenty years ago)

ooooh.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Monday, 6 June 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

I completely adore this comic strip.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 6 June 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I really like these. The first one in the thread, especially.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Monday, 6 June 2005 20:09 (twenty years ago)

Okay, the bear again.
It's the casual attitude of him in the final panel, in contrast to his brutality in the previous one, that's supposed to be the joke, I thinnk, because he doesn't know anything different than killing things.
This sounds just about right, but what the hell is the bird doing there?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 6 June 2005 21:37 (twenty years ago)

Jesus, some of these are fucking brutal.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 6 June 2005 21:57 (twenty years ago)

The bird is a juxtaposition of inappropriate Disney cuteness, setting off the sheer mentalism of anthropomorphism.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 6 June 2005 22:00 (twenty years ago)

I find this one...

http://cheston.com/pbf/PBF006BCBallerinaSlippers.jpg

...totally upsetting.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 6 June 2005 22:02 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 126 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

that one's good but i kinda feel like it's too similiar to "No Survivors" (xpost)

― Alex in Baltimore, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:22 (eighteen years ago)

THE BUNNY WANTS TO PERFORM CUNNILINGUS AND CUNNINGLY ENCRYPTS HIS DESIRE INTO MUSINGS ABOUT CLOUDS

WHAT IS THERE TO UNDERSTAND

― elmo argonaut, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:23 (eighteen years ago)

I don't understand not understanding that one!

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:24 (eighteen years ago)

Oh, Will, I think the gag is that the dad doesn't appreciate the idea of a "Things I Hate" box, and ironically gives the kid a bare-bottomed what-for.

xxpost why would a bunny want to, and why would the girl turn the offer down??

― Leee, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:24 (eighteen years ago)

I guess that's the best explanation. I still feel like it's missing something.

― Will M., Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:26 (eighteen years ago)

why would a bunny want to, and why would the girl turn the offer down??

1) because he cares about her pleasure
2) because it's an inopportune time of the month

― kenan, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:27 (eighteen years ago)

ok srsly you've never heard couple banter before?

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:28 (eighteen years ago)

or she already got mad laid and is incapable of multiple O's, so she can't handle people touching her for at least the next 35 mins

― Will M., Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:28 (eighteen years ago)

hi dere otm, it is basically gross couple banter, only with a bunny which makes it funny (if it were just a dude it wouldn't be a PBF comic)

― Will M., Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:29 (eighteen years ago)

or she already got mad laid and is incapable of multiple O's, so she can't handle people touching her for at least the next 35 mins

O I get it now lololol

hi dere otm, it is basically gross couple banter, only with a bunny which makes it funny (if it were just a dude it wouldn't be a PBF comic)

Wait what.

― Leee, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:32 (eighteen years ago)

i think the point is to take an easily legible cartoon kidsy relationship, a girl and her talking bunny, and imply this whole adult-realness backstory where the bunny really just wanted to get in her pants all along, and used that afternoon watching clouds to make his move. and she shoots him down, but gives him a hug. sad!

xp oh i hadn't considered that they were already doin it

― gff, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:33 (eighteen years ago)

that is so gross

― gff, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:34 (eighteen years ago)

OH GUYS! BECAUSE BUNNIES LOVE DOING IT RIGHT? SO CLEARLY HE IS MORE HORNY THAN THE HUMAN-LIBIDO'D HUMAN

― Will M., Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:34 (eighteen years ago)

gff is right, everyone eles is thinking too hard.
xpost

― mizzell, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:35 (eighteen years ago)

let us now all enjoy what has become a thoroughly over-explained joke:

ha.

― elmo argonaut, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:37 (eighteen years ago)

clearly that comic works on too many levels, whereas the one i posted works on too few (read: none)

― Will M., Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:37 (eighteen years ago)

seriously leee I wish you'd never asked because now I basically think that comic is fucking terrible and stupid since you made like a milliong difft ppl explain it to you

it was totally a pretty good comic not three minutes ago, for me

― El Tomboto, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:37 (eighteen years ago)

it still is good. come back to it in 15 mins.

― Will M., Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:37 (eighteen years ago)

Will, your comic is total straight-ahead irony/schadenfreude.

