Archive for December, 2009
14 items.
Loading ...
I intentionally do not watch a lot of television. Maybe 5 or 6 hours a week, and then I’m usually multi-tasking — building something out of LEGO, exercising, etc. I initially conceived today’s comic after having read up a lot on the classic comic strip from my childhood, Calvin & Hobbes. Bill Watterson put a lot of time & energy into creating situations that were completely impossible, yet completely believable, with brilliant, witty dialog to boot. Calvin was always dreaming up a crazy scheme that (unbeknownst to him) was a commentary on reality, and Hobbes was always quick to verbalize the point. Beautiful satire. So this is my effort at a tribute to what we often read in Calvin & Hobbes. Certainly I have no Calvin and Hobbes minifigs (Bill Watterson has never licensed his creation to be mass-marketed — and I say more power to him!), but I felt that you’ve already seen my power miners watching television, so it was a good fit for them to step in. Enjoy!
1 Comment
(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
It’s amazing what you can figure out by watching other people play with their LEGO bricks. My 7-year old son, Christopher Jr. likes to mix his minifigs up a lot and can get some crazy results. That play inspired the first LEGO webcomic I ever did, The Empire: An Equal Opportunity Employer, and inspired today’s comic.
That’s right, Joe Jerry — what is it that you do when you’re not dressed up in blue tights and a cape?
LEGO minifigs stuck in old electronics. Looks like the work of a two-year old, or perhaps someone punishing bad minifigs!
It’s hard to believe that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles celebrated their 25th anniversary this year. Originating as a Black & White comic book with a limited print run of 3,000 copies in 1984, TMNT has gone on to become a very recognizable comic book, movie, video game, and toy franchise. No wonder the 13 Frogs are looking for a little bit of transformative power.
Okay, so maybe the LEGO bunny was not exactly designed in minifig-scale. Or maybe it was, and in the little world of LEGO people, bunnies are very scary creatures. 
I did a similar thing back in episode #81 with the LEGO dog. And I recognize that LEGO can’t give us everything in an exact minifig scale or there would just be a lot of pieces you really couldn’t do because they’d be too small to play with, or you couldn’t attach them to a stud, or you’d lost them too easily, or your baby sister would swallow them. But it sure can be funny when it dawns on you what the size of these things actually scales up to!
“Step on a crack and you’ll break your mother’s back.” Or at least, that’s what the old saying alleges. I think there are enough mothers out there with their backs intact to keep this little rhyme from hitting Mythbusters. On the other hand, LEGO frogs are different. Maybe we do need to feel sorry for Carl’s mama…
It’s nice to know that with television shows getting less and less intelligent (a reflection of society in general?) that they can get expanded into a 24-hour special. Did I just actually say that?
(6 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
To paraphrase a bit of dialog that Dick Van Dyke and the late Ed Wynn shared in Mary Poppins,
“There’s nothing like a good pun.”
“You’re right. And that was nothing like a good pun.”
[both start bawling]
So, please don’t cry. No LEGO frogs were really harmed in the taking of this picture. But if any had, you can rest assured that the mighty frog Spartacus would have prevailed none-the-less.
Merry Christmas from The Brick Side! (you know, that webcomic built with LEGO bricks)
Inspiration can even be found in the laundry room. For frogs. Sometimes.
Okay, I personally don’t think this is the best solution. That’s just how satire works.
Spartacus and company. What will they think of next?
Jeff C., this one’s for you. When you told me that Episode #33 was one of your favorites I brainstormed for a while to come up with a sequel. I’ve had the scenario and punch-line planned for quite some time — just had to be able to place it in the right setting. We’re at Myrtle Beach this week, so that made the setting. And I just got one of the new sharks this week — much better and more menacing than the old ones. So, voila, a Brick Side episode is born. Enjoy!