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:38 (eighteen years ago)

there isn't a pbf i don't like

― gff, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:40 (eighteen years ago)

WAIT I THINK WE SHOULD ALL DRAW DIAGRAMS UNTIL WE FIND THE FUNNY

― John Justen, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:42 (eighteen years ago)

seriously leee I wish you'd never asked because now I basically think that comic is fucking terrible and stupid since you made like a milliong difft ppl explain it to you

I don't get this can someone pls explain?

― Leee, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:42 (eighteen years ago)

ban leee

― John Justen, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:43 (eighteen years ago)

let us now all enjoy what has become a thoroughly over-explained joke:

ha.

It's like the tenth one this week, and it's only Tuesday.

― Pleasant Plains, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:45 (eighteen years ago)

ILX - Reach for the stars!

― John Justen, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:47 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.jkp.com/media/2006/9781843104810/62-400.jpg

― elmo argonaut, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 20:50 (eighteen years ago)

The thing with the spanking comic is the inverted punchline schtick; it's not the content but the structure, kind of like this softer world piece:

http://www.asofterworld.com/clean/kitchen.jpg

The humor of the PBF strip, if you think there is any, lies in the gap between the third and fourth panels. You have to imagine the slow burn of the adult as he gradually gets the audacity and impudence of the child's gesture, and then he loses it altogether. The irony of the kid getting spanked for not liking spankings is secondary and tacked-on.

― slugbuggy, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

okay crazypants

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:35 (eighteen years ago)

Did anyone ever bring up Softer World in the worst comic thread? That comic consistently makes me sneer. To the point where if people in real life are like "Do you read A Softer World?" I have to keep myself from repeating it back to them in a high-pitched retard voice.

― Will M., Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:37 (eighteen years ago)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ do this more

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:38 (eighteen years ago)

xpost i do not know from this softer world

― John Justen, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:39 (eighteen years ago)

I don't know from A Softer World either, I just endorse parroting things back at people in nasty singsong voices.

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:40 (eighteen years ago)

I just looked at some of them. mad suck.

― John Justen, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:42 (eighteen years ago)

hey, here's a question, when exactly did the rest of finland show up on this thread?

― ^@^, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:43 (eighteen years ago)

PERHAPS I SHOULD ASK TEH INTERNET TO EXPLAIN TO ME THE FUNNY IN THEM.

xpost: hahahaha

― John Justen, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:44 (eighteen years ago)

^@^ = ^_^

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:44 (eighteen years ago)

here's an example of the softer world or whatever:

http://www.asofterworld.com/clean/the_graduate.jpg

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR "EXPLANATION". I GET IT, IT SUCKS.

― John Justen, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:48 (eighteen years ago)

the crapness of that strip, if you believe it to be crap, lies between the first and third panels

― ^@^, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:52 (eighteen years ago)

emo comix

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:53 (eighteen years ago)

I think the crapness is encapsulated by the grammatical nightmare that is "I heard my wife pretending to cry on the phone," so ^@^ otm.

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:54 (eighteen years ago)

pbf is great

― latebloomer, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 22:41 (eighteen years ago)

this is true

― John Justen, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 22:42 (eighteen years ago)

Hey now, I'm just sayin' the retroactive or deferred zing setup in which the zinger kinda distances himself a little from the actual delivery of the zing is a not uncommon comedic device, with the payoff usually being the delayed reaction of the zingee as he puts it all together. I thought that was the other layer that Will said was missing, so I said so, and supplied what I thought was a corraborating example.

The fact that I maybe write like a douche when I attempt exposition or that softer world sucks has nothing to do with this.

― slugbuggy, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 22:51 (eighteen years ago)

<high pitched retard voice>I don't understand not understanding that one!</high pitched retard voice>

― slugbuggy, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 23:41 (eighteen years ago)

bbcode doesn't actually work anymore ;_;

― John Justen, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 23:42 (eighteen years ago)

sorry, that was uncalled for and not funny either.

― slugbuggy, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 23:43 (eighteen years ago)

five months pass...

What's up with TPBF, there hasn't been a new strip on the official site for like a month or more?

― Tuomas, Saturday, 19 April 2008 11:45 (eighteen years ago)

it's in semi-retirement:

The Perry Bible Fellowship has a new home in G2.

― StanM, Saturday, 19 April 2008 11:48 (eighteen years ago)

Damn, I was wondering about that. A shame.

― Nhex, Saturday, 19 April 2008 18:34 (eighteen years ago)

Well it's been going downhill for a while. A rest will do him good.

― chap, Saturday, 19 April 2008 18:38 (eighteen years ago)

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